Study programs with a focus on sustainability, environment and ecology

The content on this page was translated automatically.

Environmental and sustainability concerns are very important to us in teaching and research. We have a large number of courses and degree programs that focus on these topics - from a wide range of scientific fields. We would like to present a few selected courses of study here.

The topic of the environment, climate protection and energy is also visible in many places in the city of Kassel. The region of North Hesse is considered a pioneer in the energy transition. The University of Kassel is a central driving force here:

Architecture

Mobility concepts, hybrid urban and building concepts, material-efficient design and construction, functionality, cost-effectiveness, energy efficiency and building ecology - the topic of sustainability in social and ecological terms has long since arrived in architecture. It has an all-encompassing character here, ranging from construction planning, material savings and reduction of energy consumption to the recycling of building materials and ultimately the goal of a circular economy in construction. In fact, the construction industry has the largest consumption of raw materials in the world, generates the largest amount of waste and is the largest CO2 emitter. Fundamental questions that responsible architects are asking themselves today are:

  • How can the tasks facing us in the wake of the climate crisis be designed in a way that is socially, humanly and environmentally compatible and circular?
  • In this context, what will the city, the landscape and the house of tomorrow look like?
  • How can I build in an environmentally compatible way?
In this context, the bachelor's degree program in architecture, with its 14 subject areas, addresses and deals with design, critical, conceptual and methodological issues of sustainable and future-oriented planning and building. Urban planning, social, constructive and technical aspects are considered in an interdisciplinary manner, as are social sustainability, climate-conscious and resource-saving construction. Solutions for the social and ecological challenges are also developed for new buildings, modernization of existing buildings and redensification.

Central topics in teaching and research are:

  • Liveable, resilient urban quarters
  • Mixed use in urban quarters
  • Hybrid and sustainable building concepts (flexibility)
  • Water conservation and storage
  • Temperature-reducing green spaces, architecture with nature
  • Biodiversity
  • Mobility concepts
  • Active energy generation and energy active houses
  • Material-efficient design and construction
  • Use of renewable raw materials and their development
  • Re-densification, conversion and re-use of existing buildings
  • Recyclability of building materials
  • Smart systems in energetics, facade development and spatial conception
  • Utilization of natural climatic effects typical for a location
  • Projects and urban planning concepts that conceptually address recycling, ecology and mobility.
  • Research on innovative building materials

Sustainability aspects will play an increasingly important role in architecture and the construction industry. Therefore, the career prospects in this field are very good. Graduates can work as freelance or employed architects. They can also work in construction management, project development and consulting, or assist in municipal and state building and planning administrations. Sustainability consulting in building construction and system and material development are further fields of activity.

Special quality features of the teaching are the practiced interdisciplinarity, the intensive supervised project studies and the individual scope for design through a wide range of options in the course offerings. In addition to the broad range of subjects in the field of architecture, there is intensive cooperation with the fields of urban planning and landscape planning.  The study program combines theoretical and background knowledge with the application of findings in the design studios. From the very beginning, fundamental sustainability aspects are taught, researched and investigated in the disciplines, from different perspectives depending on the focus, and also implemented spatially, programmatically and design-wise in design concepts. In addition to theoretical aspects, computer-based programs and technologies are also taught in order to, among other things, make processes visible, integrate them into the design, or even build concepts prototypically. After earning the bachelor's degree, three master's specializations are possible, in which sustainability aspects also play a major role: 

  • Environmentally Conscious Planning and Building (UPB).
  • Urban Planning/Urban Design
  • Design Research

Landscape architecture and planning

Our way of life and our economic model are in crisis: climate change, with increasingly catastrophic weather phenomena, and the global decline in biodiversity are exacerbating social injustice and political conflicts. Profound changes are needed, not least in how we live and how we organize our cities and landscapes, in short, how we deal with the extra-human nature in our immediate environment.

