Master programmes- international Student

Hanze

1. Master up
Master Energy for Society
Master’s programme 2022-2023
Degree Master of Science (MSc)
share your talent. move the world.

2. Do you wish to raise your knowledge,
career and ambition to a higher
level? Is it your aim to innovate and
are you looking for more inspiration?
If so, opt for a professional master’s
programme. The professional
master’s programmes of Hanze
University of Applied Sciences
Groningen are all practice-
oriented, so during your studies
you will collaborate closely with
professionals in the fi eld. Through
increasing your knowledge and
research you will contribute directly
to the innovation of your professional
fi eld and your professional practice.
A Hanze Master’s degree will
defi nitely boost your career and your
position in the labour market.
Professional master’s programmes
tie in perfectly with practice-oriented
bachelor’s programmes in higher
professional education, which
excludes the need for a transition
year. This has two advantages:
fi rstly, you will obtain your diploma
earlier as you can continue with your
studies immediately and, secondly,
it will increase your success rate.
The result? After completing your
master’s programme you will obtain
either an MA, MBA or MSc degree,
as you would with a research
university master’s programme.
Most of our master’s programmes
are government-funded. This means
you will pay the statutory tuition fee,
which is equal to the tuition fee for a
bachelor’s programme.
In short, master up your career with
a master’s programme of Hanze
University of Applied Sciences
Groningen. We are currently offering
over twenty programmes with more
to come each year.
For more information about our
master’s programmes, go to
www.hanze.nl/masters

3. Accelerating energy
transition in your
community
Climate change is real, energy transition is needed and new
professionals are wanted that can help local and regional initiatives to
make the transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Will you become the
expert that gets people on board to make this bottom-up energy
transition happen? That is the essence of the master Energy for Society.
As an energy transition professional you will contribute
to accelerating the energy transition at a local and
regional level. You will help communities, municipalities,
governments and companies to establish the necessary
energy transition. You are the intermediate that knows
how to operate successfully between the various
interests of the stakeholders. You also understand
the technical, societal, ecological and political issues
involved in energy transition and are able to offer
scientifically funded solutions. ‘Technology for producing
renewable energy is constantly
being developed, whereas often
the more challenging aspect of
the energy transition is changing
people’s attitudes.’
Søren Hermansen
Samsø Energy Academy, Samsø, Denmark
3Master Energy for Society

4. Energy transition from a societal perspective
Do you want to make a difference in realising energy
transition from a societal perspective? This master will
teach you how to encourage, facilitate and manage
local energy transition initiatives by collaborating with
and promoting collaborations between communities,
consumers, policy makers and other stakeholders. You
have an academically informed understanding of the
different constraints and opportunities that these local
and regional energy transition initiatives face and are able
to find the proper solution. After the master’s you can
work for an organisation, a municipality, a province or an
NGO, or you can start your own consultancy company.
All-round energy professional
Energy transition is a huge challenge because all energy
projects are confronted with technological, economic,
legal, social and environmental aspects. In order to deal
with these complex issues, all-round energy professionals
are needed that understand these facets. This master’s
programme provides in this interdisciplinary need by
teaching students how to solve not only technical and
economic issues, but also social and political issues
that may arise during local energy transition projects.
For instance, what legal and environmental aspects are
involved in building a wind farm? Is there a fair distribution
of profits? And how do you empower citizens to become
active participants? Finding solutions and facilitating the
energy transition does require strong social skills. That’s
why this master’s also has a strong focus on developing
professional skills such as coaching, discussion,
presentation and group work.
Think global, act local
Even though this master is focused on energy transition
at a local and regional level, there is an international
component to the master. When you join this programme,
you will become part of a community of students and
teachers from all over the world, learning from each
other’s background and experiences. You will also get
the chance to work together with students from other
energy related programmes. Various (inter)national events
and excursions are incorporated in the programme. A
yearly visit to a gas fired power plant, as well as a visit to
a waste management plant and a visit to the European
Parliament in Brussels is included.

Applied research in real-life projects
As a university of applied sciences, we offer a master’s
programme that is practice-oriented and focuses on
applied research. You will gain experience through
real-life cases and work closely with professionals in
the field. From day one you will work on solving real-life
problems in the field of energy & sustainability. For
example, during a previous project students helped the
Dutch island Ameland to become energy neutral. During
such projects you will learn how to act as a researcher
and consultant for local energy initiatives. You will be
educated by lecturers who, in addition to an academic
background, also have professional experience within
the energy sector. This enables them to include relevant
practical examples in their teaching.
High end facilities
The Hanze University of Applied Sciences is located
in the Energy Valley; a region full of energy companies,
highly skilled energy professionals and many financed
energy projects. As a well-established university in the
education sector, Hanze UAS gets a high recognition
at an international level for its work in the field of
renewable energy technology. The university offers
several energy hotspots, such as the Energy Transition
Centre (EnTranCe), the Energy Academy and the
Centre of Expertise Energy (CoEE). In these research
and testing facilities students and researchers work
closely together with businesses to discover innovative
solutions to make the energy transition towards a
sustainable society possible. These collaborative
opportunities and research facilities are highly
recommended by current energy master’s students.
Why choose this programme?
4 4

