Two semesters in Oldenburg

Examination regulations

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Two semesters in Oldenburg

Short description of the modules

In the first year in Oldenburg you have to join mandatory modules and can choose from elective modules.

For further information, please have a look at the Module directory.

wcm110 – Case Study

This module covers selected Topics of the development of the coastal area and coastal zone management near Oldenburg (for example the East Frisian Islands, Bremerhaven).

The students will carry out a case study independently, dealing with scientific questions regarding Coastal Zone Management.

Planning

lök320 – Sustainable Spatial Development in Europe

Presentation and critical reflection of central requirements of sustainable spatial development in selected fields of action, taking into account different spatial categories and their different functions. Comparative use of suitable case studies in the European context. Getting to know central governing instruments of spatially relevant policy areas, especially structural, regional and agricultural policy at national and EU level. Classification of the specific requirements of spatial development in the context of the political and social processes of Europeanisation.

There is the possibility to choose between different seminars. Deviation from the presented possibilities are possible.

  • Space and Society (3 CP)
  • Multifunctionality and rural development (3 CP): Survey of the multifunctionality of rural areas, especially the importance of agriculture and forestry, tourism and recreational activities, habitation, and protection of nature as well as the demands on spatial planning and regional development involved under the conditions of sustainability. Illustration by means of selected examples
    in a European context.
  • Sustainable tourism (3 CP): Presentation of various concepts of sustainable tourism and its realization from the viewpoint of offer and demand. Illustration by means of selected examples in a European context.
  • Renewable energy planning (3 CP): Survey of different forms of renewable energy and related demands on spatial development seen from a mainly planning and actor-orientated point of view. Illustration by means of selected examples in a European context.
  • Topical issues of agriculture and nutrition (1.5 CP)
  • Colloquium on sustainable spatial development (1.5 CP): Survey of up-to-date theoretical approaches, concepts, instruments as well as practical fields of activities in sustainable spatial development in a national and European context.
  • Excursion (3 CP)

 

wcm140 - Planning and Management of Coastal Zones and Sea Basins

The students gain a differentiated understanding of the challenges of Coastal Zone Management in a national and European context; the questions implied therein, the stakeholders and substantial political and legal implications. At the same time, they will get a first insight of selected national and international project examples while getting to know a part of their possible future field of action.

Includes two seminars:

  • Marine Spatial Planning (3CP): Basic demands and questions of Coastal Zone Management in a spatial planning perspective.
  • Integrated Coastal Zone Management (3CP): Field trip to a selected (inter)national place at the coast (Germany, The Netherlands) to show selected problem fields of Coastal Zone Management.

wcm150 - Selected Topics in River and Coastal Development

This module includes a visit of sites representative for good practice in River and Water Management and interactions and discussions with local researchers and practitioners. The participants shall gain a differentiated understanding of the planning challenges of Water and River Management using selected national and international examples. While so, they will be granted insight to actual planning tasks and the implemented conflicts and get into contact with concerned stakeholders.

This module is a field trip.

For example:

  • Stockholm
  • Copenhagen
  • Greater London and the River Thames: Selected questions of Water and River Management on the example of the River Thames in the Greater London Area, for example drinking water production, flood protection, nature conservation, water-oriented leisure activities and the revitalization of the (former) ports of London.
  • Bremen and the River Weser: Selected questions of Water and River Management on the example of the River Weser in the Bremen area, for example flood protection, nature conservation, water-oriented leisure activities and the revitalization of the former ports of Bremen.

wcm310 - GIS for WCM

The module provides basic and advanced skills in working with Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

wir880 - Marine and Maritime Law

Students acquire knowledge of maritime (civil) and maritime (public) maritime law and their intertwining at the legal levels and with continental water law. They will be able to analyse maritime law issues and work on them in a solution-oriented manner.  Furthermore, the participants will develop and work on research questions in an interdisciplinary way.

The module "Marine & Maritime law" structured in two seminars with 28 SWS (semester hour [per week]) each.

  • "Marine Law" deals with public maritime law, which regulates the allocation and use of marine resources (fish, sea lanes, energy [wind, oil, gas], discharge, Protected Areas, deep sea mining and bioprospecting, coastal protection).
  • "Maritime Law" deals with international maritime transport. Topics include the carriage of goods by sea (including the Hague-Visby Rules), liability for loss of goods, accidents, collisions, salvage and remediation, as well as port law and shipbuilding.

