Climate Change and Environmental Policy MSc

Climate Change is a growing issue for environmental policy makers at international, national and sub-national levels, as well as for environmental managers and experts in public, private and non-profit making organisations. Tackling climate change demands an interdisciplinary approach to provide a more holistic view towards climate change issues and debates.

Our Climate Change and Environmental Policy Masters degree provides you with a unique combination of training on the physical, social and policy aspects of climate change and on broader environmental policy and governance.

You will receive a solid foundation in the physical and social science of climate change and its impacts, including adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. You will also develop a critical understanding of the policy tools available to promote environmental protection.

This Masters course combines modules taught at the School of Earth and Environment, with optional modules from the School of Geography, the School of Politics and International Studies, Leeds University Business School and the School of Media and Communication.

Our teaching draws on the latest cutting-edge research and is delivered by experts and the world’s leading researchers on climate change policy to give you in-depth knowledge and guidance.

This course is ideal if you want to become an interdisciplinary environmental manager, consultant, advisor or policy maker, or if you are looking to improve your career prospects or make a career change.

Course highlights

• Engage with some of the world's leading researchers from the Priestley International Centre for Climate, the ESRC-funded Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, the RCUK-funded UK Energy Research Centre and Leeds University Business School’s Centre for Decision Research; they have published high profile papers with past students.

• Attend excellent seminars and talks run by the School and its research centres, where you will access the latest, cutting-edge research delivered by leading climate policy makers and advisors in addition to attend other seminars run by the School of Geography, the School of Politics and International Studies, Leeds University Business School, the School of Media and Communication and the Priestley International Centre for Climate. Ideal if you want to build or extend your network to enhance your career.

• Have the opportunity to take part in a 9-day field course in which you will be trained in advanced practical environmental field skills and applications that are highly sought in research and industry.

• Gain in-depth knowledge, skills and practical experience which enable you to contribute towards achieving solutions in this topical area.

Programme team

The Programme Leader, Dr Yim Ling Siu, has over 30 years of research work experience in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaborations in the fields of energy, water, transport and the environment, specifically focused on climate-induced multiple natural hazards and risks. She also actively engages in translating science to practice and services, and has led many research projects on climate change at the national and international levels (e.g. the UK Met Office, China).

On this multidisciplinary course, the wider programme team is made up of academics and researchers from the School of Earth and Environment, School of Geography, School of Politics and International Studies, School of Media and Communication and the Leeds University Business School. Their research spans physical and social sciences in climate change and its environmental policy issues, including politics and international relations, economics, environmental assessment and planning, climate communication and sustainability.

Active research environment

Our School is home to five world-leading research institutes, which are at the heart of our active research environment – working to tackle the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges. Throughout your degree, you will be taught by experts who are leaders in their fields, and be directly engaged with their cutting-edge research.

Our team of expert scientists, government advisors and practitioners actively engage in international, national, regional and local climate change research and climate-related policy. For example:

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

• Climate and Development Knowledge Network

• Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Many are also members of:

• Priestley International Centre for Climate

• Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy

• UK Energy Research Centre

• Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science

• Water@Leeds

• Impact Climate Group

• Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security

Industry links

We provide a variety of opportunities for you to network with leading researchers, government and private sector institutions. These could include public lectures and seminars with external speakers, a variety of employability and career events and industry open days, organised by the Sustainability Research Institute, the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, Priestley International Centre for Climate, the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science and Water@Leeds.

Teaching staff often conduct research in collaboration with government agencies, the private sector and international research institutes, and maintain extensive networks which you can tap into.

You can also be exposed to some of the work researchers at the Sustainability Research Institute are involved in. For example, not-for-profit projects such as the United Bank of Carbon (UBoC) - a collaboration of businesses and environmental scientists involved in local action in the rainforest that contributes to global emission reductions and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – such as Article 6/Action for Climate Empowerment on: Climate Change Education, Training, Public Participation & Awareness, Public Access to Information and International Cooperation.

Private sector actors collaborating in this venture include the management consulting business Deloitte, the technology business Premier Farnell, and the Shepherd Group which includes companies in construction and engineering, manufacturing and property development.

We have successful and productive links with many partners such as the UK-based and international charities, governments, universities, research institutes and businesses.

You will also be encouraged to develop links and to collaborate with a variety of these organisations within the field of climate change and environmental policy, and base your dissertation research on real-world environmental projects.

Online taster courses

Our Environmental Challenges collection is a five-part series of free online courses, delivered via FutureLearn. Ideal for current undergraduate students or mid-career professionals considering a Masters degree, this series explores how environmental management policies are developed and the challenges surrounding their formulation.

When completed on a full-time basis this 12 month Masters is split into three semesters.

Semester one

Taught through a combination of lectures and seminars, you will:

• Develop a grounding in both the physical and social sciences – important for understanding climate change mitigation and adaptation.

• Examine the multiple pathways through which human-environment interaction is governed.

• Become familiar with appropriate research methods and gain the research skills relevant to your upcoming dissertation project.

• Learn the knowledge and skills required to understand how to achieve different climate change goals according to different industry or economic sectors.

Semester two

Building on the knowledge and skills developed in semester one you will now learn how to apply it into different economic sectors such as energy, agriculture, water, building or even business.

• Gain an overview of climate change impact assessment and predictions, along with key concerns and strategies of adaptation to climate change.

• Explore the relative significance of main sources of greenhouse gases and the potential, technologies and strategies for reducing them.

• Develop an understanding of the key challenges for controlling greenhouse gas emissions, alongside the critical political issues related to mitigation.

