MSc Environmental Governance critically analyses some of the key environmental challenges of our time, exploring the connections between environmental governance and policies and the production, distribution and consumption of resources.
The course will develop your ability to apply sophisticated, critical and interdisciplinary sustainability and environmental theories at multiple scales and in different geographical contexts.
As part of the course, you'll have the unique opportunity to collaborate and engage with cutting-edge researchers and world-leading experts on environmental governance, political ecology, Marxist political economy and urban sustainability. You will learn from real-world practitioners, and liaise with external organisations on live policy problems.
This makes MSc Environmental Governance an ideal choice for:
Part-time Study
Part-time students complete the full-time programme over 27 months. There are NO evening or weekend course units available on the part-time programme, therefore if you are considering taking a programme on a part-time basis, you should discuss the requirements with the Programme Director first and also seek approval from your employer to have the relevant time off. Timetabling information is normally available from late August from the Programme Administrator and you will have the opportunity to discuss course unit choices during induction week with the Programme Director.
Eight taught units comprise two-thirds of the programme. The remainder of the programme consists of a 12,000 word dissertation on an approved topic. Typical course units comprise two hours a week of seminar or small-group work. Together these units involve a range of formative and summative assessments, including individual and group work, oral presentations and long essays, project work and reports. Coursework is designed to allow you to pursue your particular areas of interest.
In the summer semester, you work independently to undertake dissertation work based on primary and/or secondary data, or else a more philosophical/theoretical dissertation. We encourage you develop research in collaboration with members of the Society and Environment Research Group and external organisations.
Core course units
Past dissertation projects
Every year we have a range of different dissertation topics that reflect students' research interests. For illustration, this list presents some past dissertation topics:
"From the very start, I found all the staff extremely friendly and helpful. There was always someone to speak to, no matter what the problem - as someone who came into studying this subject from a very different undergraduate degree, this made my transition much easier. It also helped that the teaching staff have a real passion for the subject, which I found infectious and inspiring."
Oliver Gibbons, MSc Environmental Governance
The Arthur Lewis Building provides excellent resources including analytical laboratories, studio facilities, workshops, seminar rooms, an on-site cafe and dedicated computer clusters including GIS facilities.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
How do individuals and groups react to different environmental situations (home, office, hospital, street, shop, and so on)? What psychological processes are triggered by our environment, and how do they affect our perception, attitude and actions?
How can individuals and groups change their environment so that it provides a more stimulating, less stressful and more enabling setting in which to live? How are our identities tied up with place? How might sustainability in environmental policy be better informed by current research?
Our MSc Environmental Psychology programme will help you gain advanced knowledge and understanding of theory and practice in environmental psychology.
You will also acquire a range of research skills that will give you the confidence and ability to undertake environmental psychology research in a professional setting.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time over two academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
Funding is now linked to continuation funding for a PhD – that is, successful applicants to the Economic and Social Research Council will be given a grant for the MSc year and then further support (subject to satisfactory progress) to enable them to undertake a PhD.
Occasionally students receive financial support from industry through sponsorship. This would involve students undertaking a piece of research for their dissertation which would be of interest and value to industry or commerce, in return for which they will be given a grant by the commissioning company.
In the past, this sponsorship has ranged from £500 to £6,000. This is mutually beneficial to both the student and sponsor, and allows the student to undertake a ‘real’ piece of research that has practical or policy implications, whilst receiving a sum of money to assist with fees and subsistence costs.
The School of Psychology at the University of Surrey was the first in the world to establish an MSc in Environmental Psychology, in 1973. Since then there have been well over 250 graduates of the programme from over 25 countries worldwide.
It remains one of a few such postgraduate programmes in the world and the only one in the UK.
The MSc Environmental Psychology programme is part of a larger modular programme, thereby providing a flexible teaching and learning structure. The School of Psychology has a reputation for developing professional and innovative programmes reflecting contemporary societal concerns and employment opportunities.
Environmental Psychology at Surrey has always sought to be a multidisciplinary research activity. We are driven by psychological theories and methodologies, but draw on other social sciences, as well as the environmental and design disciplines.
We investigate environment behaviour relationships at every spatial scale and environment, from personal space and office design, through neighbourhood renewal, to the public understanding of global climate change.
Environmental psychology researchers have always enjoyed collaboration with other disciplines.
Current and recent research collaborations include an EPSRC funded research project on energy technologies in homes (REDUCE) with colleagues of environmental sciences (CES) and communications technology (CCSR), a DEFRA/ESRC-funded research programme on lifestyles in transition (SLRG) and a major ESRC funded research program on sustainable lifestyles (RESOLVE: research on lifestyles, values and the environment) both with colleagues from sociology, economics and environmental sciences.
