MSc in in Ecology

Ecology is a key component in understanding global environmental challenges. There is a growing concern over the human impact on the environment, and the need for ecologists has never been greater.

What can you use this qualification for?

You will be qualified for tasks related to environmental monitoring, biological conservation, research, and education. Candidates work for a variety of employers, ranging from public government, NGOs, research institutions and the university sector. The programme has a strong research emphasis and can be the basis for further Ph.D. studies.

What will you learn?

The first year you will tailor your study profile by selecting your favorite courses. It will require interactive participation by the students through presentations, short thematic reviews, term papers, and discussion sections.

An individual research project, i.e. the master's thesis, is the main focus the second year. Students specializing in Tropical ecology and management of natural resources will collect field data in Africa, Asia, South America or Latin America.

About

The specialization in General ecology will give you a thorough understanding of central elements of ecology. You will be able to understand and recognize the complexity of ecosystems. You will have an understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes

that have formed biological diversity and have an up-to-date knowledge about global change and its impact on organisms and ecosystems. You can choose from a wide range of courses. The specialization in Tropical ecology and management of natural resources will give you solid knowledge about the biology and ecology of the tropics. It addresses current challenges in tropical ecology like habitat destruction and biodiversity decline. Here the interrelationships between poverty, land-use and nature conservation are central. You will learn about some of the most spectacular areas on earth and will collect field data in Africa, Asia or Latin America.

Learning outcomes

A candidate who has completed the education is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes, defined in competence, knowledge, and skills:

GENERAL ECOLOGY

Competence:

• Has developed good skills in the communication of scientific information to scientists, to natural resource management authorities and to the general public.

• Is able to use his/her knowledge and skills in new scientific areas to carry through advanced tasks and independent research projects.

Knowledge:

• Has a thorough knowledge of ecological theories and factors that regulate the structure and diversity of ecosystems.

• Has a comprehensive understanding and in-depth knowledge of at least one scientific area related to general ecology.

• Has in-depth knowledge of nature's complexity, and the adaptability of life.

• Has up-to-date knowledge on global environmental change and how it affects organisms and ecosystems.

NMBU's research and study programmes are enabling people all over the world to tackle the big, global challenges regarding the environment, sustainable development, how to improve human and animal health, renewable energy sources, food production, and land- and resource management.

Campus Ås

Campus Ås houses Norway's largest interdisciplinary academic environment in the life sciences.

The Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) consists of seven faculties, of which six are located at Campus Ås and one is partially located at Campus Adamstuen (until 2019):

• Biosciences
• Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Food Science
• Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management
• Landscape and Society
• School of Economics and Business
• Science and Technology
• Veterinary Medicine

A new research and teaching building for veterinary science will open in 2020, meaning all seven faculties at NMBU will then be consolidated in Ås. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute will move to Campus Ås at the same time.

Campus Ås is also home to one of Norway's most beautiful parks, with a number of historical buildings, as well as Ås Farm, where research and teaching on traditional livestock are conducted.

Campus Ås covers a total area of 600 hectares in the municipality of Ås.

Two other major institutions are also co-located with NMBU at Campus Ås: key parts of the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Research (Nofima) and the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO).

Campus Adamstuen

Campus Adamstuen is home to Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The faculty is Norway’s only institution of higher education for veterinarians with competence in two distinct academic fields: veterinary medicine and veterinary public health.

Veterinary medicine addresses animal health and well-being. Key areas include knowledge about diseases, diagnostics, and treatment. The field includes both production animals, including farmed fish, and companion animals.

Veterinary public health pertains to all aspects of preventing the spread of disease from animals to humans and is a field that is in increasing demand.

On 1 January 2014, the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (NVH) and the University of Life Sciences (UMB) were merged to form the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), consolidating research and teaching on the entire biological production chain under a single umbrella. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine comprises four departments at Campus Adamstuen:

• Basic Sciences and Aquatic Medicine (Basam)
• Food Safety and Infection Biology (Matinf)
• Production Animal Clinical Sciences (Prodmed)
• Companion Animal Clinical Sciences (Sportfamed)

Campus Adamstuen is also home to the University Animal Hospital, consisting of the Companion Animal Clinic, the Equine Clinic, and the Production Animal Clinic.

The University Animal Hospital treats sick animals from the entire country and is closely linked to the research and educational activities at NMBU School of Veterinary Medicine.

The Norwegian Veterinary Institute is a biomedical research institute that shares premises with Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Campus Adamstuen. The Norwegian Veterinary History Museum is also located here.

Campus Adamstuen is scheduled to close in 2019, and NMBU School of Veterinary Medicine and the University Animal Hospital will then move into state-of-the-art veterinary premises at Campus Ås, meaning all three faculties will finally be co-located in one place. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute will move to Campus Ås at the same time.

A brand new veterinary science research and teaching building are currently being built at Campus Ås.

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine also has a division located in south-western Norway: the Section for Small Ruminant Research in Høyland, Sandnes.