Master's degree in Sustainability and Strategies for a Just Global Transition

University Research Institute for Sustainability Science and Technology (ISST-UPC)

The master’s degree in Sustainability and Strategies for a Just Global Transition (master's webpage) offers comprehensive, advanced and cross-disciplinary training to lead projects and design sustainability and global justice strategies from social, ethical and governance perspectives.

It provides scientific and technological knowledge and competencies to analyse, design and implement innovative strategies in emerging fields such as energy transition, circular economy, urban planning, efficient public resource management, climate planning and corporate sustainability in diverse social, cultural and political contexts at local and global scales.

General details

Duration and start date

1.5 academic years, 90 ECTS credits. Starting September

Timetable and delivery

Face-to-face

Fees and grants

Approximate fees for the master’s degree, excluding other costs (does not include non-teaching academic fees and issuing of the degree certificate):
€1,743 (€4,050 for non-EU residents ).
More information about fees and payment options
More information about grants and loans

Language of instruction

Check the language of instruction for each subject in the course guide in the curriculum.

Information on language use in the classroom and students’ language rights.

Admission

General requirements: Academic requirements for admission to master's degrees
Specific requirements: The academic committee of the master’s degree will assess applicants’ prior qualifications.

Those seeking admission will ideally be graduates of a bachelor's or master’s degrees in engineering or an equivalent degree, architecture and building construction or an equivalent degree, natural sciences and mathematics or an equivalent degree and social sciences, economics and geography or an equivalent degree.
Places: 30
Pre-enrolment: Pre-enrolment period open.
Expected deadline: 01/07/2026.
How to pre-enrol
Enrolment: How to enrol
Legalisation of foreign documents: All documents issued in non-EU countries must be legalised and bear the corresponding apostille.

Professional opportunities

Professional opportunities

Sustainability specialist in public administrations: climate change, energy transition, circular economy; environmental programme manager; 2030 Agenda officer.
Manager of European or international projects.
Corporate consultant: advice on sustainability and corporate social responsibility, environmental or social impact analysis, management of sustainable innovation projects and environmental audits or certifications.
Researcher in sustainability and ecological transition, project specialist in research centres or universities and professor in sustainability programmes.
Specialist or manager of just transition programmes in NGOs, cooperation bodies or international organisations: climate adaptation, environmental justice and sustainable development.
Facilitator of participatory processes and social transformation in community organisations and the third sector.
Coordinator of local ecosocial transition initiatives.
Manager of social and solidarity economy projects.

Competencies

Generic competencies

Generic competencies are the skills that graduates acquire regardless of the specific course or field of study. The generic competencies established by the UPC are capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship, sustainability and social commitment, teamwork, proper use of information resources, knowledge of a foreign language (preferably English) and gender perspective.

Design cross-disciplinary solutions and strategies for a just ecosocial transition.
Plan sustainable development policies, plans and programmes, and decarbonisation strategies considering key stakeholders, spatial scales and local and international regulations.
Systemically assess solutions and proposals for a just global transition.
Formulate research projects drawing on the knowledge acquired in the field of sustainability science and technology.
Critically assess environmental, social and economic impacts of products and services, promoting sustainable and socially just actions with relevant stakeholders.
Make informed and reflective decisions in complex situations, applying ethical principles in academic, professional and social contexts to promote responsibility and social engagement.
Integrate the gender perspective into solutions.
Generate creative solutions to social or technological problems while considering sustainability, business models and entrepreneurial requirements.
Critically and responsibly assess information sources, avoid plagiarism, respect authorship rights and manage information overload.
Carry out and defend before an examination committee an individual piece of work in sustainability that synthesises the knowledge, skills and competencies acquired on the master’s degree.