We have long-established links with national and international academic institutions including the Department of Architecture at the University of Strathclyde, the Centre for Transport Studies at the University of West England and the Department of Psychology at Bath University.
The environmental psychology community is strongly international and this is reflected in the long-term active teaching and research collaboration we enjoy with the universities of Groningen, Madrid, La Coruña, Umeå and Rome.
Students on the MSc programme are encouraged to take advantage of these links during their dissertations.
The Environmental Psychology Research Group (EPRG), of which students on the MSc in Environmental Psychology are automatically members, has been undertaking research for more than 30 years and has gained an international reputation.
Research undertaken by the EPRG is both ‘fundamental’ (that is, contributing to the development of the discipline and our understanding ofpsychological processes) and ‘applied and policy-oriented’.
Both government and business are concerned with effective policy development and delivery, and it is increasingly recognised that these can only be successfully achieved by informed evidence.
Students on the MSc Environmental Psychology programme are encouraged to make their research not only useful, but useable.
Recent graduates have progressed into careers in central and local government, undertaking policy-oriented research on a variety of environment behaviour (E-B) issues. Many of our graduates have become practice consultants, using their E-B research skills.
This could be a specialist E-B practice or an architecture, planning, design or engineering practice where graduates with a sensitivity to people-environment issues and a training in E-B research can provide an important and unique set of skills and expertise.
Those who have a background in architecture, landscape architecture, planning or design often return to their profession, but with an enhanced range of skills.
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
This is a truly interdisciplinary degree, combining environmental politics and environmental sociology with normative philosophy.
This programme provides a social science-based, practice-oriented understanding of global environmental challenges and solutions. Understanding issues such as climate change, sustainable development and biodiversity requires knowledge about the political, moral and societal dimensions of environmental problems and solutions.
This programme will provide you with knowledge and analytical tools to address questions such as:
This programme is affiliated with the University's Global Environment & Society Academy.
Teaching methods will include seminars, group work, lectures, presentations and guided independent study. Students will be assessed through coursework, seminar assessment and presentations.
Students will also undertake a supervised research dissertation, or may apply to complete a project-based report with an NGO, government department, political party, or business over the spring and summer.
Students on this programme will:
You will acquire an advanced, multidisciplinary understanding of the major contemporary environmental challenges facing the world, and the different disciplinary and theoretical perspectives (from politics, international relations, ethics and sociology) used to explain them.
You will graduate with the knowledge and skills necessary to assess competing claims and make informed judgments about current global environmental problems and possible solutions.
Such knowledge and skills are sought after by a wide range of public and private employers in the fields of environmental policy, consultancy and advocacy.
The Environmental Social Science programme is interdepartmental and benefits from expertise found across the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Social science perspectives are crucial to understanding and solving environmental problems. Human behaviour produces many elements of the ‘natural’ environment, from landscapes to floods and famines. Local and national policies and international agreements regulate the environmental practices of corporations, governments and households. The social sciences have a great deal to contribute to understanding what have become defined as environmental issues, and what measures can most effectively tackle them.
Environmental Social Science draws on contributions from the study of Anthropology, Conservation and Ecology, Law, Social Policy and Sociology.
Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/13/environmental-social-science
This interdisciplinary programme introduces you to social science perspectives on environmental issues. It draws on sociology, politics, social policy, anthropology and law. The dissertation is a chance for you to make a specialised study of a topic that interests you, and we encourage first-hand research. The programme is suitable for graduates with a wide range of first degrees.
You take compulsory modules alongside optional modules of your choice. Modules may include:
This programme aims to:
Building on Kent’s success as the region’s leading institution for student employability, we place considerable emphasis on you gaining specialist knowledge in your chosen subject alongside core transferable skills. We ensure that you develop the skills and competences that employers are looking for including: research and analysis; policy development and interpretation; independent thought; writing and presentation, as well as time management and leadership skills. You also become fully involved in the professional research culture of the School. A postgraduate degree in the area of environmental social science is a particularly flexible and valuable qualification that can lead to many exciting opportunities and professional advancement.
Our graduates obtain a range of transferable skills and report high levels of being in employment or further study within six months of graduation across all of our degree programmes.
Over 98% of Kent's postgraduate students who graduated in 2016 were in work or further study within six months. Recent graduates have gone on to pursue careers in environmental law, community projects, research, education, advocacy and social policy at both local and central government levels.
How to apply: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/
We offer inspirational teaching and supervision alongside first-class library and IT facilities. You also benefit from our high-impact research in all subjects. Whatever you are looking to study, Kent provides a dynamic and challenging environment for your postgraduate studies.
* of 122 universities, not including specialist institutions
With growing public concern over environmental issues and both public and private sectors becoming subject to increasingly onerous obligations, there could not be a more crucial time to study environmental law.
