The interdisciplinary and research-oriented Master‘s pro­gram in Earth and Climate System Science, developed by Prof. Dr. Volker Wulfmeyer and successfully established since 2011, is based on the comprehensive scientific understanding of the Earth as a system. Aspects of the natural sciences are linked to topics in the agricultural and economic sciences.

The focus of this program lies on the analysis of the interac­tions of the Earth system’s various components. They are interacting in a fascinating and complex way because the system is more than the sum of its pieces. Especially important for society and economy are the processes over the land surface. Feedbacks in the soil-vegetation-atmosphere system determine in a crucial way the development of extreme weather events as well as the status and changes of the regional climate.

The analysis of these complex processes requires the study of human activities, population growth, food production, and land use management in the context of climate change. In addition, the simulation with regional climate, agricultural and economic models provide useful insights into Earth system functions. Graduates of the program are able to make their own contributions to Earth system analyses and research as well as to ecologically-sustainable developments in society.