Throughout the first year at the University of Copenhagen you will gain a firm disciplinary and transdisciplinary footing in both environmental economics and environmental policy and politics. You will gain a foundational grasp of key concepts and analytical frameworks in political science, alongside a comprehensive understanding of reasoning, concepts, and frameworks in economics, all within the context of addressing environmental challenges.
In addition, you will be introduced to the process through which EU’s environmental policies are created, shaped, and implemented. You will also be introduced to economic tools and methods that can be used in the development and evaluation of environmental policies.
As your studies move along, you will get further expertise in economics and political science with a specific focus on combining the disciplines with targeted application to the contemporary development and implementation of EU environmental policy.
You will meet teachers from all five partner universities during the first semester in Copenhagen.
The 1st year programme overview varies depending on your second-year specialisation
The first year of study will look different depending on which second-year specialisation you choose.
Some compulsory courses vary depending on whether you choose a second-year specialisation focused on environmental policy and politics or on environmental economics.
Each specialisation comes with a customised list of restricted electivecourses you can choose from during the first year, which allows you to specialise further and build your own individual profile early on.
No matter which second-year specialisation you choose, you will gain knowledge and understanding of the entire programme throughout the first year in Copenhagen.
Programme overview
Compulsory courses: 37.5 ECTS
Restricted elective courses: 22.5 ECTS
Block 1
Block 2
Block 3
Block 4
Year 1
Introduction to European Environmental Economics and Policy*
Applied Economics of Forest and Nature
Restricted elective course
Applied Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
Analyzing Public Policy*
European Environmental Economics and Policy in Practice*
*New course
Restricted elective courses
You must choose 22.5 ECTS restricted elective courses from the following two lists:
7.5 ECTS must be covered from the following list:
Course Code
Course Title
Block
ECTS
New course
Policy Instruments and Design for Sustainable Transition
7.5 ECTS
LOJK10229U
Natural Resource Economics
NIFK14027U
Consumer Economics and Food Policy
NIFK16001U
Economic Efficiency and Benchmarking
LFKK10265U
Conflict Management
NPLK22000U
Environmental Management in Europe
15 ECTS must be covered from the following list:
LOJK10248U
Economic Valuation Methods and Cost‐Benefit Analysis
NIFK14029U
Motivation and Pro‐Environmental Behavior ‐ Managing Change
NIFK13006U
The Economics of Climate Change
NIFK14003U
Incentives and Regulation
LNAK10072U
Global Environmental Governance
Success and Failure in Environmental and Climate Policy
NIFB14005U
EU Law ‐ Environment, Agriculture & Food
Environmental Policy Integration
LFKK10278U
Project Management
Compulsory courses: 45 ECTS
Restricted elective courses: 15 ECTS
You must choose 15 ECTS restricted elective courses from the following two lists:
NIFK14032U
Business Development and Innovation
NIFK16006U
Participatory Natural Resource Governance
NIFK16005U
Advanced Development Economics
NIFK23007U
Applied Trade and Climate Policy Models
The 2nd year programme in Advanced Environmental Economics at Heidelberg offers a specialization in the economic concepts and methods that continue to shape environmental policy in Europe. The first term features a fixed set of three compulsory courses, amounting to 24 ECTS, and a restrictive elective course of 6 ECTS. The second term features the Master’s thesis (27 ECTS) and the joint thesis and employment workshop (3 ECTS).
Semester 1
Semester 2
Environmental Economics (8 ECTS)
Experimental Methods (8 ECTS)
Applied Equilibrium Analysis in Environmental and Energy Economics (8 ECTS)
One elective course (6 ECTS)*
Joint thesis and employment workshop (3 ECTS)
Master thesis (27 ECTS)
Restricted elective subject elements (6 ECTS)
Designing Field Experiments in Environmental and Development Economics (6 ECTS)
Development Economics II (6 ECTS)
Compulsory courses:
This course offers the tools and concepts for thinking conceptually and analytically about the economics of environmental pollution and of the global climate system at a graduate level. The course combines the application of modern economic techniques to questions of the environment and the climate system with the acquisition of new tools, e.g. for tackling dynamic problems. We will cover the scientific and normative foundations of environmental policy together with issues of non-market valuation and implementation (instrument choice).
Assessment for this course is in the form of a final exam of 90 minutes, accounting for 100% of the grade.
To obtain 8 ECTS, students have to achieve a minimum grade of 4,0.
