Energy and Management for Sustainable Development, Master Programme

120 credits

Climate change has become possibly the world’s most serious problem, which needs our urgent attention. The problem is complex and multi-dimensional. Energy and its management are the key enablers in addressing not only the climate challenge but also other sustainable development goals. This master programme is tailored for you as an engineer or technologist to investigate and understand symbiotic and systemic relations between energy, climate, and sustainable development, and to implement innovative solutions.

Our current energy production and consumption patterns risk our future ability to support ourselves on the planet. Energy production and utilisation systems must be renewable-based and climate-smart, and the whole system must be energy-efficient, resource-efficient and economically efficient. The knowledge that you gain on this programme will be instrumental in understanding and addressing the societal challenges relating to energy and the climate through innovation and business leadership.

Through this programme, you will learn about the following:

- Various environmental paradigms and environmental analysis tools, life cycle analysis, environmental innovations, and environmental accounting, which are important for making environmental decisions.

- How green financing is key to enabling inclusive growth and accelerate the shift to a resource-efficient society and decarbonising of the economy. This to understand how the private sector needs to be engaged in climate-smart technologies, scale-up capabilities, transformative innovations, and green capital, when governmental initiatives are no longer enough to meet the sustainability challenges at hand.

- How the external reporting of energy- and sustainability-related actions extends accountability of companies to the society in which companies operate.

- Various energy policy instruments and innovation strategies, and their impact on investment decisions and public behavior from a sustainability perspective.

An interdisciplinary and experienced team with profound knowledge on sustainability and development issues will teach the courses. The courses are complemented by guest lectures by experts from industry, governmental and non-profit organisations.

Career

Several companies in the region support education in Energy and Management and will actively contribute to the programme's various courses. This is what companies say about the programme:

PWC: We see that the master's programme in Energy and management for sustainable development is interesting to us based primarily on the focus of all our customers on these issues. Customers and contacts are increasingly demanding this type of advice.

IKEA: We see the master's programme in Energy and Management as an important future competence resource. Energy will be an important future area where technology development and energy perspectives on future manufacturing and product development. The consumer perspective is also important, consumers' basis for decisions and purchases, as well as providing more access to sustainable energy.

Volvo Construction Equipment: We see that the master's degree in Energy and Management for Sustainable Development is interesting to us because it can provide an increased range of resources with the knowledge to conduct work where the environment and social sustainability are well integrated into economic development. That competence is needed so that we can continue to be a leader in every industry with the resource challenges and adjustments that are ongoing and necessary for society.

VIDA: We see a great need for qualified expertise in bioenergy, from the forest along the entire production chain to various potential areas of use. The proposed master's programme would also mean good opportunities for increased collaboration between Linnaeus University and the forest industry.

Bixia: We work actively to enable more renewable electricity in the electricity system. We view positively Linnaeus University's investment in increased competence and research in the field of energy and sustainability and that the master's programme in Energy and management for sustainable development.

Degree

Master of Science (120 credits) with specialization in Energy and Management for Sustainable Development

Main field of Study: Bioenergy Technology

International possibilities

At Linnaeus University, you have plenty of opportunity to broaden your international perspective. During the course of your programme, you can choose to study abroad through exchange studies to gain international experience. If you do, you will conduct part of your studies at one of our many partner universities around the world.

Also at home you can gain international experience. Many courses contain intercultural elements. For instance, in the form of course literature or guest lecturers from other countries. In your leisure time, you can get involved in associations together with students from a wide range of other programmes and countries, or meet international students through our buddy programme.

Learn more about international possibilities at Linnaeus University

"The programme has a broad interdisciplinary focus on the environment, sustainability, and energy technology"

"I chose to continue my studies at Linnaeus University as this master’s programme had a broad and interdisciplinary focus on the environment, sustainability, and energy technology. Also, the university has a great campus where you can engage in a lot of activities to enrich your student life. During the course of the programme, I faced new challenges on the different courses – writing articles, participating at seminars, and having general discussions in the classroom. However, the lecturers always provided me with sufficient knowledge and support to solve these challenges. Since the students in my class came from all over the world, with different educational backgrounds, the discussions opened my eyes to new ways of viewing the topics, and they were always very interesting to participate in. I feel that this master’s programme has provided me with the knowledge I need to start working in an important and growing industry. I currently work with environmental support at Abstracta."

