Global Sustainable Development and Business Studies

Our GSD joint degrees enable you to investigate the contemporary problems that our governments, scientists, philosophers, educationalists and charities are grappling with, and challenge you to explore possible, practical solutions. You’ll combine your study of sustainable development with Business and will learn how to apply your expertise to the investigation of the world’s most pressing concerns.

Each year, you’ll take half of your modules in Global Sustainable Development and the other half from Business. You’ll also have the opportunity to complete professional certificates in: Digital Literacy, Coaching and Sustainability Auditing.

The GSD component of your course examines crucial challenges in areas such as health, ageing, food security, hunger, energy, labour, climate change, and production and consumption patterns,
from a variety of perspectives offered by experts engaged in real-life research.

Practitioners from the sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities spheres will explain how they approach and analyse these issues. You’ll learn their techniques and acquire the research, analytical and rhetorical skills necessary to critique the various approaches. You’ll also examine the possibilities for bringing together sustainability efforts and development policies in a politically sound, economically
fair and socially democratic setting.

First-year core GSD modules consider different perspectives that might be taken on global issues, corresponding to the United Nations’ three pillars of Sustainable Development – Economic, Social and
Environmental. You’ll also complete a group project on a controversial, local, topical problem that poses significant sustainable development questions.

In your second year, you have a choice of GSD modules. You can take either Bodies, Health and Sustainable Development, which examines issues surrounding health and the representation of bodies
in contemporary culture, or Food Security which will examine the relationship between
food and sustainability using theories and methods from the sciences, social sciences and humanities.
You will also choose a module from a range of options available across the University which has a focus on sustainability. Alternatively, after the first term at Warwick studying Bodies, Health and Sustainable Development or Food Security you may choose to travel to one our overseas partners, where you’ll continue taking relevant modules in Global Sustainable Development and your joint degree subject.

Your final year comprises modules on Work and Energy, examining their economic, social and environmental impact on sustainable global development. You’ll also bring together your knowledge, ideas and conclusions in a dissertation focusing on a GSD issue.

You’ll learn at the internationally renowned Warwick Business School (WBS), home to some of the world’s leading experts in business studies. In your first year, you’ll acquire an understanding of the key
theories and fundamental approaches of business studies. Second-year modules will develop your analytical skills and explore how these can be applied to real-world problems. You’ll also be able to choose from module options offered by WBS according to your individual intellectual interests.
Options available to current students include: Business Law, Supply Chain Management, and Managing Organisations. In your final year, you can tailor your module choices to enrich the focus of
your GSD dissertation.

• Warwick International Foundation Programme (IFP) required. Alternatively IB, A-Levels or APs.
• English language requirements Minimum overall score 7.0
• Interviews We do not typically interview applicants. Offers are made based on your predicted and actual grades, along with your personal statement. Occasionally, some applicants may be interviewed, for example candidates returning to study or those with non-standard qualifications.
• Applicants who meet or who are predicted to meet the entry requirements for this course will be requested to submit a second personal statement directly to the University. Details on how and when to do this, as well as guidance about what the statement should contain, will be provided at the time of the request.