Experimental economics is a grown and growing field in economics and business administration. It provides a method to test theoretical predictions, to explore human behavior in specific economic environments, to help design institutions, to advice on policy and to search for patterns and regularities in economic behavior. Methods range from lab experiments, field experiments, and surveys to neuroscientific experiments. This class will link questions from behavioral economics more broadly, decision theory, labor economics, corporate governance and policy design with experimental economics. Both experiments in the lab and in the field will be discussed. We expect that this course will help students to critically assess in how far economics can be an experimental science, and provide the students with a working knowledge of techniques for conducting (laboratory) experiments. This will be achieved through classical lectures, but students will also read and discuss a selection of experimental economics’ papers, with the aim to find interesting economic, psychological and behavioral research questions, which they then try to answer with a feasible and original experimental design. Students will also participate as subjects in replications of experiments during the tutorial, to get a better feeling for the situation in an experiment. Several lectures and tutorial sessions will be devoted to the econometric methods used to analyse experimental data.
Grading is based on class participation (discussion of papers) 20%, a mid-term exam (30%) and the experimental design developed (50%).
The course introduces numerical methods to analyze equilibrium problems in environmental, energy, and climate economics. The focus is on applied modeling based on partial and general economic equilibrium models. The course reinforces concepts, rationales, and instruments for policy interventions in energy markets, including an introduction to environmental implications of energy use and the role of economic analysis in designing policies to address environmental externalities, focusing largely on the climate change “carbon” externality. Students will develop expertise in working with data and in applying quantitative economic equilibrium models. Emphasis will be put on the following economic models: formulation of economic equilibrium models using mixed complementarity problems, partial equilibrium models of energy supply and demand (focusing on the electricity, natural gas, and coal markets) and general equilibrium models to study the price- and quantity-based policy controls of carbon dioxide emissions (for example, carbon taxes and emissions trading systems), including settings when energy markets interact with the macroeconomy.
The grade will be determined by two types of learning assessments during the semester: (1) three graded homework assignments during the first half of the semester and (2) a supervised group project that must be (a) submitted in the form of a written report and (b) presented in class. In addition, groups may receive bonus points for their presentation based on peer assessment.
Elective courses:
Experimental methods in environmental economics are considered to be instrumental in understanding the link between the incentives that individuals' or firms' face and their subsequent choices. In a randomized controlled setting, field experiments aim to provide causal evidence and reliable estimates of policy or program impacts, of high importance when assessing the success of environmental policies. This seminar course focuses on field experimental methods in environmental and development economics. Students have the opportunity to select a topic of interest, review the related economic literature, formulate an original research question and one or several testable hypotheses, and lay out the design of an appropriate field experiment to test it. Students will prepare a report summarizing in detail this exercise, including the current state of knowledge on the selected topic.
The grade will be determined based on the performance across the following components: Research paper (80%), seminar presentation (10%), and written referee report and 5-minute presentation (10%).
To obtain 6 ECTS, students have to achieve a minimum grade of 4,0.
Students will be able to apply different concepts for measuring individual well-being, inequality and poverty, and they will understand advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches. They can explain inequalities within and between rich and poor countries, and how inequality and poverty have evolved over time. They are familiar with the fundamentals of analytical microeconomics, general equilibrium and market efficiency. They can identify different sources of market failures in less developed countries and understand how inequality and poverty threaten market efficiency. They understand why poverty is propagated and evaluate economic policies aimed at breaking the poverty cycle.
During the semester, each student will be assigned a term project and give a short presentation in class, which will be graded with a maximum of four points. Further, solutions to twelve problem sets have to be turned in. A random selection of four of these problem sets will be selected for grading and graded with zero, one, two or three points each. Problem sets not turned in in time or failure to present the term project have to be documented with a doctor's certificate. The sum of points earned from the four graded problem sets (maximum 12) will be added to the exam and term project presentation points. From this cumulative sum of 136, the course grade will be calculated. For obtaining a grade of 4.0 or better, you have to (i) pass the exam with a grade of at least 4.0, (ii) present your term project and (iii) achieve at least one point on each of at least three of the four problem set solutions that we grade, and (iv) participate regularly in the presentation of problem sets.
The 2nd year programme in Comparative Environmental Policy at Heidelberg offers a specialization in the theory-led empirical assessment of the characteristics and drivers of environmental policy in Europe. The first term features a fixed set of three compulsory courses, amounting to 24 ECTS, and a restrictive elective course of 6 ECTS. The second term features the Master’s thesis (27 ECTS) and the joint thesis and employment workshop (3 ECTS).
Comparative Environmental Policy (8 ECTS)
Methods in Comparative Political Science (8 ECTS)
Policy Design and Practice (8 ECTS)
One elective course (6 ECTS; alternatively, in semester 2)*
*(if needed for list of restricted electives)
One elective course (6 ECTS; alternatively, in semester 1)*
To be covered as subject elements from the following list:
Performance of Democracies and Autocracies (6 ECTS)
Theories of Public Policy (6 ECTS)
Environmental Justice: discourses, concepts and theories in comparison (6 ECTS)
International Comparative Climate Policy (6 ECTS)
Comparative Conflict Analysis (6 ECTS)
Comparative Public Policy (6 ECTS)
To obtain 8 ECTS, the student will have to give an oral presentation (2 ECTS) and prepare a term paper of 5,000 words (6 ECTS). The oral presentation will be given during the course. The due date for the term paper is March 15.
