Master’s Programme in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability
60 credits
- Period : 2021-August-30 until 2022-June-05
- Location: Karlskrona
- Type of instruction: On campus, day, full-time
- Language of instruction: The teaching language is English.
- Programme syllabus: Download
It is no longer possible to apply to this option
Lead change that creates successful organisations that contribute to the sustainable development of society.
An education for change
This one-year Master’s programme in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability aims to educate leaders capable of supporting the sustainable development of society in a way that strengthens their own organisation. You study how you can contribute to sustainable development by enabling change in complex systems.
The programme is built around two themes – strategic sustainable development and leading in complexity. You study how to use scientifically founded methodology to contribute to sustainable development by enabling change in complex systems.
Strategic sustainable development
You immerse yourself in how to support a transition to global sustainability through economically beneficial development of products, systems, organisations and communities. You learn about challenges, opportunities and methodology for strategic sustainable development.
Leadership in complexity
You study how to manage complexity and effectively enable change. You explore the complexity and its issues within social change and in your own leadership. You learn methodology to be able to lead collaborations that provide an attractive and sustainable future.
The programme consists of 60 credits and leads to a Master’s degree.
To fulfil the programme requirements regarding work experience, you must attach an employer certificate (in Swedish or English). Please find a template certificate here.
The tuition fee is SEK 60,000 per semester. One semester corresponds to 30 ECTS credits. EU/EEA citizens are not required to pay fees.
Programme content
Leadership for sustainability
Degree project
An education for change
This one-year Master’s programme in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability aims to educate leaders capable of supporting the sustainable development of society in a way that strengthens their own organisation. The programme is built around two themes – strategic sustainable development and leading in complexity.
Strategic sustainable development
Here, you learn how to handle complexity respectfully and enable change efficiently. You explore the complexity of both social change and your own leadership. You learn about the scientifically and practically validated methodology for leading in complexity to be able to lead collaborations that enable an attractive sustainable future.
Leading in complexity
Here, you learn how to handle complexity in a respectful way and enable change efficiently. You explore the complexity of both social change and your own leadership. You learn about the scientifically and practically validated methodology for leading in complexity to be able to lead collaborations that enable an attractive sustainable future.
Degree
The programme consists of 60 credits and leads to a one-year Master’s degree.
The main field of study: Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability.
Degree title in Swedish: Filosofie magisterexamen.
Note! The course list is tentative. See the programme syllabus for an established course list.
Courses autumn semester 2021
Strategic Sustainable Development, 12,5 credits
Leading in Complexity, 10 credits
Innovation for Sustainability, 5 credits
Strategic Planning for Sustainability, 7,5 credits
Research Methodology for Sustainability, 5 credits
Courses spring semester 2022
Master's Thesis (60 credits) in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability, 20 credits
Admission
Admission criteria
In the case of more qualified applicants than available positions for the current programme start, a selection is made. This is done in the following way:
METHOD 3 Master’s Programme in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability
GENERAL
This method is intended to assess the applicant’s motivation and preconditions for studies at the programme ”Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability”.
SELECTION CRITERIA
• Curriculum Vitae
• An essay explaining the applicant’s interest in the programme, providing information about her or his relevant personal or professional experiences (maximum 2 500 words)
• 2 letters of reference (recommendations from two people who are familiar with the applicant’s ability and skills)
• Higher education grades
SPECIFICATION OF SELECTION CRITERIA
Ranking of the applicants will be based on the relative qualification level as regards:
• Academic results at prior higher education studies
• Relevance of degree (and of courses included) for scientifically based studies at Master’s level in strategic sustainable development
• Relevant professional experience
• Demonstrated interest in ”Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability” (e.g. through choice of work, voluntary work, other community services or in other way)
MAXIMUM MERIT RANKING
A maximum of 8 points will be given, based on the following criteria:
1. Academic results at prior higher education studies:
• 2 points: very good results (i.e. a significant number of courses with grades well above average – e.g. ’first class’ or ’pass with distinction’)
• 1 point: good results (i.e. a significant number of courses with grades above average – e.g. ’second class upper division’ or ’pass with credit’)
• 0 points: weak or sufficient results (i.e. a significant number of courses with average grades or under – e.g. ’second class lower division’ or ’pass’)
2. Relevance of degree:
• 2 points: degree in science and/or engineering with a significant number of courses in environment, sustainability, geoscience and/or socio-cultural studies or degree in economics with a significant number of courses in natural sciences, sustainability, engineering and/or socio-cultural studies
• 1 point: degree in social sciences or professional qualification with a significant number of courses in natural sciences or sustainability
• 0 points: degree in social sciences or professional qualification with few or no courses in natural sciences or sustainability
3. Relevant professional experience:
• 2 points: the equivalent of a total of 3 or more years’ work or experience from voluntary work in areas assessed as relevant to the programme ”Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability” by the programme admissions committee
• 1 point: the equivalent of a total of 1-3 years’ work or experience from voluntary work in areas assessed as relevant to the programme ”Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability” by the programme admissions committee
• 0 points: the equivalent of a total of less than 1 year’s work or experience from voluntary work in areas assessed as relevant to the programme ”Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability” by the programme admissions committee
4. Demonstrated interest in the programme ”Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability”
• 2 points: Manifests a clear interest in the programme and clearly describes how the relevant professional experiences or the personal experiences are or may be relevant to sustainability
• 1 point: Manifests an interest in the programme and describes how the relevant professional experience or personal experiences are or may be relevant to sustainability
• 0 points: Manifests no interest in the programme and does not describe how the relevant professional experience or the personal experiences are or may be relevant to sustainability.
