Objectives and Career Opportunities
Objectives
The Master Programme “Integrated Natural Resource Management” (INRM) offers theoretical and methodological knowledge, analytical concepts and applicable skills in the field of management and conservation of natural resources. Students develop a basic understanding of the interaction of natural and social systems as well as sustainable use of resource systems recognising their potential vulnerability and protection requirements. The curriculum is based on the comprehensive expertise gathered at the Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences in the Faculty of Life Science. It integrates knowledge from different academic fields both in natural sciences, including ecological systems and production techniques, and social sciences such as economics, political sciences, institutional and organisational analysis, which are all relevant to the understanding and improvement of natural resource management. Linkages of the Programme to numerous research activities facilitate a strong focus on understanding and developing scientific concepts and methods. The integrative character of the Programme is deepened by the introduction of priority areas that allow for individual in-depth studies of coherent areas of interest. This provides unique opportunities for combining knowledge areas and priority areas which enables students to acquire specific knowledge and key competencies targeted towards their future plans. This aims at qualifying them for both an academic career such as a PhD or a professional career in the broad and dynamic occupational field of managing natural resources in the context of coupled social, ecological and technical systems.
Career Opportunities
Graduates from the INRM Master Programme have good job opportunities in all private and public branches of resource management: soil protection, landscape management, water protection and water regulation, river management and flood protection, emission protection and climate protection policy, nature protection and reserve management to bio-diversity policy and preservation of genetic resources, co-existence of conventional and GMO cropping, implementation of agri-environmental measures, organisation of ecological farming, production of renewables and bio-energy, multifunctional restructuring of agriculture, sustainable regional management and project management, implementation of EU environmental directives, development cooperation and international environmental conventions.
Future employers may be:
- international organisations and administrations operating in the fields of environment, development, agriculture, food, fishery, forestry and landscape;
- national authorities, such as ministries, NGOs, environmental and agricultural associations, chambers und agencies, environmental co-operatives and foundations;
- private environmental service enterprises, e.g. doing environmental tolerance testing, environmental certification, environmental consultation;
- private environmental industries;
- public and private R&D institutions, e.g. research institutes and universities.