5. ‘The programme gives you the opportunity to learn from highly respected professionals and attend
lectures by renowned experts from the energy transition field. Because the programme focuses on
energy transition from an interdisciplinary point of view, you follow a wide array of courses
which tackle diverse topics, from building communities to new business models. This
allows you to take a glance at the barriers that the energy transition encounters from
different perspectives.
The various projects allow us to have a tangible experience in a field where we want
to develop our careers. For example, we worked as advisors for Meerkracht, a local
energy cooperative whose goal it is to increase the level of awareness within a new
sustainable neighborhood (Meerstad).’
Heliana Mora student of Energy for Society
‘The aim of this study programme is to prepare students to become energy transition consultants,
politicians or energy transition professionals. The demand for energy transition professionals is
high and I believe the projects we work on prepare us with the required skills and mindset to
be ready for the professional field, while we gain the experience through practical and
professional involvement with local societies and companies.
This master’s allows me to gain extensive knowledge about community building
and bottom-up initiatives and understand what is required to successfully change
an organisation or a society towards renewables. It provides me with leadership
and project management skills which is not something that you can obtain without
completing this master’s programme.’
Amir Samani student Energy for Society
5Master Energy for Society
Why study in the Netherlands?
••Rich academic tradition dating back to the 16th
century
••Excellent infrastructure, high standard of living and,
located in the heart of Europe
••Second best country in the world in terms of
speaking English as a second language (EF English
Proficiency Index, 2016)
••Third best educational system in the world in terms
of value for money (Times Higher Education, 2012)
Study in one of the happiest
cities of Europe: Groningen
••The city of Groningen has the youngest average
population of The Netherlands. Approximately a
quarter of the city’s 200.000 inhabitants consists of
students.
••The vibrant city is known for its (cultural) events,
bustling nightlife, shopping possibilities 7 days a
week and numerous sport facilities. It is with good
reason that Groningen was voted ‘Best Student City
in Holland’ in 2017 (Elsevier Magazine, 2017)
••Groningen has a long and colourful history, hidden in
the typical historic warehouses, courts and medieval
buildings. The rich countryside is also within easy
reach.

6. Programme structure
Energy for Society is a 1.5 year programme taught in
English. The programme consists of an introductory
semester, a deepening semester and a thesis semester.
First semester:
Investigating Energy Transition
The first semester provides you with an insight into - and
an overview of - the complexity of the energy transition at
different levels. You look at the need for energy transition
from social, political, economic, legal and technical
perspectives. During this semester, you follow courses in
political and legal aspects of energy transition, changing
economics, energy technologies and systems. Besides
that you will be prepared to conduct applied research.
You will also learn how you can influence stakeholders’
behaviour in relation to energy transition and how you can
communicate about energy transition.
Second semester:
Making Energy Transition Happen
The second semester is all about deepening knowledge
and applying what is needed to realise the energy
transition. In interdisciplinary programmes you will
acquire knowledge, skills and tools to tackle energy
transition issues in practice. The focus in the Governance,
Responsibility & Ownership course is on the political,
legal side of the energy transition issue, while the Building
Communities and Energy Landscapes course focuses
on the emergence of local energy initiatives and on the
possible effects of energy transition projects on the
landscape and the environment. In the Complex Change
module you will work with the complexity of a transition
issue of your own choosing and examine the role of
leadership in steering transition processes. In addition
you will learn how to excel in the professional field by
developing 21st-century skills, which are integrated into a
professional development track that runs through the entire
programme. In the first semester you work from a more
mono- and multidisciplinary perspective on case studies,
while in the second semester you apply your knowledge
and expertise to real-life interdisciplinary assignments,
with real-life clients. An example of this is the realisation
of citizen participation in a ‘hydrogen neighbourhood’ in a
medium-sized Dutch city (2021).
Third semester: Thesis Project
In the third and final semester you will work on your thesis
project. In this project you will have to demonstrate that
you are able to act as a true transition professional. You will
approach a ‘real-life’ complex problem within a local energy
transition context from a transdisciplinary perspective.
Career opportunities
This master’s programme will lead to an internationally
recognised master’s degree (MSc) and excellent career
prospects. Your job opportunities will range from a career
with a local profitable organisation to a municipality,
provincial government agency or a NGO. You will most
likely start your career in a junior position or as a trainee.
From this starting position you can work your way up the
ladder, ending up in one of the following positions:
• a local consultant guiding initiatives for utility companies;
• a sustainability consultant for network administrators;
• a local council policy officer, area director for energy
transition;
• a programme manager for energy;
• a community advisor for local construction- or
renovation projects;
• a freelance consultant for energy transition.
Course overview
• Politics for the Sustainable Society
• Legal aspects for the Sustainable Society
• Communication & Behaviour for the sustainable
society
• Energy Technologies and Systems  for the sustainable
society
• Economy for the sustainable society
• Science, Research Methodology & Statistics
• Thesis
• Professional Development
A few examples of thesis projects from former students:
- How can a transport company make the change to green hydrogen as a fuel for their heavy duty mobility fleet?
- How do incentives influence citizen participation in developing sustainability in the city of Groningen?
- How to implement a waste management system in Arusha City, Tanzania, for biogas production at community level
involving local citizens?
- How can families facing energy poverty be empowered to become active participants in energy transition?
Semester 1 – Investigating Energy Transition
Semester 3 – Thesis Project
Semester 2 – Making Energy Transition happen
• Building Communities and Energy Landscapes
• Governance, responsibility & ownership
• Changing complex systems
6 Master Energy for Society

