Sustainability Masters Programmes

School of Earth and EnvironmentFACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT

Studying Sustainability at LeedsThe School of Earth and Environment at Leeds is one of the largest and mostvibrant in the world, providing exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study.

Excellent career prospects• There is an increasing demand for professionals withinterdisciplinary insight. The drive for sustainability (e.g. a low-carbon economy, or economic developmentthat considers environmental and social issues) needspeople with an in-depth understanding of sustainabilityand climate change issues. Forward-thinking businessesare looking for people with postgraduate skills (knowledge,research and practical experience) in sustainability andclimate change.

• Students who complete our programmes find employmentacross a wide range of occupations in the fields ofSustainability, Climate Change, Environment andDevelopment. Graduates are typically employed asConsultants, Programme or Project Managers and

Advisors across a wide range of sectors including government and non-governmental organisations, and consultancies both in the UK and internationally.

• Our programmes are also excellent preparation for PhD study.

Links with sustainability partners• We have successful and productive links with many non-academicpartners with different perspectives on sustainability, for example NGOs,local government, businesses and consultants.

• Students come in contact with our network of partners through teaching,research and other aspects of the student experience in the school.

• Our industrial partners consistently report that the combination ofacademic rigour and exploration of current issues ensures thatgraduates have the combination of skills and knowledge to be effectivestraight away. As a result, our graduates are seen as ‘work ready’, withfresh ideas and innovative ways of working in their chosen careers.

Research-led teaching We are committed to investing in the student experience with research-led teaching at the core.

• We have one of the largest research clusters of earth, environmental and social scientists in the UK and internationally.

• We co-host the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) fundedCentre for Climate Change, Economics and Policy (CCCEP); the UKEnergy Research Centre (UKERC); and UK InDemand.

• Our staff are at the cutting edge of research world-wide, leadingresearch in a wide range of fields (spanning both natural and socialsciences) and are active in guiding global, national and local policydebates on pressing contemporary issues.

• Our programmes are led by staff within the Sustainability ResearchInstitute (SRI), one of the School’s five Research Institutes. With over 30staff, SRI is one of the largest groups of inter-disciplinary researchers,working on the different dimensions of sustainability.

Visit our website for further information about our School and its world-leading research groups: www.see.leeds.ac.uk/research

Why sustainability?Finding ways to live and work more sustainablyis the big challenge of our times. How do wedevelop new ideas, policies and practices toensure that everyone in the growing globalpopulation has a good quality of life, while alsosafeguarding the planet’s resources upon whichwe all depend?

Our degreesAt Leeds we offer a suite of interdisciplinaryMasters Degrees that are highly integrated butalso offer you opportunities to specialise andconsider different aspects of this challenge in depth:

• MSc Environment and Development – exploreswhere the needs of economic developmentand environmental conservation meet acrossa range of contexts and scales from the globalto the local.

• MSc Climate Change and Environmental Policy– combines a solid understanding of thephysical and social science of climate changewith environmental policy and governance.

• MSc Sustainability and Business – workingclosely with Leeds University Business School,this programme explores the interfacebetween business, society and theenvironment, where sustainability is thestarting point, not an ‘add on’.

• MSc Sustainability and Consultancy – a highlyapplied programme building up to a researchproject usually carried out on placement,designed to equip you to be an effectivechange agent through consulting.

Our degrees offer you opportunities to developtheoretical and practical knowledge, developresearch skills and gain vocational experience.

They are shaped by internationally recognised,academically excellent and problem-orientedinterdisciplinary research on environmental,social and economic aspects of sustainabilityand climate change – conducted within theSustainability Research Institute and Instituteof Climate and Atmospheric Science.

They are directly informed by our policy-orientated and practical work with business,government agencies, intergovernmentalinstitutions, research and policy think tanks,and not-for-profit organisations.

All our programmes share a commonfoundation in sustainability but each has a distinct set of core and optional modulesbeyond that foundation. They include moduleoptions from other Schools across theUniversity (including Business, Geography,Politics and International Studies).