Environmental policy encompasses all policy instruments designed to address environmental challenges. While these instruments can be categorized using universal frameworks (such as the NATO scheme, which distinguishes between nodality-, authority-, treasure-, and organization-based systems), their implementation and calibration vary across jurisdictions. This course introduces students to both conceptual classification systems for environmental policy instruments and their practical application in European Union (EU) member states. Students will also examine the domestic (e.g., political party preferences) and international factors (e.g., EU directives and international environmental agreements) that influence the selection and calibration of environmental policy instruments.
Political science employs a diverse array of empirical methods to systematically compare political institutions (polities), processes (politics), and outcomes (policies) both within countries (e.g., at subnational, provincial, or regional levels) and across nations. These methods serve to explain differences and similarities between observation units and enable researchers to identify trends, patterns, and regularities among them. This course introduces students to case-study design methods for comparative empirical research, including most-similar-systems and most-different-systems designs. Additionally, students will learn statistical techniques for analyzing cross-sectional, longitudinal, and time-series-cross-sectional data.
Policy theories provide comprehensive insights into policy processes across diverse settings. This course teaches students how to effectively communicate these theoretical insights to broader audiences. Students will first explore leading policy process theories (such as the Advocacy Coalition Framework). They will then examine the distinction between policy scholars serving as 'knowledge brokers' versus 'policy advocates'. The course will also teach techniques for presenting research findings in clear, accessible language, avoiding jargon and unnecessary complexity to enhance their potential impact. Finally, students will critically examine the actual and potential roles of policy studies and scholars in shaping public policy design and implementation.
To obtain 6 ECTS, the student will have to prepare a term paper of 5,000 words.
This course examines the distinctive characteristics of democratic and autocratic regimes, exploring their operational mechanisms and analyzing the policy outputs and outcomes they generate.
This course provides an introduction to fundamental theories of public policymaking. While focusing primarily on policy process theories, it also incorporates complementary theoretical frameworks that examine specific explanatory factors, such as the influence of political parties on policy outputs.
This course, situated within modern political theory, explores theories of justice and their application to contemporary environmental challenges.
This course examines the landscape of national climate policies and introduces students to relevant policy databases, evaluating their utility for different research approaches.
This course explores the fundamental characteristics of conflicts and the conditions that lead to war. Students will develop a nuanced understanding of conflict dynamics and manifestations, examining both de-escalation pathways and factors that drive conflict escalation.
While all governments produce public policies, these policies vary across countries, policy sectors, and time periods. This course examines the underlying factors driving policy variation and equips students with methodological tools for designing comparative public policy research projects.
In a world facing unprecedented environmental and climatic challenges, the University of Milan mobility track – specialisation in Climate Change and Energy Economics – is designed for students who aspire to become experts in addressing the European Union’s ambitious sustainability goals. This programme equips students with the skills to navigate the complex dynamics between economic systems, climate policies, and sustainable energy transitions, emphasising the need for innovative, data-driven approaches to global and European energy demands. Through a robust curriculum combining economic modelling, environmental policy analysis, and exposure to the most recent literature on climate change and energy economics, students gain a comprehensive understanding of how economic policies can mitigate climate impacts and support the transition to clean energy.
Compulsory subject elements (18 ECTS)
Applied Climate Economics (6 ECTS);
Global and Climate Change Economics (6 ECTS);
Climate Change and Energy economics reading group (3 ECTS)*;
Master thesis preparatory traineeship or Italian Language Skills (3 ECTS)*[1]
[1] Italian Language Skills is compulsory for non-Italian speakers.
Compulsory subject elements (30 ECTS)
Economic Modelling for the Environment (6 ECTS)
Joint thesis and employment workshop (3 ECTS)*
Master thesis (21 ECTS, including examination)
* Part of the MSc thesis for a total thesis work of 30 ECTS.
Elective subject elements (12 ECTS)*
To be selected from the following list:
Additional Language Skills: French (3 ECTS); Additional language skills: German (3ECTS); Additional language skills: Spanish (3 ECTS)
Energy Economics (6 ECTS)
Time Series and Forecasting (6 ECTS);
Food Marketing and Consumer Behavior (6 ECTS);
Food Chain in the Global Market (6 ECTS);
Applied Environmental and Resource Economics (6 ECTS);
Environmental Management (6 ECTS);
Empirical Methods for Economics and Policy Evaluation (6 ECTS);
Statistics and Econometrics (9 ECTS);
International Agrifood Markets and Policies (6 ECTS);
Economic History (6 ECTS);
The Policies and Politics of the Green Transition mobility track, offered during the 2nd year in Prague, focuses on policy and political aspects of the green transition. Students on this track will, at the end of the first year of study in Copenhagen, choose one of two orientations for their second year at Charles University: Public Policy for Green Transition or European and Global Politics of Green Transition.Both orientations include the course Policy Analysis for a Green Transition in the first semester.