• Understand how we can create adaptation policies starting from the ground with people in local communities, to mid-level businesses and up to a governmental and international level.

Semester three

Bringing together everything you have learned over the past two semesters you will:

• Appropriately choose a method to propose and undertake an extended research project leading to the submission of a 12,000-word dissertation in August.

• This dissertation gives you the opportunity to examine the detail of an issue of your choice.

Fieldwork

You will have the opportunity to take part in an introductory 9-day field course in Scotland. During the field course you will learn to make practical weather predictions, launch weather balloons and make measurements of surface energy fluxes, whilst also gaining an understanding of the role of biogeochemical and ecological systems in our environment.

This optional field course module is non-assessed, but offers a fun and useful introduction to some of the topics you will explore further in semester one, and is designed to equip you with an expert understanding of the uncertainties inherent to our knowledge of environmental change.

Want to find out more about your modules?

Take a look at the Climate Change and Environmental Policy module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Climate Change and Environmental Policy MSc in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Learning and teaching

You will learn through a variety of teaching methods to help you develop both generic and subject-specific skills.

This includes lectures, practical workshops, optional field courses, computer lab sessions, research seminars and project work (both individual and group work).

Practical exercises focus around real-world scenarios and case studies to produce optimal solutions including familiarisation with state-of-the-art technical approaches, software and the regulatory regimes that companies and public sector organisations operate within.

The research-intensive environment of the School ensures that your course material is both up-to-date and research led.

You will also learn the scientific and rational principles lying behind the practical approaches used in the world outside academia, so that your skills keep pace with changes in technology or the regulatory environment.

You also have access to the excellent research seminars and talks run by the School of Earth and Environment and its research centres, plus those organised by School of Geography and School of Politics and International Studies.

You will be assigned a personal tutor, who will maintain contact with you throughout the year and offer pastoral guidance. They will help you to settle into the university and clarify any procedures, as well as helping you prepare for employment on graduation. You will also receive administrative support from SEE’s dedicated Student Education Support office.

Our Virtual Learning Environment will help to support your studies: it’s a central place where you can find all the information and resources for the School, your programme and modules.

You can also benefit from support to develop your academic skills, within the curriculum and through online resources, workshops, one-to-one appointments and drop-in sessions.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

You will be assessed through a variety of ways including both written and oral assignments, exams and poster presentations.

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in environmental, social science, management, economics or related subject.

Applicants with a 2.2 will be considered on a case by case basis where applicants can demonstrate relevant work experience or aptitude in a relevant specialist field. Graduates from other disciplines and those with professional experience in the sector will also be considered.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. For more information please contact the Admissions Team.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Science (6 weeks) and Language for Science: General Science (10 weeks). 

We are now offering online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals.  To find out more, read Online Academic English pre-sessional (10 weeks) and Online Academic English pre-sessional (6 weeks).

Read about differences between our online and on-campus summer pre-sessionals.

If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.

How to apply

Application deadlines

Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

29 July 2022 – International applicants

9 September 2022 – UK applicants

Apply

This link takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Taught Admissions Policy 2023

Fees

• UK: £11,250 (total)
• International: £23,750 (total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Additional cost information

We hope to run our fieldwork activities as planned for the 22/23 academic year, but it might not be possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are continually reviewing the situation and will communicate any decisions to applicants and offer holders at the earliest possible opportunity.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

This Masters is designed to equip you with both a conceptual and applied understanding of critical issues in climate change and environmental policy and governance. It is ideal if you want to continue your undergraduate studies or you are looking to increase your skill set to progress in your career development in the areas of climate change, environmental policy and sustainability, as well as pursue a research career or go on to a PhD.

University of Leeds students are among the top 5 most targeted by top employers according to The Graduate Market 2022, High Fliers’ Research.

There is an increasing demand for professionals with interdisciplinary understanding and knowledge of climate change and its related environmental issues to aid better environmental policy decisions. Forward-thinking businesses are looking for people with postgraduate skills (knowledge, research and practical experience) in connecting climate change, environmental policy and sustainability.

You could become an interdisciplinary environmental manager and/or expert with a strong science, policy and governance foundation, to develop and drive innovative approaches to tackling environmental problems in government, private sector and non-for profit organisations operating from the global to the local level.

Examples of the types of career paths you could take:

• City or urban development and planning (resilience to climate change)

• Climate services and environmental risk communication

• Community and stakeholder participation and consultation

• Consultancy and project management

• Environmental and socio-economic impact assessment

• Environmental information systems development

• Environmental protection

• Environmental risk assessment and management

• Policy and strategy development and evaluation

• Science and research advisory services

• Sustainability assessment and strategy development

Read profiles of our alumni to find out more about where some of our graduates are working.

Further study

Many of our graduates have secured positions on PhD programmes in the UK and internationally. The Priestley International Centre for Climate hosts a wide range of PhD programmes incorporating, offering many opportunities for students graduating from this MSc course.

Careers support

At Leeds we help you to prepare for your future from day one. Our Leeds for Life initiative is designed to help you develop and demonstrate the skills and experience you need for when you graduate. We will help you to access opportunities across the University and record your key achievements so you are able to articulate them clearly and confidently.

You’ll have access to the wide range of careers resources and support from your Careers Service. You’ll have the chance to attend industry presentations, book appointments with qualified careers consultants and take part in employability workshops and webinars. Our careers fairs provide further opportunities to explore your career options with some of the UKs leading employers.

You will also have full access to the University’s Careers Centre, which is one of the largest in the country.

There are also plenty of exciting ways you can volunteer during your time at Leeds. Find out more at the Leeds University Union website.