WORKING METHOD
Applications that are accepted for examination based on the general admission requirements for the programme will be ranked according to the above by the programme admissions committee, consisting of teachers of the programme.
Read more about admission here
Qualification Awarded
On completion of the programme, students will be awarded the second cycle degree
Master of Science (60 credits).
Main field of study: Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability.
Degree in Swedish: Filosofie magisterexamen.
Huvudområde: Strategiskt ledarskap för hållbarhet.
Learning Outcome
Knowledge and understanding
On completion of the program the student will:
- demonstrate deepened knowledge about society’s sustainability challenges, be able to describe and characterize basic reasons for these and be able to explain and criticize responses to these challenges in academia, the business world and other parts of society.
- demonstrate deepened knowledge about methodology for strategic sustainable development that supports structured and coordinated cooperation between different disciplines, organizational units and sectors of society, including a principled definition of ecological and social sustainability and strategic guidelines for how an organization can contribute to society’s transition to sustainability in a way that is economically advantageous to the organization.
- demonstrate deepened knowledge about methodology for leadership in complexity, including systems thinking, organizational change, organizational learning, transformative change, dialogic organization development, organizational dynamics, mental models and facilitation of cooperation between different disciplines, organizational units and sectors of society.
- demonstrate deepened understanding of how the two central fields of the program (strategic sustainable development and leadership in complexity) can be integrated with each other and with supplementary fields, concepts, methods and tools as support of strategic leadership towards sustainability.
- demonstrate deepened methodology knowledge about research for strategic leadership towards sustainability, especially qualitative and design science methods, and be able to demonstrate broad insight into current research of that kind.
Abilities and skills
On completion of the program the student will:
- demonstrate ability to integrate and apply the two central fields of the program (strategic sustainable development and leadership in complexity)for research and development work or other qualified activity, including being able to analyze and develop solutions and strategic plans and choose, combine and develop supplementary concepts, methods and tools.
- demonstrate ability to independently identify and formulate problems of relevance to strategic leadership towards sustainability and with support of the central methodology of the program for strategic sustainable development and leadership in complexity plan and with adequate methods from supplementary fields carry out qualified assignments within given timeframes in academia, the business world and other parts of society.
- demonstrate ability to orally and in writing in a way that is comprehensible to different groups describe and present the meaning of strategic leadership towards sustainability, argue for conclusions and engage other persons in work of change and organizational learning, facilitate and lead such work and reflect upon the personal leadership.
Judgment and approach
On completion of the program the student will:
- demonstrate ability to make assessments of different solutions and strategic plans for how organizations can contribute to sustainable development, in view of relevant scientific, societal and ethical aspects, and consider ethical aspect of research and development work for sustainability and especially of design science research for strategic leadership towards sustainability.
- demonstrate insight into the possibilities and limitations of engineering and science as support of society’s transition to sustainability and how different stakeholders use science for their purposes, as for example in the discourse on climate changes.
- demonstrate ability to evaluate and critically relate to different theories, concepts, methods and tools in the field of sustainability, including the central methodology of the program for strategic sustainable development and leadership in complexity.
- demonstrate ability to, with support of the program’s central methodology for strategic sustainable development and leadership, identify needs of further knowledge.
The study programmes at BTH are continuously monitored and developed through yearly follow-up dialogues, course evaluations after each completed course, and programme evaluations. Results from follow-ups and evaluations can lead to changes in the programmes. These changes are always communicated to the students.
Each educational programme is tied to an advisory board that discusses issues such as the quality of the programme, its development, and relevance for the labour market. In the advisory board, or a committee to the advisory board, teachers, external members, students and alumni are represented.
The Master’s Programme in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability (MSLS) has hosted more than 800 students from more than 90 countries, with great diversity also regarding age, gender, personalities, educational backgrounds and professional backgrounds. This tightly-nit community constitutes an utterly dedicated, competent, and unstoppable global ‘sustainability virus’, which gives me great hope for a better world. I am very proud of being part of the co-creation of this ‘force of nature’ and I welcome you to join our global MSLS-family.
Professor Göran Broman, one of the programme founders
Research
The research focuses on methodology support for companies, municipalities and other organisations that want to work strategically with sustainable development, i.e. organisations that want to contribute to society’s transition to sustainability in a way that strengthens the individual organisation.
Learn more about our research in strategic sustainable development
You will study here
On BTH’s main campus in Karlskrona, you will find our programmes and courses in engineering, IT, spatial planning, industrial economics and health sciences.
Campus Karlskrona is located right next to the water, and there is even a swimming jetty 50 meters from the lecture halls. From the modern library’s study areas, you have a nice view of the sea and outside there are exercise trails that take you through the woods and along the beach.
Good to know
Look below for information about how to apply, entry requirements and important dates.