In the second semester, students choosing the orientation in Public Policy for Green Transition will specifically target analysis and problem-solving in relation to public policies toward the green transition. Further, they can create individual profiles according to their preferences in the choice of elective courses addressing various aspects of public policy (environmental policy instruments, policy evaluation, administrative or public economics context of the green transition, and so on) to better understand green transition issues.
Students choosing the orientation in European and Global Politics of Green Transition will instead study politics and political analysis in the context of European or global organisations addressing the green transition. Further, students can create individual profiles through their choices between elective courses concerning various aspects of politics and governance in the EU and global institutions related to the green transition. In both orientations, the choice of elective courses is restricted to ensure that, regardless of the orientation, all students in this mobility track acquire competences within both policy and politics. Both orientations further entail the option of doing an internship in an organisation involved in the green transition, which could help students with the choice of their diploma thesis as well as gain deeper insight into the topic of their thesis.
Students choose one of the two orientations during the break between the first and the second year of study.
Course code
Course name
JSM748
Policy Analysis for a Green Transition
9
JSM753
Diploma Thesis Seminar I
15
JSM754
Diploma Thesis Seminar II
Orientation in Public Policy for reen Transition
JSM751
Understanding the Policy Process in the Context of Climate Change
8
Orientation in European and Global Politics of Green Transition
JPM956
European Union
Students can take the following restricted elective courses during both semesters, amounting to 13 ECTS in total.
Students from the Public Policy for Green Transition orientation will have to choose a minimum of 9 ECTS in elective courses from Group A and a minimum of 4 ECTS in elective courses from Group B.
Students in the European and Global Politics of Green Transition orientation will have to choose a minimum of 5 ECTS in elective courses from Group A and a minimum of 8 ECTS in elective courses from Group B.
List of restricted electives:
Group A
JSM678
Introduction to Program Evaluation
5
JSM480
Evaluation Research
JSM731
Public Economics
JSM739
Public Administration
JSM756
Environmental Policy Instruments and their Applications
6
JSM757
Internship
4
Group B
JPM409
EU Institutions and Decision-making (EU)
JPM433
Inter-Institutional Relations: European vs. Domestic Institutions (EU)
JPM954
EU and Global Governance (EU)
JPM490
Global Environmental Politics
JPM946
International Institutions (II)
JEM335
Economics of Green Deal
This course is designed to help students learn how to identify public policy problems relating to environmental matters and the green transition, and prepare, design and select public policy measures or programs to address such problems. The course will focus mainly on analytical approaches and methods that are intended to guide policy design and structure policy choice. Students will hone their ability to work in a team, analyze policy issues and develop a concise report of their findings and recommendations.
Learning Objectives and Outcomes: Policy analysis is the art, craft, and science of providing problem-solving advice to managers in public sector, policymakers, or citizens. Policy analysis requires several distinct sets of skills: technical understanding of analytical tools, understanding the policy context, and the ability to produce and communicate practical advice. The overall aim of the course is to increase students' capacities to contribute to identifying, analyzing and assessing policy problems and options and ultimately to generate arguments for alternative policy options. Students in this course will specifically analyze problems in the realm of environmental policy and the green transition.
The Diploma Thesis Seminar I prepares students for developing their own diploma thesis. It focuses on the preparation of the diploma thesis project and its research design.
It combines individual consultations of a student with the supervisor of their MA thesis and joint presentation during the seminar of the thesis project and research design to foster feedback.
Students will receive counseling on how to formulate research questions and develop a project description for their diploma thesis. They will receive insight into information-gathering tools, literature and will develop academic writing techniques.
In their diploma thesis, the student must demonstrate the ability to work independently in keeping with academic standards, knowledge and understanding of the relevant scholarly literature, and the ability to analyze the issue under study.
Students will present and comment each other’s thesis projects and research designs, revise them in line with the feedback from their supervisor, fellow students, and the course instructor, before submission for final approval.
The Diploma Thesis Seminar II supports students during the process of writing their diploma thesis. It focuses on the development and completion of their diploma thesis.
It combines individual consultations of a student with the supervisor of their MA thesis and joint presentations during the seminar of their preliminary findings, and the final draft to foster feedback.
Completing the diploma thesis and preparing for its successful defense is the main goal of the course. In the diploma thesis, the student must demonstrate the ability to work independently in keeping with academic standards, knowledge and understanding of the relevant scholarly literature and the ability to analyze the issue under study.