- Tim Wisme

"During my studies I had the chance to meet experts from various industries"

”If you believe like me that we need to act today towards climate change, then hesitate no more in studying at Linnaeus University. Only, after coming to Sweden and studying a program in Energy and Environment at LNU, I got to see how projects are transferred from research papers into large scale projects. Like the upcoming carbon capture and storage project in Växjö, and wind turbines between Malmö and Copenhagen. Also, during my studies I had the chance to meet experts from various industries, contribute in seminars, and even publish a research paper myself eventually!”
- Samar Ahmed

"Social and professional connections provided a great basis for a future career and life journey"

”As a person who cares a lot about environment, and as an engineer who has a great passion for problem-solving, I decided to choose a master’s programme with focus on sustainability and technology. Linnaeus University, located in the greenest city in Europe – Växjö, was a perfect choice for me. Unlike most other universities in Sweden, Linnaeus University has its own campus which makes student life even more fun. Constant support from experienced professors, projects provided by companies, trips to different factories, various events helped to expand social and professional connections – everything provided a great basis for a future career and life journey. Currently I’m working as a process engineer in Outokumpu”.
- Nazrin I. Babashova

"The industry-level expertise shared by the guest lecturers was very informative and valuable"

“Sweden being one of the pioneers in sustainable development coupled with the fact that LNU provides quality and modern education helped me choose this university in the first place. In the beginning at the time of pandemic, online classes sounded monotonous, but it surprised me as to how well they were organized. The presence of students from various countries and educational backgrounds provided a multicultural and interdisciplinary atmosphere for a good learning experience and knowledge sharing. The industry-level expertise shared by the guest lecturers was very informative and valuable. I liked how the topics during the discussions were looked at from a broad perspective. Report writings were both challenging and exciting due to the need of going through many scientific papers and articles. Continuous assessment through assignments/seminars made me constantly engaged to the topics and enhanced my knowledge eliminating the need of memorizing everything at the end for the written exam”.
- Abhishek Kumar

Teaching staff

Top row: Hans Lundberg, Sharafat Ali, Georgios Pardalis, Maziar Sahamkhadam, Natalia Semenova

Bottom row: Brijesh Mainali, Krushna Mahapatra, Jörgen Forss, Veronica Ülgen, Joacim Rosenlund

“It’s essential to acquire knowledge about climate change and its mitigation methods, sustainable innovations, and organisational sustainability.”

Porträtt av Nikou Hashempanah som står i universitetsbiblioteket.

Nikou Hashempanah studies on the master’s programme in Energy and Management for Sustainable Development. She’s happy with her choice of studies and would like to continue her academic journey as a doctoral student after graduation.

Read the interview with Nikou

Before applying to the university, she knew that she was interested in topics related to sustainable development and renewable energy.

- During my exploration, Sweden stood out as a pioneer in these fields. As I searched for information about universities in the country, Linnaeus University caught my attention as a modern institution with a primary emphasis on sustainability.

Nikou thinks Linnaeus University offers a positive and enriching experience with its modern environment and engaging community.

- The teachers have good relationships with their students, creating a supportive atmosphere where finding answers to questions is both accessible and comfortable. Additionally, the campus provides a vibrant and joyful student life, enhancing the overall university experience. The modern facilities and engaging community contribute to a well-rounded and fulfilling educational journey at Linnaeus University.

She recommends the programme to others as it focuses on sustainable development:

- As an engineer aspiring to work in the field of sustainability and renewable energies, it is essential to acquire knowledge about climate change and its mitigation methods, sustainable innovations, and organisational sustainability. Proficiency in modern concepts like life cycle assessment is crucial for evaluating the environmental impact of products and processes throughout their life cycle.

Nikou describes how, as someone accustomed to a traditional education system, her experience at Linnaeus University introduced her to a different approach to education and student life.

- The first month posed some challenges as I adapted to this new system, but over time, both fellow international students and I found ourselves becoming more accustomed to this unique educational environment. The adjustment period allowed us to understand and embrace the methods employed at Linnaeus University, increasing a sense of comfort within this diverse and dynamic academic setting.

Växjö – the student city with a living campus

Just south of Växjö’s city centre you will find Linnaeus University’s campus. In Växjö, many students choose to live on campus.

Here you will have five minutes’ walking distance to friends, restaurants, lecture rooms, gym, grocery store, the University Library, nature trails, and student pubs. If you live in another part of Växjö, you can quickly get to the university by bus or bicycle.

With its 90 000 inhabitants, Växjö is one of the fastest growing cities in Sweden. Here you will find the famous Småland entrepreneurship spirit and a lot of companies, for instance within the IT industry – perfect for when you are looking for an internship position or a job. Växjö is also a picturesque city where you are always close to forests and water.

Learn more about our student cities.