Visit usYour background, work experience anddesired career path will determine which programme suits you best. If you are struggling to decide, why not come along to one of our open days or arrange a separate visit?www.see.leeds.ac.uk/admissions-and-study/masters-degrees/open-days

Connect with us

Join us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/SchoolofEarthandEnvironmentuniversityofleeds

or follow us on Twitter@SEELeeds

We have an excellent reputation for world-classresearch and innovative teaching and are currentlyranked second in the UK for Research Power (Research Assessment Exercise 2008).

All our degrees are led-by the Sustainability ResearchInstitute (SRI) within the School. The SRI is home to oneof the largest academic groups of sustainability expertsin the world – focusing their research and teaching onthe social, natural, political, economic and businessaspects of a wide range of issues for example, climatechange; land and water management; corporate socialresponsibility; project management and consultancy, to name but a few.

The SRI also attracts significant research funding andleads and hosts three national research centresfocussed on climate change, economics and policy,energy and material demand reduction.

This wealth of research helps to inform the content ofour Masters Degrees and gives you the opportunity tointeract with academics who are at the forefront ofmajor global issues.

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What you can expect

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MSc Climate Change and Environmental PolicyClimate change and environmental protection are among the biggest environmentalchallenges we face and are growing concerns for policy makers. This programmeprepares interdisciplinary analysts to deliver integrated approaches to mitigate andadapt to climate change and devise environmental policy.This is an interdisciplinary programmethat provides you with a solid foundationin the physical and social science ofclimate change and the conceptual andapplied understanding of critical issuesin governance of environmentalproblems.

The programme is intended primarily forthose who are, or will be, involved indeveloping responses to climate change,other environmental problems ingovernment, and in private and not-forprofit organisations at the international,national and local levels.

Key features• Teaching is delivered by lead authors of thelatest reports of the Intergovernmental Panelon Climate Change (IPCC) and of the Centreon Climate Change Economics and Policy(CCCEP).

• Develop interdisciplinary expertise on climate change and environmental policy and governance.

• Develop a conceptual and appliedunderstanding of critical issues in climatechange and environmental policy andgovernance within government, business and civil society settings.

• Benefit from a programme that delivers teaching from the School of Earth and Environment, the School of Politics and International Studies, and the School of Geography.

ModulesSix compulsory modules (including anindividual research project) and ten optional modules.

Compulsory modules:• Climate Change: Physical Science Basis• Climate Change Mitigation• Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptation• Environmental Policy and Governance• Research Methods• Individual Research Project.

Optional modules:• Business, Environment and Sustainability• Critical Perspectives in Environment and Development

• Environmental Assessment• Environment-Development Overseas Field Course

• International Relations and the Environment• Introduction to Ecological and Environmental Economics

• Introduction to Sustainability• Standards and Tools for Business,Environment and Corporate SocialResponsibility

• Terrestrial Biosphere in the Earth System• Tools and Techniques in EcologicalEconomics.

My masters was challenging but theknowledge and skills I developed, andthe people I met along the way have

made the effort more than worthwhile.The varied modules have given me a

broad, holistic understanding ofsustainability and I would strongly

recommend the course to anyone who is hoping to change the business

world for the better.

James Townsend, Graduate, 2012

Key factsStart DateSeptember

Duration of MSc12 months (full-time)

MSc Environment and DevelopmentExplore the challenges associated with achieving development that is environmentally,socially and economically sustainable. This programme provides students with thecurrent knowledge, skills and practical experience to contribute towards achievingsolutions in this topical field.

The course exposed me to an international world ofknowledge where every opinion was gracefully

taken. Every country mattered. The resources at theuniversity are amazing and there is so much help

and support for international students. All this hasmade my experience wonderful at the institution.

Graduate, 2013

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This programme brings togetherexpertise from the Schools of Earth and Environment and Politics andInternational Studies, and thepractitioner community.

It provides you with theoretical andpractical training in environment,development and sustainability,ensuring that you are at the forefront ofdebates and well positioned for excitinginternational or local careers.

Key features• A wide range of interdisciplinary training options which enable you to advance your academic and practical experience in the fields of environment and development.

• Priority access onto an optional OverseasEnvironment-Development Field Course to Tanzania.

ModulesFive compulsory modules (including anindividual research project) and choosefour optional modules.

Compulsory modules:• Critical Perspectives in Environment and Development

• Introduction to Sustainability• Environmental Policy and Governance• Research Methods• Individual Research Project.

