The course language is English. The Master's thesis has to be submitted in English.
Applicants with an international Bachelor's degree: 15 August
Application at www.uni-assist.de starts 1 May.
Applicants with a German Bachelor's degree: 1 September
The JLU online portal for applicants with a German Bachelor's degree opens 1 June.
Do you want to understand development and transition processes? Do you want to initiate social and technological change to make economic activities more sustainable? Are you interested in social, economic, political and natural sciences, especially in their interdependencies? Do you want to study from anywhere in the world at one of Germany's oldest universities? Then join us in working towards a more sustainable future, with a special emphasis on sustainable agricultural and food systems, and explore our international Master's degree programme in Sustainable Transition!
The Master‘s degree programme in Sustainable Transition is the first fully online degree programme at Justus Liebig University Giessen, offered by the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Nutritional Sciences and Environmental Management (Faculty 09), a faculty with recognised expertise in the scientific analysis of agricultural and food systems. The standard duration of the programme is four semesters. All courses and examinations are offered online and can be taken remotely. If you wish to be physically present in Giessen during your studies, you can attend on-site courses during the summer vacations.
As a student of our MSc programme, you will:
The study programme is organised in modules (courses). Our modules offer a wide spectrum of different teaching methods including synchronous online teaching such as lectures, seminars and group discussion as well as asynchronous elements such as videos and individual work tasks. Each module comprises four semester hours per week and is completed with a final examination as given in the module description. The final grade of the study programme is calculated from the achieved module grades.
The programme schedule consists of 11 mandatory modules (core modules), five optional modules (profile modules) and the Master's thesis. Having completed the core modules, the students will be well equipped with a solid scientific education and ready to deepen their knowledge in specific research areas. By individually choosing their profile modules from a diverse range of study areas, students shape their individual competence profiles.
Core Modules
Profile Modules
Students tailor their individual profiles by selecting five modules from the profile module catalogue for digital degree programmes. Among the modules for this study programme are the following:
On-Site Courses during the Summer Vacation
Several profile modules are offered as block modules with physical attendance in Giessen during the summer vacation. These modules are optional, and you can attend them if you wish to be physically present in Giessen during your studies. If you are interested in attending some of these modules, please contact the study coordinators of the Faculty 09 at studies@fb09.uni-giessen.de for further information.
Recommended programme schedule:
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Financial Aid for International Students at JLU in the Closing Phase of Their Degree: partial scholarship for three to six months: 300-450 EUR per month (funding phase starting April or May every year). A Presidential Commission will decide on the awarding of the scholarships based on academic achievements, indigence, social or intercultural commitment, recommendations from academic staff and compliance with formal requirements. More information: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/international-pages/study/grants/closingphase?set_language=en
Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree with at least 180 ECTS points and the grade "good" or "very good" (minimum grade of 2.6 in the German grading system) in one of the following scientific fields:
Applicants must have proof of sufficient knowledge in economics, and/or the social sciences, i.e. at least 60 ECTS points in at least one of these subjects.
The application must include a letter of motivation with 500 words (+/- 10%) outlining the candidate’s personal motivation and his or her subject-specific knowledge.
Applications will be examined individually as to whether the study requirements are fulfilled. A specialist commission at JLU will then finally decide on the admission. The criteria for the evaluation of the motivation letter are given in the examination regulations. We cannot provide information on the status of acceptance before the application process is fully completed.
Detailed information about accepted relevant Bachelor's study programmes and the application process is provided here: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/faculties/f09/studies/general.
As the entire degree course is taught in English, applicants must provide proof of sufficient knowledge of written and spoken English. The required level of proficiency can be certified by one of the following:
Applicants with an international Bachelor's degree: 15 August
Application at www.uni-assist.de starts 1 May.
Applicants with a German Bachelor's degree: 1 September
The JLU online portal for applicants with a German Bachelor's degree opens 1 June.
Applicants with a foreign Bachelor’s degree submit their application via www.uni-assist.de.
Applicants with a German Bachelor's degree apply via the JLU application portal.
Different rules apply if you have not finished your Bachelor’s degree yet. Please check www.uni-giessen.de/studium/bewerbung for details.
Halls of residence and private accommodation: www.uni-giessen.de/acc
Career Service and special opportunities for international students: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/faculties/research-centers/zfbk/career_services/career_services_inhalt_en?set_language=en
Founded in 1607, Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU), Germany, is a comprehensive university with a longstanding tradition which attracts around 26,000 students. JLU is offering the full range of traditional and modern subjects with top-level teaching and research ‒ extending from classical natural sciences, law and economics, social and educational sciences, linguistics and cultural studies to a unique selection of life science subjects such as human and veterinary medicine, agricultural, environmental and nutritional sciences and food chemistry. The leading personae who carried out research and taught at JLU include a number of Nobel Prize winners, such as Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901) and Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace Prize in 2004). Since 2006, research at JLU has received continuous funding from the Excellence Initiative schemes and the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal Republic and Federal States.
With around 94,000 inhabitants, Giessen has one of the highest student densities throughout Germany. Four higher education institutions with altogether 40,000 students provide a unique college-town atmosphere. The city offers plenty of leisure options for students, such as canoeing on the Lahn river, walks and picnics in its multiple green areas, cinemas with student concession tickets, the municipal theatre with a programme consisting of plays, opera and ballet as well as swimming pools and sports facilities, and a variety of pubs, restaurants and night life venues. The great thing about Giessen is that it's an easy place to navigate and, when the mood takes you, to escape into the picturesque surrounding countryside or the metropolis of Frankfurt am Main, which is about 60 kilometres away.
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