MSc Climate Change and Global Development
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Science
- Course Length
- 1 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2023
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Course Overview
Climate change is one of the most challenging issues facing humankind today. Responding to climate change requires fundamental changes throughout society. These changes will have profound implications for key development issues such as poverty, inequality, and social justice.
Whether exploring the science of climate change with simple climate models, investigating the links between adaptation and the sustainable development goals, or understanding the implications of mitigation choices on poverty, you’ll gain high-level analytical skills and knowledge to equip you for your chosen career path.
The School of International Development is the ideal place to study climate change, bringing together UEA’s unrivalled excellence in pioneering climate research with its world-renowned focus on issues of international development. Please note we are changing our name to the School of Global Development from 1 August 2023, as we mark our 50th Anniversary.
From day one, you’ll be immersed in cutting edge research, learning from the combined expertise of research-active staff in the School of International Development (Global Development from 1 August 2023), the School of Environmental Science, and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.
You’ll kick off your studies by getting an overview of the essentials of climate change and its links with key issues in development including the science of climate change, climate impacts and attribution, and the Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on resource-poor and vulnerable locations and countries.
Over the course of the year, you will have opportunities to study increasingly more specialised or in-depth subjects including the physical science of climate change, agriculture and food systems, global challenges and environmental change, sustainable consumption, and energy systems for example.
The course is multidisciplinary and includes a strong practice-based focus with opportunities to develop both research and transferable employability skills to support a wide variety of career destinations. Throughout the year, you will hear from inspiring practitioners giving you an insight into what it is like to work in development or in jobs linked to climate change.
The course concludes with an independent piece of research or a work placement. in both instances, the independent piece of research and work placement provide an opportunity for you to put into practice the skills, knowledge and experience you have gained throughout the course.
Study and Modules
Structure
Your course lasts for one year; the taught element is split into two semesters. In each semester, you take three modules consisting of one core module and two optional modules. The core modules give you the foundational knowledge you need to understand the biggest contemporary issues in climate change and its links with global development. The optional modules allow you to tailor your degree and specialise in areas that interest you. Once you have completed the taught element of your course, you undertake an extended piece of independent research or a work placement designed to build and deepen your professional experience.
As one of your core modules, you’ll take Climate Change and Development I: Science, Impacts, and Adaptation. This module explores the relationship between climate change, its impacts on development and the role of adaptation in promoting climate-resilient development. The module adopts a student-centred, enquiry-based approach to learning and teaching. This module gives you an excellent grounding in the science underpinning climate change to enable you to engage confidently and persuasively with a range of audiences. It also gives you the theoretical and applied knowledge to research and plan for adaptation to climate change.
You’ll also take the fascinating Climate Change and Development II: Governance, Policy, and Society. This module critically examines national and international climate change governance, policy and societal impacts, and responses to climate change. The first half of the module focuses on the history and politics of international climate change negotiations and critically examines the way the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change operates. The second half of the module turns to the interface of climate change and society. It’ll discuss participatory governance and urban responses to climate change as well as critically examining ethical/justice related debates, the role of energy demand and lifestyle in tackling climate change.
There are a range of optional modules from the Schools of International Development (Global Development from 1 August 2023) and Environmental Sciences for you to choose from which really enable you to specialize and tailor your degree to suit your interests and career path. Over the course of the year, you choose four optional modules, two in the first semester and two in the second semester.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 60)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 40)Optional C Modules
(Credits: 40)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching
The course adopts a wide range of inclusive teaching approaches to suit different learning styles. Teaching methods include lectures and seminars, expert and practitioner sessions, peer-to-peer activities, and small group work.
Your lectures go beyond the customary ‘chalk-and-talk’ approaches, they include a range of interactive tasks and activities to support active learning. The use of technology is also widespread, for example through visual representations of empirical evidence in international development (e.g., through statistical programs), the use of online reading materials and lecture screencasts. Seminars provide an opportunity to engage more concretely with the knowledge and skills you are learning. The seminars are interactive and often revolve around work you have produced either individually or in small groups.
Running alongside the lectures and seminars are a range of other teaching approaches that place a greater emphasis on you, because the best way to truly understand something is to work through examples and apply what you have learnt in real world scenarios. Examples of this type of work include student-led Question and Answer sessions with practitioners and experts and mini-research projects and practicals to support peer-to-peer learning. In addition to supporting your learning, these activities will help you to get to know your fellow students. The more applied elements of the course will also support you to develop transferable skills such as articulating an argument both orally and in writing and presenting complex information in a clear and cogent manner.
Independent study
To succeed at master’s level, you’ll need to spend at least as much time on independent study as you spend in class or interacting with your fellow students. Throughout the course, you will receive a range of support and guidance to help you engage critically with academic literature and relevant data. We offer a range of feedback and assistance to you to help you make the most of your formative and summative assignments. Additionally, each member of the faculty has two office hours available each week, giving you the chance to discuss material in more detail or get face-to-face feedback on specific pieces of work.
Assessment
We’ll use various assessment methods across the different modules contributing in proportions towards your overall module mark. Assessment methods include presentations and essays in addition to the assessed dissertation or development work placement report. Further assessment methods will differ depending on the optional modules you choose.
You’ll receive constructive and timely feedback on both your formative and summative assessments to help you develop your understanding and skills to improve your performance at assessment. You’ll be encouraged to prepare essay plans or outlines in advance of essay deadlines, and to get feedback on these with the relevant lecturer during their office hours or by email. In addition, you will comment on the work of your fellow students in seminars and other fora to further develop your critical reading and evaluation skills.
If you have additional needs due to disabilities such as sensory impairment or learning difficulties such as dyslexia, please talk to our Student Support Services about how we can help.
Entry Requirements
- Degree Classification
- UK 2.1 or equivalent
- Degree Subject
- Social Science
- English Foreign Language
We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:
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IELTS: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in only two components with 6.0 in the others)
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PTE (Pearson): 64 (minimum 59 in only two components with 64 in the others)
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests
INTO University of East Anglia
If you do not meet the academic requirements for this course, you may be able to study one of the International Graduate Diploma programmes offered by our partner INTO UEA. These programmes guarantee progression to selected masters degrees if students achieve the appropriate grade. For more details please click here:
International Graduate Diploma in International Development
INTO UEA also run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk
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- Intakes
- This course is open to UK, EU and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.
Additional Information or Requirements
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2023/24 are:
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UK Students: £9,650 (full time)
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International Students: £19,800 (full time)
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students).
We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
How to Apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form.
FURTHER INFORMATION
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.
Employability
After the Course
Climate change is one of the most challenging issues facing humankind today. Responding to climate change requires fundamental changes throughout society. These changes will have profound implications for key development issues such as poverty, inequality, and social justice.
Whether exploring the science of climate change with simple climate models, investigating the links between adaptation and the sustainable development goals, or understanding the implications of mitigation choices on poverty, you’ll gain high-level analytical skills and knowledge to equip you for your chosen career path.
The School of International Development (changing to School Global Development from 1 August 2023) is the ideal place to study climate change, bringing together UEA’s unrivalled excellence in pioneering climate research with its world-renowned focus on issues of international development.
Careers
A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.
A career in international development can take you in all kinds of directions such as:
- International organisations
- Governmental and non-governmental organisations
- Local governments
- Private sector
- PhD programmes