Students will present and comment each other’s preliminary findings and final drafts, revise them to in line with the feedback from their supervisor, fellow students, and the course instructor.
A one-week joint workshop of all M3EP 2nd year students is a part of this seminar.
Orientation: Public Policy for Green Transition
The project-oriented course is designed to deepen understanding of the policy process within the context of democratic governance. The course connects theoretical thinking about the policy process to practical application in the context of the green transition. The course addresses the interaction of political dimensions of democratic governance concerning polity (institutions political system democracy, ideas, language) and politics (interaction of collective and individual actors) with the policy process. This connection is illustrated by a more detailed examination of several policy process frameworks (stage heuristics, IADF, NPF, ACF, and MSF) and their application to practice using case studies related to the green transition. From a practical perspective, the course intends to lead students to convey theoretical findings into practice and back, and to engage them in critical thinking, argumentation, and study of public policy issues.
Orientation: European and Global Politics of Green Transition
The course provides an analytical framework for the study of European integration history, EU institutions, decision-making processes and policies, and their theoretical understanding.
The course consists of lectures with compulsory readings for each class. The readings include EU documents, factsheets and theory-driven academic papers. Therefore, students simultaneously develop factual knowledge of European integration history, EU institutions, decision-making processes and policies, and their theoretical understanding. The co-required seminars focus on specific thematic areas, thus building a more in-depth knowledge of selected issues.
Elective courses - Group A (Public Policy):
Are public programs working as intended? What are their real effects? Furthermore, are these effects meeting expectations, or could the resources spent be better used? These and other questions are being asked by the relatively young field of social science called program evaluation. As a practical activity, evaluation is vital to designing and implementing public policies and programs. Its main task is to provide reliable and useful information to managers, politicians, civil servants and other public policy actors. Program evaluation provides feedback on what works, under what conditions, and what activities need to be changed or discontinued.
This course serves as an introduction to the theory and practice of evaluation of publicly funded programs. The main aim is to develop basic conceptual knowledge about program evaluation with focus on the practical competencies for applying this knowledge. Students will be introduced to the main concepts, evaluation designs (plans) and methods of evaluation research, starting from program theory to evaluating the effectiveness of program effects and presenting evaluation results.
The acquired skills can be used in different positions within the public, private or non-profit sector (e.g., project manager, internal or external evaluator, policy analyst). Experienced evaluators from practice are involved in the teaching, and students learn on real evaluation projects. Graduates of the course should be able to:
discuss the different purposes and types of evaluation of public programs;
develop a complete evaluation project design to evaluate the impact of a specific public program;
understand the main methods of effect evaluation and assess the effectiveness of the program;
summarize and interpret the results of the evaluation;
identify the social, political and ethical issues associated with evaluation.
This course is specifically designed to equip students with the fundamental principles of evaluation. Immerse yourself in a transformative learning experience that unravels the nature and meaning of evaluation, its methodologies and practical applications.
Throughout the course, you will gain in-depth knowledge of various evaluation methods, explore typical evaluation topics, and delve into the nuances of evaluation processes. Special emphasis is placed on key evaluation-specific topics such as stakeholder engagement, the logic model, theory of change, and meta-evaluation.
By the end of this journey, you'll not only understand the core principles, but be able to apply them to real-world scenarios. Whether you're an aspiring evaluator, a researcher, or a policymaker, this course promises to take your understanding of evaluation to a whole new level.
The course introduces students to the economics of the public sector. It provides the theoretical underpinnings for the interventions of the public sector into the economy, including public expenditure analysis and taxation issues. It discusses the questions of when and how to intervene into the market and which effects do the interventions have. It familiarizes students with public intervention practice within selected public policy areas and the research techniques taking place within public sector policy analysis.
This course introduces students to the study and practice of public administration as a discipline, within a broader context of the development of contemporary societies. The course is anchored in European and British Commonwealth public administration.
This course introduces an overview of various environmental policy instruments. It aims to give students a comprehensive understanding of the economic concepts underpinning environmental policymaking and practical insights into implementing these policies. It covers perspectives from both policymakers and those affected by regulations. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with knowledge about how society can address environmental challenges.
The aim of internships is to enable students to gain practical experience in organizations related the policies and politics of the green transition. The internship can take place in the public sector (civil service & state administration, local government, non-governmental organizations, etc.), non-profit sector or private companies delivering public sector-relevant services. In the course of their internships, students are to learn and rehearse practical skills as well as gain access to data for their diploma theses. The Department of Public and Social Policy and the Department of International Relations take great care of helping to broker top employment opportunities for their graduates. To this end, they maintain and continue to expand a network of partner organizations to which students have access during their studies in the form of compulsory work placements and internships. These include the prestigious public administration organizations, non-profit organizations, think tanks and corporations from the private sector.
