A Master’s programme at the heart of climate research

In the Master’s programme Climate Physics at Utrecht University, education and research are deeply intertwined. At the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), students, PhD candidates and researchers collaborate daily on pressing questions about the climate system, from ocean circulation and melting ice sheets to complex atmospheric processes. This close interaction creates a dynamic exchange of ideas that benefits everyone involved.

“The two-year research Master’s in Climate Physics is unique because we study the climate system as an integrated whole,” says Willem Jan van de Berg, associate professor and programme coordinator. “The ocean, atmosphere and cryosphere constantly influence one another. To truly understand climate change, you need to understand those connections.”

You are literally close to the action

The curriculum evolves continuously alongside developments in climate science. “The field is advancing rapidly, and we integrate those developments directly into our teaching,” Van de Berg explains. In the course Current Themes in Climate Change, students analyse the latest IPCC report and discuss the most urgent and recent scientific findings. “In my course Ice and Climate, I update the material every year based on the newest insights, for example, on accelerating ice loss in West Antarctica.”

Real-world research questions

Students are strongly encouraged to become involved in ongoing research projects at IMAU. “If you are interested in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), you can approach postdoc René van Westen, whose research on this system has drawn international attention,” says Van de Berg. “You are literally close to the action.”

We often wrote our theses on real-world issues

Emma Smolders, who graduated in 2022 and is now pursuing a PhD at IMAU in the group of Professor Henk Dijkstra, experienced this firsthand. She now investigates early warning signals for a potential collapse of the AMOC. “We are trying to understand when and how such a tipping point could occur,” she explains. “My simulations suggest that salinity changes around 34 degrees south latitude may serve as an important indicator.”

During her Master’s, she noticed how seamlessly education and research were connected. “Our thesis projects addressed real scientific questions. You collaborate with PhD candidates and postdocs, and sometimes even contribute to a publication.”

Fully immersed

Current Master’s student Elena Gianotten shares that experience. For her thesis, she investigates how Sargassum seaweed travels through the Atlantic Ocean. Since 2011, vast quantities of this seaweed have washed ashore in the Caribbean, threatening ecosystems and affecting tourism due to the odour released during decomposition.

It offers a realistic glimpse of a future career in science

“I’m studying a phenomenon that is still relatively unexplored,” says Gianotten. “That can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly exciting.” She works closely with researchers, including postdoc Meike Bos, who introduced her to advanced ocean modelling techniques. 

Gianotten also collaborates with scientists from the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) to incorporate biological expertise into her work. “I aim to integrate a biological growth model into the ocean circulation model to see how it affects the transport of Sargassum.”

Her research forms part of the Parcels project, led by Professor Erik van Sebille, which develops open-source software to track virtual particles in the ocean. Despite being a student, Gianotten is fully integrated into the research team. “It’s inspiring to exchange ideas with researchers every week and learn about their work,” she says. “It offers a realistic glimpse of what a future career in science might look like.”