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FAQ

Main contacts

Programme coordination: Dr. Ansgar Dorenkamp

Study abroad: Dr. Dietrich Göttlicher

Student Advisor at the Department of Geography: Prof. Dr. Sören Becker

Student Advisor at the Department of Business and Economics:
In case of questions regarding module allocation and administrative matters: Dr. Regine Reck
In case of content-related questions: Prof. Dr. Björn Vollan

Internships: please look for an individual contact person at the Department of Geography or the Department of Business and Economics

FAQs on the Master Sustainable Development

The collection of frequently asked questions listed here is a compilation of questions that students on the M.Sc. Sustainable Development programme may typically have in the course of their studies. The list of frequently asked questions will be continuously expanded.

Modules and Registration

  • How do I register for courses?

    As soon as you are enrolled at the Philipps-Universität Marburg and have thus received a matriculation number (“Matrikelnummer”) and a unique identifier incl. e-mail address, you can register for the courses online in MARVIN during the respective registration periods at https://marvin.uni-marburg.de/qisserver/pages/cs/sys/portal/hisinoneStartPage.faces

    Video tutorials on how to register for courses in MARVIN can be found here:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwSg6CIaOXo&list=PLLmr_XhQwwKMHDUj2vbrcz6uJjkMJBv9B&index=4

    and here
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBqZFxSI6xI&list=PLLmr_XhQwwKMHDUj2vbrcz6uJjkMJBv9B&index=5

    Important: you also need to register for course-work (“Studienleistungen”) and exams (“Prüfungsleistungen”), once the seminar has started. You will be informed about the registration period in the respective courses.

  • When are courses open for registration?

    You can find the current registration periods for courses here:

    for courses from the Department of Geography: https://www.uni-marburg.de/de/fb19/studium/pruefungsbuero (subitem "Vorlesungsverzeichnis/Veranstaltungsanmeldung...")

    for courses from the Department of Business and Economics: https://www.uni-marburg.de/en/fb02/studium/kalender

  • Do I have to take courses as listed in the plan?

    No, you are free to design your course programme according to your needs and interests. However, we recommend to start with the modules foreseen for the first semester. For graduating, you’ll need to have passed the required number of modules, both compulsory and elective.

  • Which modules will be offered and when?

    The courses that can be credited for the respective modules follow a certain rhythm with courses offered regularly. 

    Courses for the modules of the degree program are offered at the following intervals:

    Module name Courses usually offered in:
    Introduction to Geography winter term
    Economics module (study area "Background") "Introduction to Institutional Economics" in winter term
    Sustainable Development Economics winter term
    Economics module (study area "Core"): Economic Policy various courses, at the moment: "Public Economics" (winter term), "Innovation Economics" (winter term, ended after 2023)
    Globalisation and Sustainable Transformation winter term
    Global Change/Planetary Boundaries winter term
    Challenges to Sustainable Development "Environmental and Resource Economics" in winter term
    Pathways to Sustainable Transformation Seminar "Sustainability Management" in winter term (might also be offered in summer terms), "Behavioral Economics and Sustainability" in summer term
    Economics module (study area "Specialization: Economics") "Seminar on Economic Policy" (various seminars in summer term & winter term), "Economics of Political Institutions" (various courses, at the moment: 'Political Economy of Corruption and Shadow Economy' in summer term, 'Political Economy of Islam' in summer term, 'Economic Aspects of Political Institutions' currently on hiatus )
    Geographies of Sustainable Transformation summer term & winter term (but not always in both terms)
    Innovation and Knowledge for Sustainable Development summer term & winter term (but not always in both terms)
    Economic Growth and Sustainability summer term & winter term (but not always in both terms)
    Space and Policy about every 4th semester
    Climate Change summer term & winter term
    Life on Land summer term & winter term (but not always in both terms)
    Soil and Water Resources summer term
    Economics module (study area "Methods and Analytics") "Empirical Economics: Empirical Macroeconomics" in winter term,
    "Applied Institutional Economics": various courses, at the moment: 'Environmental and Resource Economics' in winter term, 'Experimental Economics' in summer term, 'Microeconometrics' in summer term, 'Innovation Economics' in winter term (ended after 2023)
    Advanced Statistical Methods summer term
    Advanced Empirical Social Research Methods summer term & winter term (but not always in both terms)
    Environmental Modelling summer term
    Remote Sensing summer term

    Note: Some of the courses require programming skills in R. The Department of Geography offers special courses that teach programming skills in R (e.g. LV-19-050-217: Base R), usually in the winter semester, but sometimes also in the summer term.

  • There is no entry on this course in MARVIN. What does it mean?