The internship takes place in winter or summer semester. The minimum duration of the internship is 100 hours. Longer periods or longer internships can be arranged and accepted. Students search for an appropriate organization with the help of both departments. Students can arrange an internship with any organization, if it meets the general criteria of the field. A bilateral agreement can be concluded with the relevant organization, which is signed by the Dean on behalf of the Faculty. In the absence of an agreement between the Faculty and the partner organization, it is the student's responsibility to ensure that they receive a confirmation letter and evaluation report signed by a representative of the receiving institution.
Elective courses - Group B (European and Global Politics):
The course deals with major institutional issues of the EU political system and decision-making by presenting and discussing both their functioning and the theoretical reflection.
The course aims to provide an advanced understanding of the political system of the EU. Those taking the course will be expected to become familiar with a defined set of readings and issues. The course is intended to provide a thorough discussion on selected cases of institutional issues.
The course will be taught starting with introductory session, five seminars will follow in two-weeks interval.
The course deals with relations between the EU institutions and institutions of the Member States and the aspects of the European political system and decision-making influenced by these relations. The course aims to provide an advanced understanding of institutional factors of EU membership and of the political system and decision-making processes of the EU itself. The students should familiarize themselves with the current institutional design and learn to apply theoretical concepts on specific questions and cases. The students should also learn to search for specific documents in European institutions’ databases.
The course frames these issues within the multi-level governance theory. It looks more closely at three topics; first, the impact of national versus partisan factors on the decision-making within the three main EU institutions (the European Commission, the Council and the European Parliament), second, on how the interaction with the European level influences Member States' executives, national coordination systems and national parliamentary scrutiny of European affairs on national level, and, third, the interaction and collective action of national parliaments on the European level. All issues are debated from the perspectives of democratic legitimacy on one hand and decision-making efficiency on the other.
The course consists of six seminars with extensive out-of-class preparation. Seminars are organized as discussions covering the day’s topic. All students are expected to have read all the readings assigned for the given seminar and hand in a written assignment.
Global cooperation constitutes a crucial goal and tool of the European Union (EU). By its statements and deeds, the EU has demonstrated a very strong interest in this cooperation in the last three decades. The “Global Strategy for the European Union's Foreign and Security Policy” as the major contemporary programmatic document continues to regard the strengthening and transformation of the global governance as one of the main five priorities of the EU in its external relations. In this Strategy, the EU states that “without global norms and the means to enforce them, peace and security, prosperity and democracy – our vital interests – are at risk.”
However, not only is global cooperation important for the EU; the EU is also very important for global cooperation. Its positions and actions play a key role in the maintenance of global institutions. Although the other major powers, namely the United States and the so-called emerging powers, also have a basic interest in the persistence of the contemporary global institutions, their behavior shows that their willingness to support these institutions has significant limitations. Therefore, the preservation and a further development of global institutions considerably depends on the activities and initiatives of the EU.
Given the crucial relationship between the EU and global governance, we will analyze in this course this relationship in depth. We will primarily focus on two important issues: i) the goals that the EU pursues in global institutions, and the motivations that influence these goals, and ii) the performance of the EU in global institutions, i.e. the extent to which the EU behaves actively in these institutions, and the degree to which it is able to reach its goals, and the factors that determine the level of the EU’s performance. The course will consist of a mix of lectures and seminars.
Five decades ago, environmental problems started to occupy a prominent position in the agenda of international relations, with the Stockholm Conference of 1972 being usually regarded as the beginning of a more ambitious global environmental cooperation. Already at that time, human activities resulted in pollution affecting all the important spheres of life on planet Earth and lead to the risk of extinction for numerous animal and plant species. Many of the environmental problems had an international scale and governments sought, therefore, to solve them by mutual cooperation. As time passed, many of those problems deteriorated and some new problems emerged. It became evident that the growth of the human population and its expanding economic activities can seriously and irreversibly alter the living conditions on the Earth. This made the need for global environmental cooperation even greater.
Already since the 1970s, governments have been building international institutions that address specific environmental problems. Nowadays, the number of these institutions is very large. However, they unfortunately have not very often succeeded in managing the problems for whose resolution they were put in place. This occurs due the economic costs of environmental protection, sovereignty concerns, the different interpretations of environmental problems, and several other reasons.
In this course, students will get an opportunity to learn about the current global environmental problems, as well as about the political conditions that influence their management. In particular, they will get acquainted with the most important global environmental institutions, and with their specific achievements and shortcomings.
This course provides a complex introduction to the study of international institutions – international treaties, international regimes, and international organizations. The first part of the course deals with general issues. At the beginning, the major theoretical approaches to international institutions are explored. Subsequently, the course is concerned with the historical development of international institutions. It provides an overview of their development, from the establishing of the first international institutions in the 19th century to their contemporary evolution marked by the decline of US power. The general section of the course ends with the discussion of the internal political system of international institutions – their organizational structure and activities.
