Course content – Psychology & Sustainability

The Master ‘Psychology & Sustainability’ at Leuphana University is conceptualised as a Double Degree programme in cooperation with the University of Groningen. Students complete an international, joint programme at a German and a non-German university in English thus being well qualified not only for national but also for the European job market. Students obtain two Master degrees – one degree in ‘Psychology & Sustainability’ as well as another one in ‘Environmental Psychology’.

As part of this Double Degree programme, students spend their first year at one of the most renown universities in the field of sustainability science (Leuphana University), and their second year at one of the most prestigious universities in the field of environmental psychology (University of Groningen). The first semester at Leuphana University focuses on key principles of sustainability psychology at the individual, the group, and the societal level. By introducing core theories and models, the programme links topics from the field of psychology to the field of sustainability science. Students attend the following modules: Introduction to Psychology and Sustainability, Psychology and the Individual: Self-Regulation and Sustainability, Psychology and the Community: Diagnosis of Time and Sustainability, Psychology and the Society: Political Negotiations and Sustainability, and the module Research Methods: Multivariate Approaches. In the second semester students complete the modules Sustainability Psychology: Research and Application, Selected Topics in Psychology, Transdisciplinary Research Project and Research Methods II: Interdisciplinary Approaches. Accordingly, inter- and transdisciplinary work with a focus on theoretical propositions, methodological tools, and practical implications will characterise the programme in the second semester. Students will be provided with the opportunity to choose an elective course in one of the related psychology programmes at the Graduate School (Selected Topics in Psychology, e.g. International Human Resource Management). Thereby, the second semester aims at broadening students’ psychological perspective on the inter- and transdisciplinary characteristics of sustainability science.

Upon the third semester, students will transfer from Leuphana University to the University of Groningen. At the University of Groningen, students will expand their methodological knowledge in the module Advanced Research Methods in Social and Organizational Psychology. In addition, more disciplinary expertise is acquired in the modules Environmental Psychology, Advanced Topics in Environmental Psychology, Designing Interventions and Working in Interdisciplinary Teams.

To gain further insights on the specific course contents at the University of Groningen please follow the link to the Enviromental Psychology Programme.

The Master Thesis will be written in the fourth semester in consultation with a supervisor from each cooperating university, Leuphana University and the University of Groningen.

The Complementary Studies are an essential part of the special teaching model of Leuphana. It supplements and expands students' subject-specific learning with the following two modules (5 CP each) with critical academic and practical perspectives from all faculties:

1. Engaging with Knowledge and Sciences (in the 1st Semester)
2. Reflecting on Research Methods (in the 2nd Semester)

The Masters thesis is to be written at the University of Groningen under the provisions of the examination regulations of the University of Groningen. The first examiner is an examiner from the University of Groningen and the second examiner is an examiner from Leuphana University of Lüneburg. For more information about the Masters thesis, please visit the website of the University of Groningen.

The following link provides access to documents which set out the general conditions for examinations, an overview of the curriculum, as well as detailed and legally binding regulations.

General Assessment Regulations and the Subject-Specific Schedules

In the course catalogue you can get an overview of the courses currently offered and their specific contents.