    This means that the specific module is not on offer for this term, but will be available in later terms.

  • What does the module Key Qualification mean?

    With the Key Qualifications module, students have the opportunity to acquire interdisciplinary or competences in their potential occupational field. For this purpose, students can take courses at Philipps-Universität with very different content depending on their own interests. Student engagement in the area of university self-administration, especially in the context of sustainable development, to the extent of 180 hours, for example, can also be individually recognised as a "Key Qualifications" module. 

    Language courses from the Language Center ("Sprachenzentrum") can also be recognized for the "Key Qualifications" module if they are equivalent to 6 credit points (ECTS). If you would like to have a corresponding language course from the Language Center recognized for the "Key Qualifications" module, please send the certificate of achievement from the Language Center by email to the Examinations Office (pruef19@geo.uni-marburg.de).

  • I am not sure what formal requirements exist in the modules of the degree program for the preparation of term papers, presentations and master theses etc. (formal requirements, citation style, academic writing style, ...). Is there any further information on this?

    The currently valid Guidelines for Presentations, Term Papers, Bachelor and Master Theses Submitted to the Faculty of Geography can be viewed here.

  • What happens if I fail a module?

    Each module ends with an examination. This examination can be repeated twice, i.e. for each module students have a maximum of three examination attempts. If the third examination attempt is also unsuccessful, the module is deemed to have been definitively failed. In this case, students have the opportunity to change a module definitively failed once during their studies. However, this option only applies to modules in the elective (and compulsory elective) area and not to compulsory modules.

  • Can I study longer than four semesters?

    There will be no sanctions from the university in case you are taking longer to complete your programme. However, you should account for visa or financial restrictions if applicable.

  • Can I complete more modules than required?

    Within the study programme "Sustainable Development" you can only take a total of 120 credit points, and only within the framework provided by the study and examination regulations. Beyond that, you can take and successfully complete as many courses as you like if you are admitted. Admission depends on the lecturer and available places. Additional courses are not part of the study programme and do not enter the standard transcript.

  • I was not able to register for courses on time and/or I am not able to arrive at Marburg on time for the start of lectures. What should I do?

    If you were not able to register for courses on time and/or cannot be in Marburg on time for the start of lectures, please contact the instructors of those courses you want to take in the respective semester by e-mail as soon as possible. Please describe your situation precisely and ask the instructors to still include you in the course. Please also ask the teachers whether you can be provided with course materials and/or course documentation despite not being present in Marburg, so that you can review the course material.

Internship

Study abroad

Master's thesis and colloquium

  • On what topic should I write my master's thesis?

    In your master's thesis you are to work autonomously on a topic from the field of sustainable development, applying scientific concepts and methods you have encountered throughout the programme. In practice, you can either develop a topic from your own interest or ask your potential supervisor for a potential topic.

  • How do I find a supervisor for my master's thesis?

    You can choose a supervisor to work with and develop your topic with them. Members of teaching staff are eligible as supervisors, as are researchers with a completed PhD. We recommend looking out for disciplinary and methodological fit. It might make sense contacting potential supervisors early, so they can plan their resources.

  • How much time do I have for working on my master's thesis?

    Admission to the master's thesis requires that at least 60 credit points have been previously acquired. As soon as you have officially registered the master's thesis by using this form, you have 6 months to complete your master's thesis. Therefore, the master's thesis values as 30 credits. If you encounter issues, i.e. regarding unforeseen problems with field-work/data procurement, this period can be extended for up to 20% upon justified application by the candidate.

  • Which language should I use in my master's thesis?

    The master's thesis should be written in English. If you wish to write in another language you should seek agreement with your supervisor. You will also need confirmation from the Examination Committee (“Prüfungsausschuss”).

  • How should I submit my master 's thesis?

    The master's thesis must be submitted in printed form and in duplicate to the Examination Office of the Department of Geography. Please remember to include the Declaration of Independence and send the master's thesis also by email as a PDF file with all attachments to the Examinations Office of the Department of Geography within the deadline.

  • What is the Interdisciplinary Colloquium?

    The interdisciplinary colloquium is supposed to accompany you when writing your master's thesis (4th semester). The idea is that students present their thesis in an advanced stadium (in the analytical phase). So, you may enrol for the colloquium when you are already working on your thesis, or start working on it. Beside presenting the approach of their project, student are to act as a discussant to one presentation.

  • Are there PhD opportunities available?

    As of now, there is no structured PhD programme in the field of sustainable development in Marburg, and most PhD students are working on externally funded projects or are funded by a scholarship. The best approach is to signal your interest in pursuing a PhD to your supervisor. They will inform you about capacities and options for funding.

Other support