The online MSc in Carbon Management is a ground-breaking development of the award-winning campus-based MSc in Carbon Management programme at the University of Edinburgh.
Building on the proven success and expert content of the established residential programme, this new online programme provides high-level knowledge, skills and training in the business, economics and science of carbon management.
The programme is designed for graduates who want an advanced academic qualification in tackling climate change management by business, industry, NGOs and government.
The interdisciplinary nature of the programme provides a detailed understanding of climate science and economics, and a broad and integrated understanding of carbon management. Students can devise study programmes suited to their own personal interests and career goals through their choice of individual research projects.
The online delivery allows study to be balanced alongside full-time employment and family commitments. A blend of interactive content, videos, virtual case studies and online discussions enables students to explore the science and business responses to climate change.
The MSc is completed on a part-time basis over a period of 36 months, starting in September each year. There is also a 24 month accelerated learning option.
The MSc comprises seven core courses and a dissertation, and is organised into three sections:
The first two sections can be taken as standalone qualifications. If both are successfully completed then the student will be eligible for a Postgraduate Diploma in Carbon Management.
In order to achieve the full MSc in Carbon Management, the first two Certificates must be successfully completed before the third can be taken. This is because the core courses taught in these Certificates provide the foundation knowledge required to carry out the research element on the programme.
Each of the Certificates are part-time one-year courses, with one course each semester.
Read more about the Postgraduate Certificates:
By the end of the programme, students will:
Our existing MSc Carbon Management boasts excellent relationships with relevant employers, as well as a great alumni network covering more than 25 nations and providing unrivalled opportunities to link up on research projects and find new positions in the field of carbon management.
The main employment sectors for our graduates are those of climate change consultancy, renewable energy and carbon management project development, and government and NGO climate change advisors. Several of our graduates are also now studying for climate change-focused PhDs.
The MSc in Carbon Management is a landmark collaboration between the world-renowned Schools of Geosciences, Economics and the Business School at the University of Edinburgh. It provides students with expertise, knowledge and skills in the business, economics and science of carbon management.
MSc Carbon Management was recently ranked in the top 15 World’s Best Masters in Sustainable Development and Environmental Management (Eduniversal Masters Ranking 2013-14).
Carbon management is now at the heart of tackling climate change and has rapidly become a central part of the global business environment. Edinburgh in particular has emerged as one of the most important global centres in this new discipline.
This innovative programme, taught by world-leading experts in key fields of climate change and carbon management, is for graduates who want an advanced academic qualification to launch careers in carbon and climate change management in business or government.
This programme is affiliated with the University's Global Environment & Society Academy.
Applicants who applied after 12 December 2016 receiving an offer of admission, either unconditional or conditional, may be required to pay a tuition fee deposit. Please see the fees and costs section for more information.
This MSc programme consists of two semesters of taught courses. Each course consists of a balance of lectures, seminars, workshops and visits. Students will then undertake individual dissertation project work.
Compulsory courses typically will be:
In consultation with the Programme Director, you will choose from a range of option courses. We particularly recommend:
Courses are offered subject to timetabling and availability and are subject to change.
If you are unable to commit to a full MSc at present, it is possible to study a Postgraduate Certificate by online distance learning:
A key strength of our programme is the employability of our graduates.
The programme has won the PricewaterhouseCoopers award for ‘Teaching Employable Skills’ as well as providing the opportunity to conduct business carbon audits, work on placements with major industry groups such as the 2020 Climate Group, and conduct dissertation research as part of work-based projects with a wide range of external collaborators.
Our graduates are enjoying roles ranging from government advisers and NGO researchers to renewable energy project developers and commercial carbon management consultants.
See what some of our MSc Carbon Management alumni are doing now:
Would you like to know what it’s really like to study at the School of GeoSciences?
Visit our student experience blog where you can find articles, advice, videos and ask current students your questions.
On this unique master's degree you will develop your international management skills. You will do this alongside the study of international relations and the current economic, political and social situation. This will increase your understanding of the global environment in which the business, government and non-governmental organisation (NGO) sectors function.
