Department of Media & Design
Sustainability Communication and Climate Journalism
My Studies
Current Curriculum
1. Semester
Climate Culture Lab | Seminar (SE) | Coursecode: l230043107
Climate Culture Lab I
2 SWS
4 ECTS
> Cultural sustainability and climate culture
> Inter- and transdisciplinarity
> Ecocriticism
> Inter- and transdisciplinarity
> Ecocriticism
Climate Literacy | Lecture (VO) | Coursecode: l230043103
Ecology and Biodiversity
2 SWS
3 ECTS
> Organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems
> Biogeochemical cycles
> Land use and applied ecology
> Biodiversity crisis and mass extinctions
> Biosemiotics and multispecies discourses
> Biogeochemical cycles
> Land use and applied ecology
> Biodiversity crisis and mass extinctions
> Biosemiotics and multispecies discourses
Climate Literacy | Lecture (VO) | Coursecode: l230043102
Scientific Foundations of Climate Change
3 SWS
5 ECTS
> Basic principles and history of Earth system science
> Central components and processes of the climate system
> Causes, drivers and impacts of natural and anthropogenic climate change
> Weather and climate monitoring
> Climate models
> Tipping points, extreme weather events and attribution
> Climate protection and climate change adaptation
> Central components and processes of the climate system
> Causes, drivers and impacts of natural and anthropogenic climate change
> Weather and climate monitoring
> Climate models
> Tipping points, extreme weather events and attribution
> Climate protection and climate change adaptation
Climate Literacy | Lecture/Practical (IL) | Coursecode: l230043101
Theory and Practice of Science
2 SWS
2 ECTS
> Foundations of scientific knowledge in the context of the history of science
> Scientific methods
> Principles, practices and quality criteria of formal internal science communication
> Research and expert networks
> Scientific methods
> Principles, practices and quality criteria of formal internal science communication
> Research and expert networks
Communication and Journalism for Sustainability | Lecture/Practical (IL) | Coursecode: l230043105
Basics of Sustainability Communication and Climate Journalism
2 SWS
4 ECTS
> Introduction, basic terms and ethical concepts; sustainable development as a universal value
> Historical lines of development
> Role models and role debates
> Formats in journalism and PR (e.g. sustainability reporting)
> Forms of presentation and narration/narratives
> Historical lines of development
> Role models and role debates
> Formats in journalism and PR (e.g. sustainability reporting)
> Forms of presentation and narration/narratives
Communication and Journalism for Sustainability | Lecture (VO) | Coursecode: l230043106
Psychology of Communication
1 SWS
2 ECTS
> Introduction to communication psychology, history and basic concepts
> Development and communication models
> Climate psychology - basics
> Positive Psychology and Constructive Journalism
> Development and communication models
> Climate psychology - basics
> Positive Psychology and Constructive Journalism
Project Work on Sustainability Communication and Climate Journalism | Lecture/Practical (IL) | Coursecode: l230043108
Practice of Sustainability Communication & Climate Journalism I
3 SWS
5 ECTS
Current issues and trends from the two disciplines (e.g. sustainability reporting, COP reporting or similar) are brought in and discussed in the form of guest lectures. The students choose a current problem in the context of climate or sustainability from their own professional practice and develop an innovative solution for it in the form of a project concept. The supervision takes into account the different professional fields of the students (group division), the supervision takes place alternately in the plenum and in intensive exchange with practitioners (e.g. Austrian Media Academy, Network Climate Journalism), who also act as coaches for the participants.
