Earth System Science is a two-year programme (120 EC) with 30 EC dedicated to compulsory courses, an independent Master's research project (36 EC), as well as an internship in corporate consultancy, civil society or a governmental organisation (24-30 EC). You can devote an additional 30-36 EC to either elective courses or a minor.

The Earth System Science track has specific courses that teach you how to analyse and monitor Earth System responses to global change across scales. These courses range from scrutinising molecular processes in soils, investigating the role of past climate and sea level change on landscape and ecosystems, to assessing global deforestation rates through remote sensing.

You will enhance your proficiency in modelling, with languages like R and Python, as well as refine your skills in managing large datasets, including GIS, LiDAR, GPS-tracking data, Radar, and remote sensing data sets. You can also cultivate your expertise in laboratory analysis, focusing on examining contaminants in sediments, soils or water by studying elements, microbic organism, and microfossils in order to scrutinise the evolution of Earth's ecosystem from millions of years to months in response to global change.

The Master's thesis research project is your masterpiece. It is an independent research project supervised by an expert. Your research topic is preferably closely linked to the research conducted at the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED). While you work on your research project, you will be a member of a research group. This will help optimise communication with your peers and supervisors, provide you with a broader perspective by being involved in research projects, and develop your professional network.

You can choose to do your Master's programme with a society and/or business-oriented major or minor that focuses on other skills than doing research. You follow the programme of your chosen scientific discipline during the first year of your Master's (slightly adjusted compared to the research Master), and a major or minor during the second year. You will graduate as a Master of Science. If you have the ambition to do a professional specialisation, make sure to inform yourself about the conditions early in your Master's programme.   

This track is a specialisation of the UvA Master's programme Earth Sciences, which has been accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). This means that upon successful completion of the programme (a total of 120 EC), you will receive a legally recognised Master's degree in Earth Sciences and the title Master of Science (MSc).

Earth System Science works across disciplines and is firmly embedded in the interdisciplinary Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), which covers high-quality research on earth surface science, ecology, environmental chemistry, (soil-)chemical analytics and modelling. You can conduct your thesis research there, but also at partner institutions.

All students enrolled in Earth Sciences are requested to bring and work on their own laptop. More information on specific system requirements can be found here.