The other three parts of the course focus on the functioning of international institutions in the most significant areas of international relations – security, economic affairs and development, the environment, and human rights. The section concentrating on security institutions starts with the analysis of arms control regimes. Afterwards, the security regime associated with the Security Council of the United Nations is explained. The economic section of the course provides an overview of the three major economic IOs – the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization. Finally, the course pays attention to global environmental and human rights institutions.
The European Green Deal is the key policy to transform the EU into a carbon-neutral, resource-efficient and competitive economy. This transition brings many challenges to the economy and society that need to be changed concerning technology used, behavior and lifestyle. This course will address these challenges through a series of lectures that will present approaches to rigorously assessing the impacts of the transition on the economy, the environment, and people. It will rely on environmental economics complemented by models and theories from other fields in economics (energy-, transport, health- economics) and disciplines (energy system modelling, environmental sciences). The course will discuss several topics, including a) regulation (externality, policy instruments), climate change (impacts, IAM), b) the past trends analyzed ex post (EKC, decomposition analysis, RIA and interventions), c) the decarbonization pathway, with a particular focus on the energy system and transport modelling, d) ex ante impact assessment, relying on the input-output, economic structural models and Benefit-Cost analysis, and e) the role of consumer behaviour and choices in the low-carbon transition.
The overview of the second year in Warsaw is provided in the table below. The composition of courses focuses on the understanding of economic theories and analytical tools essential for designing and evaluating policies for a green and just transition.
The courses are in most cases lecture + classes. In order to be eligible to take the exams, you must pass classes. Some courses are labs, classes or seminars. They usually ends with some sort of project / colloquium / test. More details are presented in syllabuses.
Advanced Macroeconomics part 1 and 2
2400-QFU2AMA
4.5
Advanced Microeconomics (General Equlibrium)
2400-ICU1AMIa
Econometrics and Forecasting*
Distributional Impacts and Households' Behavior*
Global, National, and Sectoral Risks and Opportunities*
3
Diploma Thesis Seminar*
3.5
Electives*
Policy Principles and Constraints at National and International Level**
International Environmental Cooperation** (3 ECTS),
OR
Sustainable Development** (3 ECTS)
another of the 3 ECTS Master course
offered by the Faculty of Economics.
Find other masters’ courses here.
Diploma Thesis Seminar (3.5 ECTS)
AND
Diploma Thesis (20 ECTS)
*Course descriptions 1st semester:
The aim of the lecture and tutorials is to familiarize students with advanced econometric techniques, their properties and their most important applications. During the lecture theory and empirical examples are presented. The aim of the tutorials is to familiarize students with the applications of econometric tools discussed during the lecture. Classes include solving tasks, computer laboratories and work on case studies including models estimated using time series and panel data and models for discrete variables.
The lecture is intended for students of the second level of economic studies. The lecture uses concepts from the field of linear algebra, mathematical analysis, probability calculus, descriptive and mathematical statistics and basic econometrics.
The course explores how climate policies affect households differently across various income levels and social groups. The focus is on understanding the mechanisms through which climate policies, such as carbon pricing, subsidies, and regulatory standards, influence households' economic well-being, particularly their consumption patterns and income distribution. It will provide a detailed analysis of how low-income households are often more vulnerable to the regressive impacts of climate policies. For example, policies like carbon taxes on electricity or heating tend to consume a larger proportion of a low-income household's budget, making them more susceptible to economic strain. In contrast, high-income households might be better positioned to absorb these costs or benefit from policies that subsidize energy-efficient technologies, as they have greater financial flexibility to invest in such upgrades.
Students will also study how households respond behaviorally to these policies, considering factors such as shifts in consumption patterns. The course will explore the implications of these behavioural responses, such as the tendency for low-income households to continue using less energy-efficient appliances due to upfront cost barriers, which in turn affects their overall energy consumption and carbon footprint. Furthermore, the course will address policy design strategies aimed at mitigating adverse distributional impacts. This includes examining compensation mechanisms, like lump-sum transfers or targeted subsidies, that can help offset the regressive effects of climate policies. Additionally, students will learn about designing climate policies that incorporate progressive elements to ensure that the benefits of such policies are equitably distributed, thereby enhancing their political acceptability and effectiveness in achieving environmental goals.
This course offers a comprehensive introduction to key numerical models used in the analysis of climate policy at global, national, and sectoral levels. Students will learn the derivation and calibration of computable general equilibrium (CGE) models, which are crucial for macroeconomic analysis at the national level. The course will cover the structure and application of integrated assessment models (IAMs) for global climate policy analysis, providing a robust framework for understanding how these models inform international policy decisions. Additionally, the course will explore the applicability of sectoral models in analyzing and optimizing production methods within specific sectors. Through these models, students will learn to evaluate the impacts of policies at the sectoral level and identify the optimal changes in production process. A key focus of the course will be on the practical application of these numerical tools to recognize and analyze the risks and opportunities associated with the transition to a low-carbon economy. Students will engage in hands-on exercises, case studies, and project work to develop the skills needed to apply these models in real-world scenarios. By the end of the course, students will have a solid understanding of how to use numerical models to support strategic planning and policy-making for sustainable development.