Science

lök210 - Practice of Nature Conservation

This module focuses on nature conservation issues, methods and results. With the successful completion of the module the students will gain a general and advanced knowledge of crucial approaches and instruments of nature conservation in Germany and Europe, especially of the implementation of large protected areas (NSG, biosphere reserve, national park etc.), of maintenance/management projects and measures as well as of approaches to their integration into nature conservation and regional development strategies (via agriculture, tourism etc.) in co-operation with national park administrative authorities and other relevant actors. Additionally, the module gives basic skills in developing ecological connectivity systems (example dragonflies) as well as in developing and implementing approaches to ecological planning inside and outside the nature reserves.
Ranking/position of the module within the course of studies: The module focuses on problems, methods,
results, and analyses relevant to nature conservation and refers to corresponding issues of modules in
Bachelor courses as well as of basic modules in Master courses of Landscape Ecology.

The module is structured into different elective courses:

  • Seminar "Protected areas and regional development": Survey of the most important types of large protected areas in Europe as well as current concepts of integrating the purposes of conservation with the tasks of regional development especially in peripheral rural areas.
  • Seminar "Introduction to the German Nature Conservation Law": This course deals with some parts of the Nature Conservation Law of Germany and Lower Saxony and discusses their relevance to the actual Nature Conservation policy in Northwest-Germany. This seminar takes place in the winter term.
  • Field course “Habitat connectivity": Theory of ecological connectivity including causes and impacts of fragmentation and isolation in nature-near biotopes; investigation of migration and dispersal behaviour in selected dragonfly species of ditch systems.
  • Excursion "Protected areas": Presentation of a selected large protected area in Germany or Europe especially considering geographical, floristic, faunistic, historical, agricultural, and nature conservation aspects as well as aspects of landscape and economics.

 

wir905 - Environmental Sciences

The introduction to processes and systems of the dynamic Earth constituting the foundation for sustainable management is given to students to provide them with knowledge about processes and systems relevant for sustainable management. They will use knowledge and methodologies from all science disciplines in an integrated way. The students will also be given skills in elaborating on complex tasks of environmental management using an interdisciplinary science-based approach and to present related findings to non-expert audiences.

The module is structured in one seminar and one lecture.

  • Lecture: Understanding the Bioplanet Earth: Introduction to key processes and to systems dynamics of the Earth representing a planet being alive driven by external and internal forces interacting with biological activities. Topics comprise introductions to the evolution of the universe and solar systems, the differentiation and sub-systems of the Earth´s interior, minerals and rock cycle, soils, ocean and climate, evolution and biodiversity, organisms and physiology, water and element cycling plus insights into ecosystems under different climate conditions.
  • Seminar: Cases in Understanding the Bioplanet Earth: The cases are selected in order to (i) highlight certain principles and theories in geo- and biosciences and (ii) exemplify critical objects and phenomena in modern practice of resource and environmental management.

wcm190 - Selected Topics in Environmental Sciences and Management

In this module student will gain:

  • In-depth knowledge about processes and systems relevant for sustainable management using knowledge and methodologies from all science disciplines in an integrated way.
  • Familiarity with approaches to problem-driven, transdisciplinary research and management. Ability to present and evaluate different concepts of environmental science for sustainable management.
  • Skills in elaborating on complex tasks of environmental management using an interdisciplinary science-based approach and to present related findings to non-expert audiences.

Module can for example include:

  • Seminar: Protected areas and regional development
  • Field-trip (e.g. Pfälzerwald-Nordvogesen, Gebietsschutz-Schaalsee)

Socioeconomics

wir902 - Perspectives and Instruments of Corporate Sustainability

This module consists of a one lecture and one seminar (2 weekly contact hours per lecture/seminar) dealing with basic concepts and strategies of sustainability management within corporations. Both, lecture and seminar give an overview of current sustainability strategies for companies and present a variety of instruments to integrate and initiate sustainable development within corporations. While the lecture focuses more on theoretical approaches and introduces basic concepts of corporate sustainability management, the seminar provides a variety of case studies and business cases to demonstrate different concepts and instruments of sustainability management. The seminar provides the possibilities for inter- and  transdisciplinary exchange and discussions.

Skills to be acquired in this module:

  • Knowledge on the basic concepts and strategies of sustainability management related to corporate practice:
    • Sustainability: Basic concepts, strategies,
    • Domestic and international challenges for business,
    • Business case for sustainable development,
    • Integrative concepts of sustainable corporations,
    • Sustainable strategies,
    • Management instruments
  • Discussing topics of international sustainability management with students from different scientific disciplines
  • Ability to present and evaluate different concepts and instruments of international sustainability management

wir906 - Resource and Energy Economics

In this module students will increase their understanding of (normative) problems of resource use, rationales and instruments for policy intervention into (energy) markets and command of analytical methods (incl. role of analytical and numerical models in policy analysis). They will gain the ability to judge energy policy issues based on sound economic analysis (theory) and the ability to quantify the relevance of arguments (empirics).