This course is ideal if you are looking to work within a policy development role, to become a manager in the business, government or NGO sectors or are seeking to study further.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Please see the course structure chart.
Much of the teaching on the course takes the form of interactive workshops, but there are also lectures from staff and visiting speakers. Lectures, discussions, role-play exercises and seminars are linked with selected case studies and assessments to strengthen your practical analysis and decision-making skills. You will have the opportunity to develop your skills in working as part of a team through structured group assignments.
Teaching staff at the Business School are researchers and/or come from an industry background with an in-depth practical experience of business and management issues. Visiting speakers from business, industry, consultancies and research bodies provide further input. Research is fundamental to the International Relations Department and you will be taught by a team of research-active scholars who are all specialists and publish in their areas of expertise.
Each module is assessed using a range of different methods including examinations, assignments, individual or group reports and group presentations. This range of assessments will help you to develop the analytical and presentational that employers within different organisations look for.
At Headington we have developed outstanding facilities. Our John Henry Brookes Building is the most significant project in the history of Oxford Brookes University. Set at the heart of our Headington campus, it has been designed for the future of higher education and has transformed the experiences of our students and the entire University community. Find out more about the John Henry Brookes Building.
We're investing over £30m to create modern teaching and learning facilities and creating a new home at Headington for the Business School.
Set to be complete in 2017, you'll see:
Our library provides specialist business resources (both hard copy and via online access) to UK and overseas companies' annual reports, statistics on all aspects of business and management, a wide range of constantly updated key texts, and postgraduate MA, MBA, MSc and PhD theses.
By listening to our students and recognising the need for practice-oriented business and management education, we have introduced new ways to engage with companies from the public and the non-profit sector. You will have the opportunity to visit various company sites organised through our extensive network of corporate contacts and the Chartered Management Institute. We also host a number of guest speakers throughout the year who bring their business and management experience and expertise to the classroom.
We offer an International Business in Practice Study Trip module. The purpose of this study trip is to give postgraduate students a hands-on, intensive experience with the ideas and practices of global business. The programme will include presentations from local management executives and experts. Students will have direct interaction with management executives and practices through site visits to major corporations and agencies.
This study trip is voluntary and all costs associated with the trip will need to be funded by you. It is not linked to university assessments in any way. If you successfully complete this module you will have the following non-credit bearing module recorded on your transcript: P58335 International Business in Practice: Study Trip.
Field trips are optional and incur a cost.
This programme gives you a solid grounding in issues key to the sustainable development debate. The views of stakeholders such as business groups, environmentalists, government agencies and development institutions will be considered.
You will acquire the necessary skills to evaluate existing frameworks, inquire into environmental issues in organisations and industries, and develop sensitive business practices.
The programme provides excellent preparation for any corporate-focused environmental career. It provides a route to graduate membership of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment. We encourage you to read about the past and present student experiences of our environment and sustainability programmes.
This programme is studied full-time over 12 months and part-time for up to 60 months. 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.
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Professional practical skills
Key / transferable skills
Several high-profile guest lecturers have assisted with the delivery of some of the modules. CES modules make maximum use of guest lecturers, drawing on the practical skills and experience of key experts from government and industry to complement the theoretical components of the modules offered.
For example, Jonathon Porritt, former chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission, gives a guest lecture on the Sustainable Development Applications module, analysing the standing of sustainable development in business and policy making.
The extensive expertise of CES academics and researchers is also drawn upon in modules. Professor Tim Jackson, advisor to the government and international bodies and author of the seminal book, Prosperity without Growth – economics for a finite planet–also lectures on some CES modules.
Full-time students are able to undertake an industrial placement module which enables them to spend six to twelve weeks working for a company or NGO, doing the type of work they will aim to find on graduation.
Examples of organisations at which recent industrial placements have taken place include:
Graduates go on to a diverse range of careers implementing sustainable development and dealing with the real environmental challenges facing humanity.
Recent examples include working as an energy efficiency officer for a local government, an environmental officer in multi-national chemical company, a sustainability advisor for a national television / radio station, an environmental consultant for an engineering consultancy, and a programme officer with a sustainability charity.
Other graduates use the research skills they developed to go on and do PhDs.
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.
