New AUAS Master's programme on climate-conscious behaviour

14 Sep 2022 17:16 | Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Law

The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) is launching the Netherland’s first university of applied sciences Master's degree programme that trains participants to become climate-aware behaviour specialists. The Master's in Climate Psychology and Behaviour will start in September 2023.

We need to start living differently in order to deal with the climate crisis. This means that many of us must change our behaviour. In this part-time two-year Master’s programme, professionals are trained as specialists in climate-conscious behaviour, and can then help governments and organisations to make the complex transition required to create a sustainable society.

Esther Parigger, degree programme manager of Climate Psychology and Behaviour: ‘That we need to reduce our impact on the climate will be obvious to many people. Yet we don't always behave accordingly. In this master's, you will learn what stops people from behaving more sustainably, what needs to be done to change their behaviour and how you then maintain that climate-conscious behaviour.’

Transition themes

The degree programme is aimed at professionals employed by governments, municipalities, research and consultancy firms, environmental organisations and businesses. Participants will work on a real change management project from their own work related to one of the four main transition themes of the mobility transition, the energy transition, the protein transition (consumption of more vegetable proteins) and the transition to a circular economy.

The Master’s programme will bring in expert lecturers from across the Netherlands as well as researchers at the AUAS Psychology for Sustainable Cities Research Group, which has links to the master.

Esther: ’In the programme, we also pay a lot of attention to connecting with people. How do you start the conversation about climate change with people who may think very differently about it? Climate coaching is an important part of that.’

After the master's

After completing the Master's programme, newly qualified climate psychology and behaviour professionals can be involved in various roles to address current behavioural issues related to the climate and sustainability. These roles include sustainability consultant, behavioural interventions developer, behavioural researcher, policy officer and change manager. Graduates can therefore play a crucial part in our fast‑changing society and achieve permanent change in people’s climate-conscious behaviour.

Positive verdict

The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) has given the programme a positive assessment, stating that the Master's programme meets all its quality requirements. The programme is still awaiting the formal accreditation decision, after which it will start in September 2023 at the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Law of the AUAS.

Interested in this programme?

If you would you like to be kept informed about the Master's in Climate Psychology and Behaviour at the AUAS, enter your email address using the button below and you will be notified as soon as the new Master’s programme website is launched later this month. Please note that this degree programme is offered in Dutch only.

Contact

Contat programme manager Esther Parigger directly if you have specific questions about this master.