The module deals with the following subjects:

  • Resource economics
  • Economics of sustainable resource use
  • Methods of resource economics, non-renewable resources, renewable resources Energy economics
  • Markets and regulation: competitive markets as efficiency benchmark; market failures as a rationale for regulation
  • Fundamentals of energy system/market analysis: definitions and concepts; energy statistics and balances; elasticities and incidence of policy interference
  • Market imperfections and regulatory design: environmental externalities, imperfect competition - Electricity markets: supply, demand, market interactions, market failures and regulatory responses

Methods of teaching: The course is designed as a lecture that teaches the relevant methods, concepts and models and illustrates them with reference to practical examples.

wir919 - Topics in Sustainability Economics and Management I

This module consists of two seminars dealing with selected topics from the broad field of sustainability, economics and management. Out of a variety of several seminars the student can choose two most suitable seminars depending on individual choices. The seminars and the seminar contents vary each semester to provide topics relevant for current discussions within the broad field of sustainability, economics and management. Intentionally seminars from several research fields and faculties are offered to also combine different point of views and to bring students from different scientific backgrounds together. The seminars provide the possibilities for inter- and transdisciplinary exchange and discussions.

Possibility to choose between different seminars, for example:

  • Diving Deep - Conceptual and Empirical perspectives on Social-ecological Transformations (3CP)
  • Ecological Economics (3CP)
  • Qualitative Methods in Sustainability (3CP)
  • Prosperity without Economic Growth? (3CP)
  • International Environmental Governance (3CP)
  • Sustainability of Renewable Energy (3CP)

The seminars can change according to what is offered in the respective semester.

wir939 - Topics in Sustainability Economics and Management II

This module consists of two seminars dealing with selected topics from the broad field of sustainability, economics and management. Out of a variety of several seminars the student can choose two most suitable seminars depending on individual choices. The seminars and the seminar contents vary each semester to provide topics relevant for current discussions within the broad field of sustainability, economics and management. Intentionally seminars from several research fields and faculties are offered to also combine different point of views and to bring students from different scientific backgrounds together. The seminars provide the possibilities for inter- and transdisciplinary exchange and discussions.

Possibility to choose between different seminars, for example:

  • Corporate Carbon Performance Trajectories (3CP)
  • Environmental Impact Assessment Using Life Cycle Analysis (3CP)
  • Gründungsberatung / Startup Consulting (6CP)
  • The promise of (New) Commons concepts, discussions and examples of a living property utopia headache (6CP)

The seminars can change according to what is offered in the respective semester.

wir876 - Topics in Economic Research

Students have the opportunity to take an economics module of their choice (worth 6 CP) at the master's level. This can also take place at another university or during studies abroad.

Students are required to:

  • independently engage with a topic using scientific methods,
  • indepedently research and make use of current academic literature,
  • integrate their topic into an academic discussion.

Possibility to choose between different seminars, for example:

  • Inequality and Environmental Policy (6CP)
  • Spatial Econometrics (6CP)
  • Empirical Methods (6CP)
  • Computational Economics (6CP)
  • Topics in Economic Research: Growth and Distribution (6CP)
  • Applied Econometrics Using GIS Techniques (6CP)

The seminars can change according to what is offered in the respective semester.

wir878 - Public Economics

The course covers key concepts of public economics, which studies how government taxing and
spending activities affect the economy – economic efficiency and the distribution of income and wealth.

  • Lecture: After introducing the theory and methodology of public economics, we discuss a historical and theoretical overview of the public sector. We then focus on departures from efficiency (especially asymmetric information), taxation issues (including tax evasion, fiscal federalism and tax competition among independent jurisdictions), and the intertemporal issue of social security (especially pension system).
  • Seminar: covers current issues in public economics, e.g. reform of health care or pension system.

The students will be able to:

  • understand sources of market failures and government failures
  • understand taxing and spending activities of governments,
  • understand the distinction between normative and positive perspectives in the evaluation of government policy,
  • apply economic methods to current issues in public economics,
  • present their research result in the form of written papers and oral presentations.
(Stand: 19.01.2024)  | 
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