MSc Courses

Please visit: http://courses.envsci.ceu.hu/ for program descriptions, student handbooks, class schedules, and course syllabi.

Fall

Academic Writing To acquaint students with techniques for collecting and processing data, interpreting and presenting environmental information which they will need to use in the course of their masters studies. Emphasis is placed on practical knowledge, so students are given opportunities to try out the techniques in question on relevant examples and cases. At the end of this module a successful student should be able to understand and use standard techniques for written presentation of data, including referencing.	Alan Watt
Humans & the Biosphere Understanding key humaninduced processes affecting the biosphere. Understanding main factors of population dynamics and related consumption and environmental issues. Ability to work with environmental indicators and knowledge of main indicator frameworks. Identify key environmental issues associated with agriculture.	Ruben Mnatsakanian Brandon P. Anthony
Information and Communication Technologies for Environmental Professionals Modern computer technologies are necessary tools for interdisciplinary cross-sectoral analysis of environmental problems and efficient environmental decision-making. They are essential on each stage of environmental management process starting with monitoring, data collection and storage to decision support, results visualization and presentation.	Viktor Lagutov
Introduction to Environmental Economics This course is designed to provide students with a basic knowledge of the general fields of Ecological and Environmental Economics, with a focus on their contribution to design and implementation of environmental policy. The teaching for this course is divided into three learning steps: (1) Basic Principles of Economic Analysis; (2) Environmental Economics and Decision Making; and (3) Values and Valuation of the Economic Worth of the Environment.	Dr.Katharine Farrell
Introduction to Environmental Policy, Law and Thought The aim of this module is to develop a foundational understanding of international environmental law, policies, and institutions, the environmental policies of the European Union, and of the historical development of influential attitudes towards and ideas about the environment from ancient times to the present. Emphasis will be placed on contrasting and controversial attitudes/ideas, and students will be encouraged to discuss and debate them.	Alan Watt Alexios Antypas Dr.Stephen Stec
Introduction to Preventive Environmental Strategies The course will explore the basic “Preventive Environmental Management” strategies, concepts, systems, tools, methods and technologies. It will also address the effectiveness and efficiency of the preventive approaches in comparison with the more typical, ‘command and control’, pollution control approaches. Illustrative advances in environmentally improved substances, products, processes and technologies will be explored to obtain insight into the potential for the triple bottom line of environmental, economic and social benefits of such approaches.	Dr.Donald Huisingh
Introduction to Quantitative Research Methods The aim of this course is to prepare students to choose the most appropriate quantitative (statistical) method and effectively apply it to answer a research question. A framework will be provided for basic descriptive and inferential statistical techniques to show how the choice of data analysis methodology is determined by the question asked and the nature of data available/recorded. The objectives are: to learn about the main types of the basic descriptive and inferential statistical analyses applied in environmental research and their specific tasks; to appreciate assumptions and limitations of the analyses; to be able to run these analyses in Excel and SPSS for Windows, and; to know	Brandon P. Anthony
The Non-Human Biosphere In this introductory course, students will gain insight into the scientific method, and basic concepts and laws in ecology, including main ecological theories and biogeochemical cycles. The course will equip students in understanding how ecological principles must be considered in managing the environment.	Brandon P. Anthony
Water Resources This course will provide understanding of basic facts and concepts of global hydrological cycle, water needs and water availability; comprehension of main environmental challenges associated with various uses of water; solving the conflicting management goals related to water resources management.	Dr.Cogalniceanu

Winter

Agriculture, Food Cultures, and the Politics of Sustainability	Guntra Aistara
Air Pollution and Climate Change The aim of this course is to develop a foundational understanding of atmospheric science, including the nature of air pollution problems on local, regional, continental, and global scales, and the development of air quality regulation. Emphasis will be placed on the fundamental chemical and physical processes operative in the atmosphere, the influence of human activities, and the processes by which air quality regulations and policies are developed. An introduction to air pollution modelling will be made, with the description of major existing types of models and existing policy frameworks based on modelling. Introduction to paleoclimatology will be made with the emphasis on methods of	Dr.John Karlik
Biodiversity & Conservation This course focuses on biodiversity loss and the importance of biodiversity conservation. In this course, students will survey the patterns of global diversity within various biomes and learn the most pressing threats leading to declines in biodiversity. Students will be introduced to the theory and principles involved in conservation and learn about governmental and non-governmental efforts to protect natural environments and develop sustainable practices to meet human needs.	Brandon P. Anthony
Environmental Monitoring This course will introduce students to broad principles within the field of environmental monitoring followed by lectures using case studies to discuss principles of contaminant monitoring, use of bioindicators, remote sensing and building partnerships using community-based monitoring.	Brandon P. Anthony Paul Ashley
Environmental Politics Environmental Politics: This course focuses on environmental communication and is designed to provide students with understanding, skills, and concrete engagement in environmental activism and communications with due consideration for the political and social implications. Students actively engage the concepts of power, environmental discourse, and framing as an experiment in bridging theory and practice culminating in the design and implementation (and evaluation) of a specific environmental media project.	Tamara Steger
Introduction to Modelling The aim of this unit is to introduce to students the idea, methodology and basic tools of environmental modeling. Models are essential in environmental management. In order to better understand environmental systems, to predict their behaviour and to develop effective management strategies it is crucially important to bring together ecological, socio-economic and technological aspects of the specific environmental problem. To secure such an interdisciplinary analysis of the numerous factors, consensus-building among various experts and facilitate results communication to the decision-makers the system dynamics and process-based modelling techniques are often used. Though different	Viktor Lagutov
Introduction to Qualitative Methods Scientists approach the empirical world in many different ways. Qualitative research has its own set of assumptions, techniques, and analytical tools that are used to describe and interpret social reality and social problems and their solutions. This course is designed to introduce the qualitative research tradition and ways for conducting this kind of research for environmental professionals.	Tamara Steger
Introduction to Spatial Analysis with GIS In this course students will continue their practical acquaintance with geospatial mapping and analysis using ArcView and some free software packages (to be specified). The course introduces digital analysis of geospatial phenomena and provides foundations in methods and algorithms used in GIS analysis. It builds up on the practical skills in geospatial data mining and practical skills in using GIS tools obtained during “ICT for environmental professionals” course. In addition to our last term activities on geospatial data visualization we will concentrate more on data processing and analysis.	Viktor Lagutov
Oil and Metal Pollution The first aim is to provide an understanding of the sources, behaviour in the environment, fate and impact of trace metals and oil pollutants. The second aim is to examine the efficacy and environmental impact of strategies and methods of preventing pollution of waters by oil and waters and land by trace metals, and clean up should pollution occur.	Dr.Keith White, University of Manchester

Spring

Carbon Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems Climate change, UNFCC, Kyoto Protocol and IPCC reports have promoted carbon cycling in ecosystems from a phenomenon interesting only to biogeochemistry scholars to a headline of global agendas and a core item of financial mechanisms and policy proposals. In this course we are looking at: - carbon turnover in terrestrial ecosystems; - human footprint on carbon storages; and - policy, regulatory and institutional mechanisms established under the UNFCCC to promote carbon storage, protect carbon sinks, and account for carbon sinks and stocks.	Anton Shkaruba Viktar Kireyeu
Climate Change Adaptation This course focuses on the issues of responding to climate change, including science, policy and management aspects. It introduces students to the glossary of vulnerability and adaptation studies, including (but not limited to) concepts of vulnerability, adaptation and resilience etc., and to management approaches developed with advances in adaptation science in mind	Anton Shkaruba László Pintér