Education

CCEEL provides teaching for undergraduate degrees in law and operates two international master’s programs focused on climate change, energy, and environmental law. It also contributes to the executive programme in Climate Expertise and is member of the Climate University. In addition to these programs, CCEEL is involved in doctoral training, fostering the next generation of scholars and professionals in these crucial fields. All of the programmes we coordinate are part of the University of Eastern Finland.

Master Degree Programmes

The multidisciplinary two-year programme combines group teaching and independent research with the objective of providing participants with professional skills in environmental law and policy. The programme consists of advanced study of law and policy in relation to the environment, climate change and natural resources. 

The program is based on two alternative majors: Natural Resources Governance and Environmental and Climate Change Law. All students are required to take courses in Natural Resources Governance, Environmental Law and Policy, and in Climate Change Law and Policy before selecting their major.

Environmental Policy and Law Master students and staff, October 2024
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The Joint Nordic Master Programme in Environmental Law (NOMPEL) provides students with knowledge in environmental law at three levels: internationally, within the EU and in Nordic countries.

The Masters is the result of a cooperation between the University of Uppsala University (Uppsala, Sweden), the University of Eastern Finland (Joensuu, Finland) and the Arctic University of Norway (Tromsø, Norway). Students spend a semester in each institution.

The goal is to provide first class learning for students who want to gain expertise in environmental law, nationally or internationally, as well as those who want to pursue a PhD in environmental law. 

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The Specialisation programme in climate expertise aims to answer to the increasing need for climate expertise across all sectors of society.

Climate change affects all aspects of society and new competencies are required to address climate change mitigation and adaptation needs across all domains of society.

The Specialisation programme in climate expertise brings together leading climate experts, companies and the public sector. After the programme, students will have a strong scientific know-how in climate related issues with readiness to lead and design climate actions in practice.

The programme consists of mandatory and elective courses in climate science, climate legislation and policy, as well as climate action from mitigation to adaptation.

The language of instruction and completion is Finnish.

Doctoral Programmes

The Doctoral Programme in Law of the UEF offers high-standard and interdisciplinary oriented doctoral studies that prepare doctoral students for both academic research career as well as various legal expert tasks in working life. The Doctoral Programme in Law offers the following degrees: Doctor of Law and Doctor of Philosophy. The programme is available in English for both international and Finnish postgraduate students.

The Doctoral Programme in Social and Cultural Encounters is an interdisciplinary and international doctoral programme. The programme offers doctoral training for future doctors in the fields of the humanities, theology and social sciences.

NOTICE: Practical information (instructions, forms etc.) for SCE doctoral studies can be found on Kamu Student handbook.

Other international programs and courses

Since 2004, the UEF Law School has organized an annual two-week course on international environmental law-making and diplomacy in cooperation with the UN Environment. CCEEL has been responsible for organizing the course since its establishment in 2013. Thus far, 424 participants from 122 countries have received training through the course. Funding for the course is provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and the Finnish Ministry of the Environment as well as the UN Environment.