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  6. BU557B: Sustainable Development

BU557B: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (2026-2027)

Last modified: 14 Oct 2025 14:16


Course Overview

This course provides a comprehensive understanding of the principles, challenges, and opportunities associated with achieving sustainability and development objectives. Students will develop an understanding of urbanization and rural issues in the context of sustainable development, explore the challenges faced by global food systems and biodiversity, analyse the link between pollution, income, and health, and apply environmental concepts to understand just policy making, ensuring equitable access to natural resources and clean environment.

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term Second Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Aatishya Mohanty

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This course explores key topics in the domain of sustainable development. Students will develop understanding of multiple dimensions of sustainability and its link with urbanization, food supply, biodiversity, health, income, and equity. Through the course, students will develop critical thinking, enabling them to assess the challenges posed in the path of sustainable development. Students will also learn the importance of well-designed policies which can foster the use of economic opportunities and help in alleviating environmental, socio-economic and equity concerns.

Focused areas of study:

1) Urbanization and rural issues in Sustainable Development

  • Explore the patterns of urbanization around the world.
  • Understand the two-way relationship between environment and food systems. Apply the understanding of this bi-directional relationship to study food security and to develop sustainable food supply.

2) Biodiversity and Pollution

  • Delve into the intricacies of threats posed to biodiversity which will cover oceans, fisheries, and forests.
  • Analyse the uneven impact of pollution (air or water) on health and income. Focus on studies from around the world which to explore this relationship.

3) Policy Making

  • Evaluate the impact of policies in the domain of urbanization, sustainable agriculture, biodiversity, and pollution.
  • Develop an understanding of concepts related to social equity and environmental justice.
  • Understanding historical inequalities in environmental policies, examining intersections of race, class, and environmental harm. Understanding policy making / strategies for equitable access to clean resources.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2025 for 1st Term courses and 19 December 2025 for 2nd Term courses.

Summative Assessments

Exam

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

2-hour exam

Individual feedback will be provided on request.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualApplyApply economic concepts to determine how an inclusive sustainable development can be achieved
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the link between environment and various aspects of sustainable development

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

3,000-word essay

Feedback will be provided with use of a rubric.

 Word Count 3000
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ProceduralEvaluateCritically evaluate the economic and policy challenges in the domain of sustainable development

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Resit Assessments

Exam

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

2-hour exam

Individual feedback will be provided on request.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualUnderstandUnderstand the link between environment and various aspects of sustainable development
ConceptualApplyApply economic concepts to determine how an inclusive sustainable development can be achieved
ProceduralEvaluateCritically evaluate the economic and policy challenges in the domain of sustainable development
 

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