This is where landscape architects and landscape planners are needed. Because they, too, contribute to meeting these challenges. For example, they help to develop healthier and more livable settlement structures in the city and in the countryside. Or they help to increase the diversity of animal and plant species in our agricultural landscapes, but also to balance the interests of different population groups. They are professionals in the protection, management and development of green spaces, semi-natural areas and landscapes and therefore deal with nature conservation and environmental protection. In addition to ecological, design and legal knowledge, communication skills and social competence are also required.

The career prospects after studying landscape architecture and landscape planning are wide-ranging and graduates are in great demand on the job market. They work in planning offices, for example, where designs for public and private open spaces, plans and concepts for dealing with nature and the landscape, or ecological reports are prepared.

Other fields of activity are offered by companies in the gardening and landscaping sector or by public authorities, municipalities or planning associations. Here, the range extends from nature conservation authorities to cities and municipalities with environmental, urban planning or green space offices. There are also opportunities in environmental education institutions, environmental associations and foundations, in ministries responsible for nature conservation or related fields of activity. Large protected areas such as national parks, biosphere reserves and nature parks also offer career prospects.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree, students can also pursue a more in-depth master's degree. Specialization is possible in the direction of "Landscape Architecture and Open Space Planning", "Landscape Construction and Plant Use", "Environmental Planning and Landscape Management" as well as "Urban Planning / Urban Design".

Sustainability was already a topic at the University of Kassel when the term hardly played a role in public discussion. One pioneer was the Swiss Lucius Burckhardt. From 1972 to 1997, he taught as a professor of socioeconomics of urban systems in the Department of Architecture, Urban and Landscape Planning. He and his students were already thinking about the possibilities and tasks of planning in the complex interdisciplinary network of relationships between people, politics and the environment. All of this continues to play a major role in the study of landscape architecture and landscape planning in Kassel.

The focal points of the six-semester Bachelor's program are:

  • Training of planning and design competence.
  • Teaching of fundamentals in the areas of: Natural and social sciences, fine arts, design and representation, instruments, procedures and technology, planning objects and planning levels.
  • Subject-specific knowledge in the planning-conceptual and planning-scientific orientation (landscape planning) and design-oriented design-oriented orientation (landscape architecture).

The 5th semester is designed as a practical project module with accompanying seminars. Here, students get to know the requirements of practice by working in an office and can already establish valuable contacts for the time after graduation.


Organic farming

Climate crisis, food shortages in many parts of the world, growing environmental pollution, social inequalities, migration - the global community is facing major challenges. In these areas of tension, sustainability-oriented agriculture has important tasks to perform: On the one hand, it must produce sufficient healthy and high-quality food as well as raw materials and energy for the growing world population, and on the other hand, it must preserve biodiversity, ensure animal welfare and protect the climate, soils and groundwater. The Department of Organic Agricultural Sciences at the University of Kassel has many years of experience in this area in research and practice: It is the only university department in Germany that focuses on the topic of organic agriculture - and has done so since 1981 with the establishment of a Chair of Alternative Agriculture, which was followed in 1995 by the fundamental orientation towards organic agriculture.

Central topics in teaching and research are:

  • New Ecological Cultivation Systems
  • Soil protection and soil fertility
  • Biodiversity in agriculture
  • Avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation of agriculture to climate change
  • Animal-friendly and environmentally compatible animal husbandry
  • Consumer protection and nutrition
  • Protection of the diversity of the cultivated landscape
  • Sustainable development of rural areas
  • Social-ecological agricultural systems in the (sub-)tropics
  • Linking natural science, engineering, economics and social science knowledge and methods

The organic food and farming industry is a growing sector of the future. Graduates are offered a wide range of perspectives. They have opportunities to work in agricultural practice, consulting, marketing and administration at home and abroad. In addition, there are career opportunities in research, in the food industry, in environmental protection and nature conservation, in educational work and in development cooperation.

The place of study is not Kassel, but the campus in Witzenhausen. The idyllic little town lies in the charming landscape of the Werra Valley between Kassel and Göttingen. The department operates its own 340-hectare teaching and experimental farm, the Frankenhausen domain near Kassel, and has its own greenhouse for tropical crops as well as well-equipped laboratories. A cooperation agreement has been in place with the University of Göttingen since 2005.

