Admission requirements
This course is obligatory for students of the MSc Industrial Ecology (joint degree Leiden University and TU Delft).
This course is only open for students that are enrolled in the MSc Industrial Ecology.
Requirements for students who have started per or after September 2020
The Thesis Research Project can be started if:
40 ECTS of the core modules of the first semester are successfully completed;
The module Thesis Preparation Course is completed;
The Individual Study Programme (ISP) is approved by the BoE.
Requirements for students who have started before September 2020
The Thesis Research Project can be started if:
At least 48 ECTS of the core modules are successfully completed;
The module Thesis Preparation Module is completed;
The Individual Study Programme (ISP) is approved by the BoE.
As preparation to the research topic, the involved examiner can ask the student to successfully finish specific Specialisation Modules. This has to be discussed with the student before the Thesis Research Project starts.
Description
The aim of IE is to educate student to become critical researchers or practitioners who are able to meaningfully contribute to developing solutions for persistent sustainability problems, such as related to environmental pollution, resource depletion, and climate change. Industrial Ecology is a scientific field that takes a systemic approach to sustainability problems, integrating a technical, environmental and social perspective. Industrial Ecology studies society’s metabolism, i.e. the material and energy basis of society, from a socio-technical systems perspective in order to identify, design and critically evaluate solutions for sustainability problems and their implementation.
The following criteria would be considered to indicate a ‘typical’ IE thesis:
The work focuses on a sustainability problem and/or solution
The work shows a critical attitude towards sustainability, and shows awareness of the technical, environmental and social perspective on sustainability
The work exhibits a systems perspective
The work is interdisciplinary; it synthesizes methods, theories or concepts relevant to the field of IE
IE methods and techniques for problem analysis and/or design are used systematically.
Course objectives
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
Independently conduct research that contributes to the field of Industrial Ecology by addressing a specific research question or problem within the context of sustainability challenges;
Apply research methodologies and analytical tools to investigate complex industrial and urban systems and their environmental impacts;
Synthesize and critically evaluate existing literature, theories, and empirical studies related to the chosen research topic, and identify research gaps and areas for further exploration;
Collect and analyze relevant data, employing appropriate quantitative or qualitative methods, to generate meaningful insights and findings that advance knowledge in the field of Industrial Ecology;
Integrate perspectives from various disciplines to develop and/or test innovative solutions or strategies for sustainable practices;
Synthesize research findings effectively through academic writing in the form of a written report;
Demonstrate the ability to present and defend research outcomes in a professional setting;
Reflect on the ethical implications of research in Industrial Ecology and demonstrate awareness of the potential environmental, social, and economic consequences of any proposed solution.
Timetable
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.
Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.
Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.
Mode of instruction
The Thesis Research Project is always supervised by two examiners. The first examiner is directly involved with the day-to-day supervision of the student. The second examiner is (at least) involved in the four formal process moments: kick-off meeting, midterm meeting, greenlight meeting and defence. There are three requirements for the composition of the supervision team:
1. One examiner should be on the list of approved IE core examiners. This list can be found on Brightspace.
2. The other examiner should be employed by the TU Delft, or Leiden University, and should have obtained a PhD.
3. The examiners should be from two different research groups.
Assessment method
The thesis assessment form, including the criteria used for assessment, can be found on the Brightspace page.
Reading list
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.
There are two enrolment periods per year:
Enrolment for the fall opens in July
Enrolment for the spring opens in December
See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.
Note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.
Contact
- Contact the graduation coordinator dr. Linda Kamp.
Remarks
MSc Industrial Ecology students can register for the course and exam via MystudyMap.
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.