Optional modules:• Business, Environment and Sustainability• Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation• Climate Change Mitigation• Climate Change Physical Science Basis• Environment-Development Overseas Field Course

• Global Inequalities and Development*• International Relations and the Environment*• Standards and Tools for Business,Environment and Corporate SocialResponsibility

• Terrestrial Biosphere in the Earth System• Tools and Techniques in EcologicalEconomics.

*Counts as two modules.

Key factsStart DateSeptember

Duration of MSc12 months (full-time)24 months (part-time)

Tanzania Field Course

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MSc Sustainability and BusinessThis programme examines the ways in which businesses can improve theirenvironmental performance and enhance their social responsibility. It is deliveredjointly by the School of Earth and Environment and Leeds University Business School, and explores both corporate and societal perspectives on sustainability.

Leeds provided an interdisciplinaryexperience that helped me to grasp the

full scope of sustainability, and preparedme for my role by giving me an

awareness of current trends in the fieldand the tools to be able

to discuss sustainability with a widerange of audiences.

Steven Nemeth, Account Director, 2degrees, a collaborationplatform for sustainable professionals.

You will be introduced to a range ofsustainable business initiatives andmanagement tools and shown how theyare applied in practical situations. Youwill also critically examine factors thatshape the success or failure of differentapproaches and their contribution tosustainability.

• What is the contribution of business to sustainability?

• Why is Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) so important today?

• How can companies respond to thechallenges of sustainability?

• Which are the best tools andapproaches for sustainable business?

The programme is suited to those whowish to work in companies to developcorporate responsibility

strategies and enhance theircontribution to social and environmentaldimensions of sustainability.

It can also lead to careers in governmentor non-governmental organisations working in partnership with or trying to influence business.

Key features• A long-established programme combining a focus on business with an inter-disciplinarygrounding in sustainability

• Run jointly by the School of Earth andEnvironment and the Business School,bringing in a range of different perspectives on corporate sustainability.

ModulesSeven compulsory modules (including an individualresearch project) and choose two optional modules.

Compulsory modules:• Introduction to Sustainability• Business, Environment and Sustainability• Issues and Cases in Corporate SocialResponsibility

• Research Methods• Standards and Tools for Business,Environment and Corporate Responsibility

• Systems Thinking and Consulting Practice• Individual Research Project.

Optional modules:

Delivered by School of Earth and Environment

• Climate Change: Impacts and Adaptation• Critical Perspectives in Environment andDevelopment

• Environmental Economics and Policy• Environmental Policy and Governance• Environment-Development Overseas Field Course

• Tools and Techniques in the Analysis ofSociety, Economy and Environment.

Delivered by Leeds University Business School

• Debates and Controversies in International Business

• Managing for Innovation• Marketing for Management• Organisational Development and Change• Risk Perception and Communication.

Key factsStart DateSeptember

Duration of MSc12 months (full-time)24 months (part-time)

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MSc Sustainability and ConsultancyThis programme is aimed at graduates and professionals who want to pursue rolesas consultants and managers in the corporate social responsibility, environmentalmanagement and sustainability arenas.

The programme combines modules thatprovide you with grounding in a broadscope of topics under the umbrella ofsustainability. This includes areas suchas project development and corporatesustainability strategy, as well as focusing on the tangible professionalskills that are used by environmental and sustainability consultants and project managers.

You will truly focus on sustainability as an integrated issue, rather thanseparating the environmental, economicand social elements.

Key features• Manage a consultancy project, usuallyundertaken in the form of a 10-12 weekplacement with a professional organisation.

• Benefit from a programme that has strongrelationships with consultancy firms andconsultancy clients across all aspects ofsustainability.

• Teaching is delivered by academic staff andpractitioners.

• IEMA-approved ‘Associate Certificate’programme – means that when you graduate,you are eligible to become an IEMA AssociateMember, the first stage towards fullprofessional chartership.

ModulesEight compulsory modules (including anindividual project) and choose one optional module.

Compulsory modules:• Introduction to Sustainability• Business, Environment and Sustainability• Project Management: Developing andManaging Environmental Contracts

• Project Management: Sustainability, Peopleand Resources

• Issues and Cases in Corporate Social Responsibility

• Standards and Tools for Business,Environment and Corporate SocialResponsibility

• The Regulatory and Planning Context forSustainable Projects

• Individual Environmental Consultancy Project.

