Philosophy

The University Master's Degree in Sustainability and Entrategies for a Just Global Transition (MUSE) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Barcelona-Tech) has the mission of training professionals and change agents capable of facing global sustainability challenges and the climate crisis from a transdisciplinary, critical, and action-oriented perspective. MUSE is the evolution and update of the historic Master's Degree in Sustainability Science and Technology (MCTS) at the UPC, featuring a teaching team with extensive experience and a renewed structure to respond to the current challenges of the socio-ecological transition. The program promotes the integration of scientific, technological, and social knowledge to design transformative strategies that operate within planetary boundaries and contribute to a just transition. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the master's degree combines academic training, applied research, and practical experience to foster students' capacity to positively influence society and the environment, driving more equitable, resilient, and sustainable development models.

Transformative Training

The University Master's Degree in Sustainability and Entrategies for a Just Global Transition (MUSE) offers advanced, transdisciplinary, and transformation-oriented training that combines scientific, technological, and social knowledge with an ethical and critical vision to address global sustainability challenges. Preserving the formative essence of the MCTS, MUSE updates content, methodologies, and teaching formats to adapt to new academic and professional needs in sustainability.
Students acquire skills to analyze and understand the interactions between ecological, social, and economic systems, addressing key issues such as biodiversity, climate change, sustainable energy, circularity of productive systems, ecological urbanism, environmental governance, and decarbonization strategies. Through tools such as data analysis, complex systems modeling, transdisciplinary research, and collaborative decision-making, the master's degree promotes a practical, critical, and participatory approach. The program trains professionals and change agents capable of designing, implementing, and evaluating sustainable solutions with technical rigor, social sensitivity, and cultural adaptability, contributing to a just eco-social transition and a more equitable and planet-friendly future.

Collaborative work at MUSE: designing sustainable solutions from transdisciplinarity and collective action.

Learning activity in the territory: MUSE students connect theory with practice by exploring urban sustainability initiatives in Barcelona.

Field trip to the Aiguamolls de l'Empordà Natural Park, during the Summer School on Transdisciplinary Methods (2024)

Academic and Practical Experiences

The master's degree stands out for its combination of theoretical classes and practical activities. Students participate in action-research workshops, technical visits, and projects that connect learning with reality. Some examples include:

Field visits to learn about sustainable development initiatives and actions, as well as climate change adaptation strategies.
Applied projects in collaboration with key sustainability organizations, such as the Observatory on Debt in Globalization or Engineers Without Borders (ESF).
Participation in conferences (such as the International Conference on Urban Mining), national congresses (such as the National Environment Congress), and international events like the UNFCCC Climate Conferences (with the Group on Governance of Climate Change led by Olga Alcaraz, a professor in the master's program).
Master's thesis with the possibility of carrying it out in international institutions and renowned research centers: Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Andorra Research + Innovation (AR+I), the Observatory on Debt in Globalization (ODG), the Association for the Promotion of Public Transport (PTP), or the Rezero Foundation, among others.
Action-research workshops to apply sustainable methodologies to real cases.

International Focus

The master's degree fosters a global perspective through mobility programs and international activities:

Exchange agreements with prestigious European and Latin American universities, such as the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, Technische Hochschule Köln (THK) in Germany, the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, or the Norwegian University of Technology.
Participation in extracurricular international programs that allow students to collaborate in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams, such as the ERASMUS+ Blended Intensive Programmes: the BIP on Transdisciplinary Methods and the BIP in Circular Economy
Classes taught in Spanish and English, facilitating the participation of international students.

Why choose the University Master's Degree in Sustainability and Strategies for a Just Global Transition (MUSE)?

The great challenges of our time – such as climate change, biodiversity loss, social inequalities, and the need for a just energy and ecological transition – demand ethically responsible solutions grounded in scientific, technological, and social knowledge.

MUSE prepares you to:

Design and manage sustainability and eco-social transition projects in public administrations, companies, NGOs, and international institutions.
Generate real impact through applied research, innovation, and the implementation of sustainable and decarbonization strategies.
Work in multicultural and interdisciplinary environments, collaborating with diverse actors to address complex problems in a participatory manner.
Make informed and ethical decisions that contribute to a just and equitable transformation within planetary boundaries.

An Academic Environment of Excellence

Based at the Campus Nord of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), the master's degree takes place in an academic environment of international reference in sustainability, engineering, and social innovation, which combines high-level teaching, cutting-edge research, and collaboration with leading institutions and companies. MUSE is born from the accumulated experience of the Master's in Sustainability Science and Technology (MCTS), maintaining its interdisciplinary base and academic community, but with an updated pedagogical proposal adapted to present challenges.
Through this training, you will not only specialize in sustainability, but you will also become a person capable of leading change processes and driving a global transition that is fairer, more equitable, and respectful of life and our environment.

Participatory classes and constant dialogue between faculty and students: MUSE combines theory, practice, and critical reflection. (credits: Julia Renate)

Campus Nord of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), headquarters of the University Master's Degree in Sustainability and Strategies (MUSE). (credits: Julia Renate)