The three-year bachelor's degree program (B.Sc.) provides students with a practical education on a scientific basis. In its unique range of courses, the program takes a new approach to imparting specialized knowledge and skills in a practical and self-determined manner. Teaching forms are, in addition to the classic lecture and interactive seminars:

  • Project work on self-selected topics (alone or in groups)
  • practical courses in the laboratory and in the field
  • Excursions (one-day excursions and a one-week excursion abroad)
  • Student presentations and tutorials
  • Conferences with guest speakers

Prerequisite for admission to the program is an agricultural internship of at least 13 weeks duration as well as the general or subject-linked university entrance qualification or the advanced technical college entrance qualification. One year of prior agricultural experience is recommended.

The course can also be taken up as a dual course of study in agriculture. In this case, the agricultural apprenticeship is completed parallel to the bachelor's degree. To deepen the sustainability topics, the master's degree programs Ecological Agriculture, Sustainable International Agriculture and International Food business and Consumer studies can be continued building on the bachelor's degree.


Philosophy: Environment - Society - Criticism (Master)

Climate change, species extinction, resource scarcity on a global scale: these are the urgent potential threats to our interaction with nature. The global growth paradigm, the momentum of technical developments, and imperial social relations are increasingly coming into focus. This requires a fundamental need for action that includes basic philosophical reflection. For in the case of climate protection, nature conservation, species protection, or animal welfare, it is becoming increasingly clear that the usual demarcation lines have been abolished. Thus, the protection of the environment must be considered together with the way in which social life is organized, since it is necessary to overcome classical oppositions such as that of nature and society. In this respect, the master's program Environment - Society - Criticism opens up a new interdisciplinary approach to philosophy by showing how knowledge and philosophy can be applied in a contemporary way within the framework of forward-looking critical reflection in order to reshape ecological and social contexts.

This is where the research-oriented master's program comes in. It responds to an increased demand for philosophical expertise in the field of environmental debates (philosophy of nature and environmental ethics) as well as critical social analysis. It pays special attention to the interaction and interlocking of both areas, as this represents a major desideratum. The Master's program imparts research-oriented and interdisciplinary reflective competence on current topics in environmental and social theory, based on solid philosophical expertise. Students acquire knowledge and content expertise in the following areas:

  • Philosophy of Nature
  • environmental theory and environmental ethics
  • philosophical anthropology
  • cultural theory and aesthetics
  • critical social theory and politics

The Master's program opens up career perspectives in the diverse environmental and socio-analytical research fields at universities and research institutes. The integrated and additive key competencies acquired also promote career prospects in the non-university job market. The thematic orientation of the program also opens up career opportunities with environmental associations, political parties and NGOs.

The Master's program always begins in the winter semester. The standard period of study, including the Master's thesis, is four semesters. After passing the examination, the Department of Humanities and Cultural Studies awards the academic degree "Master of Arts (M.A.)". In addition to an introductory module and two elective modules from the areas of nature and knowledge, environment and responsibility, culture and language, and society and criticism, two project modules must be taken. These are designed not least with regard to required team skills and networked thinking and acting. The second project module can alternatively be completed as a practical project outside the university and focuses on greater independence with regard to the search for and design of topics.


Product Design

In times of climate change, scarcity of raw materials and growing mountains of waste, design is more than the successful combination of form and function to create an attractive product. "Good" design is increasingly sustainable design. EcoDesign, or eco-design, sustainable design or green design, takes the approach of using innovative ideas to reduce environmental impact in the design of products in all respects. The effects of product development on the environment and human health are taken into account, as are the selection, extraction and processing of the materials used: How, where and under what conditions are raw materials for the products extracted and these finally manufactured, what is their energy balance, what is their service life, can they be repaired and can they be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner? Responsible product designers ask themselves questions like these and not only consider the entire life cycle of products, they are also concerned with social contexts and social and ethical aspects. Currently, the program is establishing a new professorship with a focus on sustainable design. The professorship will be linked to the Center for Sustainable Transformation that is currently being established at the University of Kassel - and will thus establish connections to a wide variety of approaches to sustainability research.