7. Energy master’s programmes at Hanze UAS
Did you know that Hanze UAS offers
three energy-related master’s programmes?
Which programme suits you best?
I want to look at
energy transition
from a …
European Master in
Sustainable Energy
System Management
• Business perspective
• European perspective
• Scientific & applied research
perspective (ie. Dutch WO master)
Required background is a bachelor’s degree in;
Business, Economics,
Environmental/Social/Political Sciences,
Engineering, Geology, Energy Management,
ICT, Architecture or Built Environment.
For more info: hanze.nl/msesm
Energy
for Society
• Societal perspective
• National and crossborder
regional perspective
• Applied research perspective
(ie. professional master)
Required background is a bachelor’s degree in;
Economics,
Human Technology, Applied Psychology,
Law/Social/Environmental Science,
Business Administration,
Technical Management, Engineering
or Electrical Engineering.
For more info: hanze.nl/e4s
European
Master in
Renewable Energy
• Technological perspective
• European perspective
• Scientific & applied research
perspective (ie. Dutch WO master)
Required background is a bachelor’s degree in;
Engineering, Mathematics or Physics.
For more info: hanze.nl/mre
HANZE-21-0232

8. All of the programmes at Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen are tested within the government’s
accreditation system. This means that they meet the quality requirements set for approved higher education by
the Ministry for Education, Culture and Science. Recently accredited programmes are allowed to use the NVAO
(Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders) stamp of approval.
This brochure was compiled with the greatest possible care. However, the information it contains is subject
to change; consequently no rights can be derived from the contents of this brochure. Enrolment in a course
at Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen is governed by the rights and obligations stated in the
Studentenstatuut (Student Charter).
179-ESV_2223_v1
Practical information
Admission requirements
Applicants are required to possess a bachelor’s
degree in Economics, Business Administration,
Engineering, Communication, Social Science,
Environmental Science, Law or an equivalent to
enroll to this programme.
Are you in holding a Bachelor other than the one
listed above? Then you may still qualify for this
master’s if you can demonstrate that you have
social or work experience with the energy transition.
All applicants should have a strong interest in the
societal and socio-economic aspects of energy
transition at various levels and scales.
All students should provide proof of English
language proficiency: IELTS score ≥ 6.5 or TOEFL
score ≥ 575. Students who have a qualification
from Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand or the United States are exempted from
this requirement.
More information about general requirements
can be found on www.hanze.nl/e4s. For further
information about the master’s programme Energy
for Society, you can contact:
T [phone]
E [email protected]
 www.facebook.com/groups/EnergyForSociety
 www.hanze.nl/e4s
Location
Hanze UAS is located in Groningen, a lively student
city in the north of the Netherlands. Hanze UAS is
well-known for its international education and offers
all the relevant facilities and services for students
from abroad.
Tuition fees
The tuition fee for non-EU/EEA students is €7,900 for
the 2021-2022 academic year. The tuition fee for EU/
EEA students is €2,168 for the 2021-2022 academic
year. Please be aware that Energy for Society is an
18 month programme and that for the second year
50% of the yearly tuition fee will be charged.
Questions and advice
For general questions, advice on (master)
programmes, admission requirements and studying
at the Hanze UAS, please contact Hanze Study
Choice Support.
Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen
Hanze Study Choice Support
Zernikeplein 7
9747 AS Groningen
The Netherlands
T [phone]
E [email protected]
 www.hanze.nl/masters
For questions about housing, visa applications
and insurance, please contact our International
Office (IO)
T [phone]
E [email protected]
 www.hanze.nl/io
www.hanze.nl/masterprogrammes
Master
Energy for Society
Visit one of our Open Days
Sign up at www.hanze.nl/openday
Sign up at www.hanze.nl/opendaymasters
Regular Open Days
Open Day Masters
Saturday
12
February 2022
Thursday
07
October 2021
Thursday
17
March 2022
online