The Diploma Seminar prepares students for developing their own diploma thesis by providing essential guidance and support. Students will receive counseling on how to formulate research questions and develop a comprehensive project description for their thesis. The seminar offers valuable insights into various tools for gathering information and literature. Additionally, students will gain experience with academic writing techniques. This comprehensive preparation ensures that students are well-equipped to undertake and complete their diploma thesis successfully.
Selection of Diploma Thesis Seminars is here: https://www.wne.uw.edu.pl/en/students/study-programmes/diploma-seminars
You can choose a minimum of 3 ECTS elective courses from any of the MSc level courses offered by the Faculty of Sociology (3500-…), Faculty of Psychology (2500-…), or Faculty of Philosophy (3800-…). (3ects).
**Course descriptions 2nd semester:
Policy Principles and Constraints at National and International Level** (3 ECTS)
The course explores the frameworks and challenges involved in policy-making for climate and energy at both national and international levels. Key topics include assessment cycles of International Panel on Climate Change and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), focusing on how nations formulate and revise their climate and energy strategies. Students will study the intricacies of national policy-making processes, with real-world examples of international cooperation and the role of global conventions in shaping policy. The course emphasizes the constraints and opportunities that arise from both national interests and international obligations. Practical case studies will be used to illustrate the principles discussed, providing students with insights into effective policy design.
The programme prepares you to take on one of the most complex and urgently demanding policy areas for EU and its member states in the 21st century: The green transition.
This involves, for instance, development as well as practical implementation and operationalisation of the EU’s vision of the European Green Deal aiming to achieve the long-term objectives of the EU’s Environment Action Programme as well as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
As a graduate from Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s (EMJM) in European Environmental Economics and Policy (M3EP), you will be qualified to successfully design, implement and analyse policy solutions to the complex environmental challenges facing European and international societies today.
During the programme you will be provided with the conceptual foundations, analytical skills, methods, and integrated problem-solving techniques of economics and political science, which are required to work with contemporary environmental challenges at the nexus between environmental economics and environmental policy and politics.
Competence description
No matter which specialisation you choose, you will acquire broad and professional competences enabling you to:
understand central theories and frameworks within both environmental economics and political science.
assess the validity of economic statements as well as explain political processes underlying public policy in the context of the green transition.
perform relevant qualitative as well as quantitative analyses on a multitude of data sources, working in interdisciplinary and problem-oriented teams, and using state-of-the-art analytical techniques from the fields of economics and political science.
understand EU’s environmental policy and relate to national implementation across its member states, e.g. in terms of the myriads of issues and decisions that will need to be taken by governments and their implementing agencies, by non-state actors and civil society, and by businesses.
communicate environmental policy proposals and assessments to relevant decision-makers.
As the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s in European Environmental Economics and Policy is an integrated study programme, graduates obtain a double degree fully recognised in all the participating countries. Students must complete 120 ECTS through their chosen mobility tracks:
60 ECTS at University of Copenhagen the first year of studies
60 ECTS at their second-year university the second year of studies.
Getting a double degree means that graduates receive two national degrees – one degree from each university where they have completed 60 ECTS.See which degree is awarded from each university in the table below:
University
Degree awarded
University of Copenhagen
MSc in European Environmental Economics and Policy
Heidelberg University
Specialisation Advanced Environmental Economics
M.Sc. Economics
Specialisation Comparative Environmental Policy
M.A. Politikwissenschaft
University of Milan
Specialisation Climate Change and Energy Economics
MSc in Environmental and Food Economics
Charles University
Specialisation Policies and Politics of Green Transition
Magistr (Mgr.), European Environmental Economics and Policy
University of Warsaw
Specialisation Economics of Green and Just Transition
Magister in European Environmental Economics and Policy
As a graduate of M3EP you will be qualified to become a professional within business functions and/or areas such as:
Small to large private companies, at corporate level as well as in innovative startups, engaging in various efforts towards the circular economy and practical implementation of the green transition, in the overall context of sustainability.
Governmental bodies and public agencies involved in developing, analysing, implementing, managing, and monitoring European and national environmental policies.
Universities and research institutions where graduates are involved in economics and political research related to sustainability and the green transition.
A PhD programme.
Graduates from this programme will often be involved in solving broad-spectrum environmental policy challenges that require interplay between economic analysis, political analysis, a firm understanding of policy in practice, and interdisciplinary teamwork.