We need to achieve global sustainability in the context of increasingly complex regulatory settings. This means there could not be a more crucial time to study this area of the law.
This LLM in Environmental Law examines the challenges lawyers face in helping to regulate environmentally harmful behaviour. You study both theoretical issues and practical ‘law in action’ and you are taught by faculty as well as a range of expert guest contributors.
You’ll learn through taught modules over the autumn and spring terms. The course’s varied core modules help you gain a solid theoretical, methodological and practical foundation while also having the opportunity to explore your particular interests. Find out more about your core modules and options here.
You undertake a supervised dissertation in the summer.
You'll be assessed through a range of formats including briefing papers, presentations, case scenario analyses and essays.
The University of Sussex is proud to offer a range of postgraduate funding awards up to £5000, in order to help talented students to come and study at Sussex. Find out more about funding awards available to you by visiting our funding database.
You'll finish the course with a thorough grounding in the role of environmental law in the pursuit of global sustainability. You will also have a high level of understanding of environmental problems, and the role that law plays in trying to tackle these challenges.
This will enhance your prospects of achieving employment or advancement in:
You'll also be prepared for work in a wide range of other positions, such as policy work. It may also act as a springboard to further, doctoral-level research.
Graduate destinations
97% of students from Sussex Law School were in work or further study six months after graduating. Our graduates have gone on to jobs including:
(EPI, Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey 2016 for postgraduates)
This programme highlights the social, political and cultural implications of environmental science and technology. You will learn to assess scientific and technological innovations as potential solutions to environmental issues. It trains professionals, decision-makers and students in the social implications of environmental issues, particularly in relation to technologies as potential solutions. It focuses on responsible innovation.
You will take four core and two optional courses, and complete a dissertation. Teaching is through a combination of methods including lectures, seminars, case studies and a programme of guest speakers.
As a graduate you will be able to pursue careers in technology assessment, environmental management and policy making and analysis with government agencies, environmental consultancies, and private companies. The degree also aims to empower active citizens by providing the skills and understanding to underpin successful environmental campaigns. It is also an excellent first step toward a PhD in topics related to the wider implications of our environmental and societal choices.
This MSc enables students to develop critical learning and applied skills in the field of contemporary sustainability.
The MSc Sustainability Planning and Environmental Policy will provide you with knowledge and understanding of sustainability theory, principles and practice. You will gain insights into the ways in which problems are defined, and the scope for applying cutting-edge policy and planning solutions to the environmental challenges faced by government, business and regulatory bodies.
The course is aimed at those wishing to gain expertise on contemporary sustainability issues. It links together theoretical debates about sustainability at different spatial scales with the practical dimensions of policy formulation and implementation. The planning system is given particular attention because it provides one of the most sophisticated mechanisms for regulating environmental change. A further core feature of the course is the focus on the latest social science research around environmental problems.
The course address three key dimensions:
Distinctive features
How will I be assessed?
Assessment methods used include examinations, essays, reports, project work and verbal presentations.
Written examinations are used to test your understanding of key environmental policy frameworks, knowledge of substantive law and ability to construct legal arguments.
Essays and reports will allow you to employ knowledge generated during the modules in pieces of policy evaluation or sustainable development in action.
Seminar presentations and debates are used to encourage you both to develop and clarify you understanding of a contemporary sustainability issues (in order to defend a debating a position) and give you an opportunity to enhance your oral presentation skills.
What skills will I practise and develop?
You will have access to a range of facilities and resources, including:
You will have regular meetings with your allocated personal tutor to review your progress.
English language support will be available if your first language is not English.
Support will also be available if you are working/being assessed through the medium of Welsh.
We will support the development of your professional skills during induction week by providing training on computer use and presentation skills.
This course offers the knowledge and expertise for developing a research career or taking advantage of the increasing professionalisation of environmental jobs in the private and public sectors, including government departments and environmental agencies; the business sector; consultancy, and environmental non-governmental organisations.
Teaching you to become a spatial planner who can engage with EU policies, cooperate with planners across borders and coordinate with other sectors like environment and economic development.
The influence of the European Union on spatial and environmental planning in the member states and regions is ever increasing. The Master’s in European Spatial and Environmental Planning (ESEP) offers a solid theoretical foundation to analyse the EU policies for environment, renewable energy and regional development and to understand how they influence spatial planning policies and practices. This programme also offers training in research methodology and teaches how to conduct meaningful comparisons.
Although the main focus of ESEP lies on the European Union and its policies and influences, the programme also addresses international policies and legislation that influence spatial planning, notably in relation to climate change. We look at the different positions member states and influential global players have on contemporary themes and critically discus how solutions can be found that would benefit all. You’ll better understand the multi-level system of governance in the integrated European Union, how EU policies are made and the influence they have on spatial planning systems, and how professionals can engage in European policy debates.
