Sustainability (Environmental Politics and Policy)

Advertisement

This programme - which is jointly run by the School of Earth and Environment and the School of Politics and International Studies - engages directly with political debates on sustainability, and provides students with a thorough understanding of the policy tools that can be used to promote environmental protection. The programme has been designed to equip students with both the conceptual and applied understanding of critical issues in politics and policy that can be used in all areas of government, business and campaigning with an interest in sustainability and environmental protection. This MSc combines modules on the concepts, principles and practices of sustainability with more specialist modules on environmental politics and policy and on international relations and the environment. There are also electives on associated dimensions of law, economics, business and development, and the specialist dissertation gives students a chance to examine the detail of an issue of their choice.

Excellent Career Prospects
The programme is intended primarily for people who are, or will be, involved with environmental policy, governance and sustainability. Students with a wide range of backgrounds, from mid-career professionals to recent graduates, attend the programme. Past students have gone on to achieve employment in a variety of organisations within the public, private and NGO sectors. A number of students have also gone on to pursue PhDs.

Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, the course combines a conceptual review of the broader debates on sustainability and environmental politics, with a much more applied examination of:

* a) the wide range of environmental policy and governance initiatives and instruments that are being applied in different contexts, and the factors that shape the success or failure of these initiatives and
* b) the changing character and evolving influence of international relations and environment.

Through its research led teaching, the MSc draws on the expertise of the School of Earth and Environment and the School of Politics and International Studies, the broader University and the practitioner community. This course can be taken both full-time (one year) or part-time (two years). Compulsory modules

Semester 1

* Introduction to Sustainability
* Environmental Politics and Policy (double credit module)
* Research Methods

Semester 2

* Environmental Governance and Sustainability
* International Politics and The Environment
* World Politics and The Environment
* Optional module (see below)

Semester 3

* Independent Research Project

Optional modules:-

Semester 2

* Environmental Law 1 - The Regulation of Pollution
* European Environmental Law
* Standards and Tools for Business, Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility
* Critical Perspectives in Environment and Development
* Environment-Development Overseas Field Course
* Tools and Techniques for Integrated Ecological Economic Modelling
* Participatory Environmental Project/Policy Evaluation

Upon completion of the programme, students should have:

* A specialist, in-depth knowledge of both conceptual and applied debates on sustainability and environmental politics and policy.
* An understanding of the political structures and processes that generate decisions on environmental policy and an awareness of how they work at the international, regional, national and local scales.
* A critical awareness of the factors that shape both the influence of political parties and interest groups and the performance of different forms of policy intervention in different contexts.
* An ability to use interdisciplinary research methods and approaches that relate to environmental politics and policy.
* Experience of working in interdisciplinary teams on problems relating to environmental politics and policy.

Candidates should have an upper second class degree (2.1) or above in a natural, environmental, physical, management or social science subject. Equivalent international qualifications are also acceptable. Mature applicants without a first degree or with a lower degree classification may be considered on the basis of their relevant industry, consultancy or policy experience and their potential for benefiting from the programme.Applicants whose first language is not English, or whose degree is not from a UK institution, will need to satisfy language requirements determined by the School. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL iBT® test: 92 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Postgraduate Scholarships at Leeds

School of Earth and Environment Scholarships for 2013 entry - there are four £6,000 awards available for full time UK/EU fee paying students and two £14,800 awards available for full time International fee paying students. Visit our SEE Scholarship page for further information.

Visit the University of Leeds Central Scholarship Web Page for University-wide Scholarship opportunities:
Other Funding Sources

Students in the past have secured funding through a career development loan, for details visit the UK Government Website

Cost of Living in Leeds - Useful Links

Cost of living in Leeds - Leeds University Union guidance

Unipol Student Homes - Unipol Housing Leeds provides student accommodation directly to around 2,000 students including 194 student families in self-catering provision. Information on accommodation costs and 'find a home' events can be found via this website.