Science for Sustainable Societies (BSc)

After graduation

Once you have graduated from Science for Sustainable Societies, you are ready for the next step: you can, for example, continue your studies or enter the job market. Completing the Science for Sustainable Societies programme will give you an excellent preparation for reaching any goals you may set yourself.

What are your skills after graduation?

The three-year bachelor’s programme in Science for Sustainable Societies provides you with the knowledge, skills, and mind-set to analyse complex sustainability challenges, combining insights from natural and social sciences. After graduation you will possess valuable skills that are sought after by employers and by universities selecting candidates for master’s programmes.

These skills include:

Working in teams
Programming and GIS (mapping skills)
Project management
Presenting (from a presentation to videos)
Statistical and mathematical analyses
Writing texts for specific audiences
Independent thinking

Students with this broad background in knowledge and skills are attractive candidates for many employers in a field that is becoming increasingly important in the transition to a more sustainable and adaptive society.

Continuing your academic education

Graduates of this bachelor’s programme earn the title of Bachelor of Science (BSc) and are eligible for various master's programmes at Leiden University and other universities in the Netherlands and abroad. A degree in Science for Sustainable Societies guarantees entry to the MSc Industrial Ecology (Leiden University and Delft University of Technology) and the MSc Governance of Sustainability (Leiden University).

Once you have successfully completed your master's programme, you will have earned the title of Master of Science (MSc) or Master of Arts (MA). A master’s degree will increase your chances of finding a job or academic level position,

Read more about our master’s programmes.

Job market

The Science for Sustainable Societies programme opens the way to a broad range of employment opportunities in areas such as ministries, local or provincial government, public advisory organisations, NGO’s, universities and other education institutions and research institutes, as well as in the private sector, for instance, in consultancy but also in industry, in start-ups and multinational companies.

Natascha Zwaal

Advisor education and research at WWF NL (World Wide Fund for Nature - The Netherlands)

At WWF-NL, we are happy to see that Leiden University educates a new generation of sustainability professionals. We feel that their focus on both natural and social sciences is innovative and important. WWF-NL is currently involved in 11 large ecoregions in the world that cover many more countries. In each ecoregion we are dealing with a complex set of stakeholders -including policy makers, representatives of multinationals, local entrepreneurs, and the local population - who all involve social and economic processes. At the same time, all ecoregions have their own individual ecological and environmental processes. This means that professionals who are trained in both the natural and the social sciences are essential for our projects.

Amy Kortland

Student Assistant Science for Sustainable Societies

Even before the minor in sustainability, I’ve always tried to live sustainably, but the courses I took made me even more enthusiastic about the subject. That’s why I’m now planning to pursue a master’s degree in Industrial Ecology in Leiden. To anyone considering this bachelor’s programme, I’d like to say: if you’re interested in both natural sciences and social sciences, and you want to approach sustainable challenges in a different way, this is a great choice. You will get a broad education while keeping your options open to specialise in a master’s programme later. On top of that, you’ll be taught by enthusiastic and inspiring teachers in a supportive and positive atmosphere.

Career Zone

During your studies, the Leiden University Career Zone can provide you with professional advice and guidance concerning (international) internships and jobs, courses in career planning and job applications. The career advisors can advise you regarding relevant employers and alumni contacts. They can assist you in exploring your individual interests and abilities, and in doing so guide you towards the best internship and job opportunities.