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/esep
- This programme looks beyond domestic policies and beyond spatial and environmental planning within one country, and acknowledges the significant role the EU nowadays plays in our policies and practices.
- This programme focuses on the influence of the EU and international policies and how to cooperate with planners in other countries. It also teaches you how different sectors are interlinked in the field of spatial planning.
- This is an interdisciplinary programme as it is jointly offered by the Master’s programmes in Spatial Planning and of the Political and in Social and Political Sciences of the Environment. This also means you can choose with which MSc degree you would like to graduate (programme outlines are identical).
- You can mould this programme to suit your interests and future career plans through the choice of assignment topics and your Master’s thesis and a possible internship in the second semester.
- This programme is policy-oriented with links to planning practice. There are opportunities to prepare the thesis during an internship or to combine it with a stay abroad. We already have a wide network of partners for those wanting to go abroad.
- This Master’s challenges and stimulates students, who work in small groups on contemporary themes and learn to think critically about new developments.
There is great demand for spatial and environmental planners with a thorough knowledge of the European and international policy context. Our graduates work in European institutions, national and regional public authorities, consultancies and NGOs dealing with spatial planning, regional policy and environmental policy. They work in positions as researchers, consultants, project managers and policy advisors. Because of the international orientation and the thorough academic foundation of the Master's programme, graduates are also well prepared to pursue a PhD degree in the Netherlands or another European country.
- Choosing your expertise
During your application process you’ll choose whether you want to do this specialisation as one of the following Master’s programmes:
- Master’s in Spatial Planning
- Master’s in Environment and Society Studies
This means that you will graduate with an MSc in either Spatial Planning or in the Social and Political Sciences of the Environment, even though the study programme is identical. The diploma supplement accompanying your degree certificate will state that you have followed the ESEP specialisation and the courses you passed.
Experience shows that the choice of MSc degree will likely reflect your personal preferences, but because the programme outlines are identical it does not influence your career prospects.
More important for your future career aspirations are the topic of your Master’s thesis and possible internship. We therefore offer our students a large amount of freedom in choosing their thesis topic within the field of spatial and environmental planning. We also have a broad European network which allows us to help you go abroad if that will help you acquire the knowledge you need and the expertise you desire.
The Radboud University department in Geography, Spatial Planning and Environment has developed its own profile, which is supported with internationally recognised research. The emphasis is on the social science and policy studies approach to environmental policy and spatial planning. We use approaches from EU studies, governance studies, political sciences, economics, sociology and other related approaches in our research.
All researchers of our department are affiliated with the Institute for Management Research (IMR). Central to the IMR research are six Multidisciplinary Research Groups bringing together expertise from different disciplines and addressing complex societal issues. In these groups, interaction with societal actors takes place, needs for both fundamental knowledge and knowledge from society are articulated, and both conceptual and empirical research undertaken. The Multidisciplinary Research Groups in which researchers from Geography, Spatial Planning and Environment participate are:
- Europeanization of Policy and Law
- Gender and Power in Politics and Management
- Global-Local Divides and Connections
- Governance and innovations in social services
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Ecosystems
- Responsible Decision Making
Thesis topics
As a Master’s student of European Spatial and Environmental Planning you have plenty of freedom to choose your own Master’s research topic in order to create your own expertise.
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/esep
The Energy and Environmental Change MA is an interdisciplinary degree that combines international relations, law, business and sustainability studies. As such it provides a comprehensive examination of energy security, energy markets and climate change from global, regional and local perspectives. The degree equips students with knowledge of key intellectual frameworks and critical issues. The course offers a holistic approach to the dynamics governing energy-transition to a low-carbon economy nexus. Students are required to complete five interconnected core modules and may select one option module.
The course combines expertise from:
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
Core modules
Our Work Placement Teams are based in your Faculty Registry Office and can help you find a suitable placement, as well as support you in making applications, writing CVs and improving your interview technique.
More details on work placements can be found on our Work placements page.
The Energy and Environmental Change MA is an interdisciplinary degree that combines international relations, law, business and sustainability studies. As such it provides a comprehensive examination of energy security, energy markets and climate change from global, regional and local perspectives. The degree equips students with knowledge of key intellectual frameworks and critical issues. The course offers a holistic approach to the dynamics governing energy-transition to a low-carbon economy nexus. Students are required to complete five interconnected core modules and may select one option module.
The course combines expertise from:
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
Core modules
Our Work Placement Teams are based in your Faculty Registry Office and can help you find a suitable placement, as well as support you in making applications, writing CVs and improving your interview technique.
More details on work placements can be found on our Work placements page.
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