If you are looking for new ways to understand today’s environmental challenges—not just as scientific or technical problems, but as deeply cultural and historical—this program is for you.
2 years/4 semesters
English
120
August 2026
Academic admission requirements below Information about the application process below
About the programme
Cultural insight & ecological action – This Master's Program invites you to study environmental issues through a humanities lens—and prepare for a meaningful career where you can connect cultural insight with ecological action on a global scale.
Cultural & historical challenges – Discover new ways to understand today’s environmental challenges—not just as scientific or technical problems, but as deeply cultural and historical. Explore how human values, narratives, and systems shape our relationships with the natural world.
Museums & heritage institutions – You will study topics such as the cultural history of energy, the meaning we give to landscapes, and how museums and heritage institutions can engage the public on climate issues. Throughout the program, you will take part in interactive seminars, do field work, learn to communicate research to the public, carry out independent research, and complete a creative project through a practice placement with a relevant organization.
Critical thinking & hands-on engagement – The program is taught entirely in English and welcomes students from around the world. If you want to combine critical thinking with hands-on engagement—and if you believe the past can help us build a more sustainable future—this is the place to start.
Public Environmental Humanities – Explore how values, narratives, and systems shape human relationships with the natural world.;
Connect during your study
This program offers you the opportunity to be closely connected to a dynamic and engaged research environment in the environmental humanities, led by scholars who are internationally recognized at the forefront of the field: The Greenhouse is an internationally leading research center for environmental humanities hosted by the University of Stavanger.
Career opportunities
This Master's degree provides strong research skills and the ability to apply knowledge across professional contexts. Graduates will be prepared for careers that connect the humanities, environmental issues, and public engagement, including
- Government advisor on environmental issues
- Practitioner in environmental NGOs
- Policy consultant
- Cultural and natural heritage manager, curator, or educator
- Historical researcher
- Journalist or communicator (with focus on environmental topics)
- Academic researcher (PhD level in environmental humanities and related fields)
There is a demand for a future workforce who can navigate both the research and public-facing aspects of environmental work, spanning from writing policy briefs to creating museum exhibitions
Programme Structure
Fall - semester 1
PEH310 Key Issues in Environmental History (10 ECTS)
PEH311 Energy Humanities (10 ECTS)
PEH312 Doing Interdisciplinary Environmental Humanities: Theories and Methods (10 ECTS)
Spring - semester 2
PEH321 Place-based research (10 ECTS)
PEH322 Heritage and Environmental Engagement (10 ECTS)
Elective (10 ECTS) – recommended existing electives at UiS:
• Governing Energy Transitions (MEE210)
• Sustainable City Regions (BYG610)
• Sustainability Transitions and Innovation (MSB340)
• Sustainable Future Foods (BIO600)
• History Culture and Theory (HIS346)
Academic requirements
A bachelor’s degree in any humanities or social science field of minimum 180 ECTS.
Examples of relevant degrees are: Anthropology, Art History, Communication Studies, Creative Arts, Cultural Studies, Geography, Heritage Studies, History, Journalism, Liberal Arts, Linguistics, Literature, Media Studies, Museum Studies, Pedagogy, Philosophy, Political Science, Religious Studies, Sociology.
Admission to this master's program requires a minimum grade average comparable to a Norwegian C (according to ECTS Standards) in the bachelor's degree.
Application and admission
International and local applicants have different deadlines and application procedures, depending on your citizenship, language skills and educational background.
Contact us!
Department of Cultural Studies and Languages
Department of Cultural Studies and Languages
Be part of a leading research community – The Greenhouse, the University of Stavanger’s research centre for environmental humanities, brings together scholars who explore how history, literature, media, religion, philosophy, and art shape human relationships with nature and the environment.
Practice-oriented learning through cases and internships.
Shape the future of environmental understanding – By studying in Stavanger, you’ll join an environment where the humanities and energy research intersect—helping to imagine and build more sustainable futures through cultural insight, creativity, and critical thinking.
International and vibrant city surrounded by diverse and beautiful nature.