Society in the Anthropocene | Seminar (SE) | Coursecode: l230043104
Critical Social and Sustainability Discourse
3 SWS
5 ECTS
> Social and cultural science discourses on human and nature
> Social theory in the Anthropocene
> Critical history of sustainability
> Concepts of sustainability and the United Nations Development Goals (SDGs)
> Discourses of social transformation
> Ecologisation and digitalisation
> Principles and theories of ecological ethics
> Social theory in the Anthropocene
> Critical history of sustainability
> Concepts of sustainability and the United Nations Development Goals (SDGs)
> Discourses of social transformation
> Ecologisation and digitalisation
> Principles and theories of ecological ethics
2. Semester
Climate Culture Lab | Seminar (SE) | Coursecode: l230043206
Climate Culture Lab II
2 SWS
4 ECTS
> Cultural Sustainability and Climate Culture
> Development and Exploitation of the Arts (EEK) & Artistic Research
> Development and Exploitation of the Arts (EEK) & Artistic Research
Climate Policy | Lecture (VO) | Coursecode: l230043201
Climate Policy and Species Protection in the D/A/CH Region
3 SWS
5 ECTS
> Principles of evidence-based Climate and environmental policy
> National climate governance and climate policy in the European and international context: actors, processes, conflicts
> History of the environmental, anti-nuclear and ecological movements in German-speaking countries
> Selected controversies or climate policy fields in a D/A/CH comparison (energy, mobility, agriculture, infrastructure, climate, nature and species protection, etc.)
> National climate governance and climate policy in the European and international context: actors, processes, conflicts
> History of the environmental, anti-nuclear and ecological movements in German-speaking countries
> Selected controversies or climate policy fields in a D/A/CH comparison (energy, mobility, agriculture, infrastructure, climate, nature and species protection, etc.)
Climate Policy | Lecture (VO) | Coursecode: l230043202
International Climate Policy and Climate Justice
2 SWS
3 ECTS
> International climate governance and climate policy: history, actors and regulatory frameworks
> International biodiversity governance and policy
> European Green Deal in the context of European and global climate and biodiversity policy
> Climate and transformation governance in the Global South
> Climate justice
> International biodiversity governance and policy
> European Green Deal in the context of European and global climate and biodiversity policy
> Climate and transformation governance in the Global South
> Climate justice
Ecology and Economics | Seminar (SE) | Coursecode: l230043203
Ecological-social Economic Discourse
3 SWS
5 ECTS
> Critique of current economic practices
> Plural economics: diversity of economic discourse strands in theory and practice
> Basic principles of ecological management and ecological economics (degrowth/post-growth, donut economics, etc.)
> Other alternative economic approaches in practice (economy of the common good, solidarity economy, commoning, sharing economy)
> Sustainable economy and green finance in the policies of the European Union
> Greenwashing
> Plural economics: diversity of economic discourse strands in theory and practice
> Basic principles of ecological management and ecological economics (degrowth/post-growth, donut economics, etc.)
> Other alternative economic approaches in practice (economy of the common good, solidarity economy, commoning, sharing economy)
> Sustainable economy and green finance in the policies of the European Union
> Greenwashing
Project Work on Sustainability Communication and Climate Journalism | Project Thesis (PA) | Coursecode: l230043207
Practice of Sustainability Communication & Climate Journalism II
3 SWS
6 ECTS
The students implement the project concept from the first semester and continue to be accompanied by practitioners or coaches from their professional field. The project work is also the written final thesis of the course, which is to be presented in the plenum at the end of the semester. The final oral examination at the end of the second semester is the finale of the academic certificate programme. The 30-minute examination, which is to be conducted individually and chaired by the programme director, refers to the main topics of the programme.
Strategic Climate Communication | Practical (UE) | Coursecode: l230043205
Storytelling and Visualisation
2 SWS
3 ECTS
> Narratives in the Anthropocene
> Language of transformation, climate-just language and clichés
> Nature Writing & Multi-Species Storytelling
> Climate Change & Visualisations
> Language of transformation, climate-just language and clichés
> Nature Writing & Multi-Species Storytelling
> Climate Change & Visualisations
Strategic Climate Communication | Lecture/Practical (IL) | Coursecode: l230043204
Sustainable Content Strategy and Media Production
2 SWS
4 ECTS
> Methods of content strategy
> Principles of sustainable media production
> Digital ecology
> Principles of sustainable media production
> Digital ecology