Product designers work in design agencies and design offices. It is not uncommon for these agencies to receive their orders from large industrial companies, provided they do not operate their own development offices. The range of activities is as varied as the product range itself. Creativity is just as much in demand as the ability to recognize trends and pick up on them in product design. There is great potential here, especially with regard to sustainability aspects. Independent work is just as common as working in teams. Flexibility is a top priority. 

The Product Design program at the Kunsthochschule Kassel focuses on the aspect of sustainability and pursues a holistic approach: In addition to the development of practical design skills and their manifold refinement, it is not least about the development of personalities. Through the design skills they have acquired during their studies, graduates know how to contribute to society by taking into account and integrating economic, social and environmental perspectives in their design work. 

Students collaborate with their professors, access the many workshops and digital tools available at the School of Art, and are thus given the opportunity to gradually develop their own ideas during the standard nine-semester study period. The program always begins in the winter semester. The prerequisite is proof of the general university entrance qualification (e.g. Abitur, master craftsman's examination) in conjunction with artistic talent, which must be proven in an artistic entrance examination. Applicants without such a certificate may also apply, but must prove outstanding artistic talent in an artistic entrance examination. Lateral entry is also possible with a bachelor's degree in a design subject. A craft internship of nine months is mandatory. It can be completed in craft or industrial companies, technical schools or other institutions where consumer products and workpieces made of wood, metal, plastic, glass, ceramics or textiles are produced. 


Environmental Engineering

Producing drinking water in an environmentally friendly way, developing waste management concepts and operating environmental technology plants, planning and building flood protection and hydroelectric power plants, planning urban or rural traffic, or monitoring approval procedures in environmental administration: these are the kinds of professional fields in which environmental engineers work. Their tasks are varied and solution-oriented: they research, develop, advise and implement. They analyze and evaluate actual conditions, find ecologically, socially and economically compatible solutions. They work to prevent, reduce or eliminate environmental damage and pollution. In short, the Environmental Engineering program at the University of Kassel combines highly topical environmental issues with the scientific and technological know-how of engineering. Climate change and dwindling resources are not only a challenge from a technical point of view and make adjustments necessary. In addition, environmental protection requirements are increasing due to legal regulations. The environmental engineering industry is growing steadily both nationally and internationally, which means that the career prospects for graduates of the program are excellent.

Environmental engineers work in a wide range of possible occupational fields in research and industry, in engineering offices or in public administration. They deal with engineering tasks that require an in-depth understanding in various environmentally relevant areas. In doing so, they develop environmentally relevant solutions in the sense of sustainable development.

Possible fields of work are

  • Waste and recycling management: e.g. disposal, recovery, recycling, landfill technology and contaminated site management.
  • Urban water management: e.g. drinking water production, wastewater disposal and treatment.
  • Hydraulic engineering: e.g. flood protection, river restoration.
  • Energy generation from renewable sources: e.g. solar, wind, hydro, biomass, geothermal.
  • Environmental management: e.g. water and soil protection.
  • Environmental management: e.g. energy-efficient production, simulation of material cycles, life cycle assessment of processes and production, simulation of environmental risks.
  • Mobility and transport: measures for sustainable transport.
  • Consulting: e.g. energy, water, waste, environmentally sound construction.

Students of environmental engineering bring with them a keen interest in environmentally relevant topics. They are also interested in mathematical and scientific methods and technical solutions, always keeping economic and social issues in mind.

The bachelor's program has no admission restrictions and always begins in the winter semester. It offers an overview of the fundamental contexts of environmental engineering. After a technical engineering education, students deepen their knowledge in the main areas of resource management and waste technology, urban water management, transport, and hydraulic engineering and water management. The range of courses is supplemented by extensive selection options.

The standard period of study is 7 semesters. An engineering internship and the bachelor's thesis are included. An internship is not required prior to the start of the program, but a four-week pre-course in mathematics and participation in the mentoring program during the first semesters is recommended.

After obtaining the bachelor's degree, the consecutive master's degree can be obtained in 3 semesters.