Optional modules:• Climate Change: Physical Science Basis• Environmental Economics and Policy.

We have been encouraged to consider allthe elements of sustainability which is

helping me view my project in the widercontext and explore the interrelationships

that I might not have consideredbeforehand. Knowing how to applyproject management methods into a

real-life situation has definitely benefitedme, especially when dealing with

other departments.

Claire Blissett, Graduate, 2013

Key factsStart DateSeptember

Duration of MSc12 months (full-time)24 months (part-time)

Further information

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International students

Leeds is ranked 1st among participating Russell Group Universities for international students in the ISB (International Student Barometer – Autumn 2012).

We attract researchers and postgraduate students from around the world, bringing together nationalities from Asia, Europe, Africa,Australia and North and South America.

We recognise that moving to a new and unknown country is a majortransition and can be quite daunting. For this reason, the Universityof Leeds guarantees you a place in our accommodation, providesorientation sessions on arrival and ongoing support during your timeat Leeds and extra support for English language at the University’sLanguage Centre.

For more information visit:• www.leeds.ac.uk/accommodation• www.leeds.ac.uk/international• www.leeds.ac.uk/languages

International applicants can also obtain additional in-countryassistance from our overseas representatives: www.leeds.ac.uk/countryspecificinformation

Contact us

Visit the School website: www.see.leeds.ac.uk/masters

Postgraduate Admissions Office,School of Earth and Environment,University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom LS2 9JT.Tel. +44 (0)113 343 8109Fax. +44 (0)113 343 5259Email. apply-masters@see.leeds.ac.uk

Fees and scholarships

Fees are listed on the School website:www.see.leeds.ac.uk/masters-fees

The School offers a number of scholarships to helptowards your tuition fees. For information on theseand other University of Leeds and Industryscholarships and bursaries visit:www.see.leeds.ac.uk/scholarships

How to applyUNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

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Entry requirements

UK Bachelor Degree (with a classification of 2:1 or better), or equivalent qualification. Matureapplicants without a first degree or with a lowerdegree classification may be considered on thebasis of their relevant industry experience and theirpotential for benefiting from the programme.

If you’re not sure if your international or EU degree is equivalent to a UK degree, check our School website for details or contact the Schoolfor advice.

Applications should be made online via the University website:www.leeds.ac.uk/students/apply.htm

Alternatively contact the Postgraduate Admissions Office:Tel: +44 (0)113 343 8109Email: apply-masters@see.leeds.ac.uk

You can also find details of the applicationprocess online in the ‘How to Apply’ section of theSchool website: www.see.leeds.ac.uk/masters

Applications are accepted year round although werecommend international students apply no laterthan the end of May.

English language requirements

If your first language is not English, you must provide evidence ofyour language proficiency. This is normally in the form of a recenttest certificate. We accept IELTS and other recognisedalternatives, for further details please visit the University’sLanguage Centre: www.leeds.ac.uk/languages

The University of Leeds Language Centre also provides a range ofEnglish for Academic Purposes Pre-sessional courses which aredesigned to help international students develop the necessarylanguage and academic study skills required for successful studyon a taught postgraduate degree programme at the University ofLeeds. Courses are offered throughout the year with starting datesin September, January, April, July or August.

For more information visit: www.leeds.ac.uk/languagesOr email the Language Centre langc@leeds.ac.uk

Taught Postgraduate Admissions OfficeSchool of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds

Leeds, United Kingdom LS2 9JTTel. +44 (0)113 343 8109 Fax. +44 (0)113 343 5259

Email. apply-masters@see.leeds.ac.ukwww.see.leeds.ac.uk

August 2014

The University endeavours to ensure that the information contained in this brochure isaccurate at the date of publication and does not accept liability for any inaccuraciescontained within it. Where circumstances change outside the reasonable control of theUniversity, we reserve the right to change or cancel parts of, or entire programmes of study orservices at any time without liability, even after students have registered at the University. TheUniversity's contract with its students does not confer third party benefits for the purposes ofthe Contract (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.