Last modified: 20 Jun 2025 15:13
This course will discuss the theoretical (and historical) evolution of the notion of sustainability, discuss various related concepts such as green growth and the green economy, introduce the topic of sustainability transitions as an interdisciplinary issue, explore the theory of sustainability transitions and discuss various technological, political, economic and socio-cultural challenges which transitions to sustainable forms of production and consumption must overcome to be successful.
| Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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This team-taught course offers an introduction to the whole programme and is therefore a core element of the whole MSc Sustainability Transitions curriculum. The course discusses the theoretical (and historical) evolution of the notion of sustainability and various related concepts such as sustainable development, green growth and the green economy, introduces the topic of sustainability transitions as an interdisciplinary issue, explores the theory of sustainability transitions and discusses various technological, political, institutional, economic and socio-cultural challenges which transitions to sustainable forms of production and consumption must overcome to be successful. The course utilises academic literature, grey literature and policy and media reports in order to help students link the theory to successful and unsuccessful real-world examples.
The course has three main intended learning outcomes. On the successful completion of the course students will have acquired a broad, critical and advanced understanding of:
- The theoretical (and historical) evolution of the notion of sustainability and various sustainability-related concepts, including sustainable development, green growth and the green economy,
- Theories of sustainability transitions, their relations to energy transitions, and their various social, economic, political, cultural and institutional aspects and implications,
- Various social, economic, political, cultural and institutional and technological challenges to successful sustainability transitions across a number of scales, sectors and geographical contexts on the basis of real-world examples taken from literature and media reports.
The course offers students an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the academic material on the topic and to actively discuss various issues and aspects of sustainability transitions. The course identifies various challenges to sustainability transitions and encourages students to think critically about their origin and creatively identify various possible ways to overcome them.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 16 | Feedback Weeks | 19 | |
| Feedback |
2,500-word individual essay. Written feedback provided on MyAberdeen. |
Word Count | 2500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | To develop a broad and critical understanding of the theories of sustainability transitions and their various social, economic, political, cultural and institutional aspects and implications. |
| Conceptual | Understand | To develop an advanced understanding of the theoretical evolution of the notion of sustainability and related concepts, including sustainable development, green growth and the green economy. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 19 | Feedback Weeks | 20,21 | |
| Feedback |
15-minute group presentation. Written feedback provided on a structured feedback sheet. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Factual | Apply | To use real-world examples to understand various social, economic, political, cultural, and technological challenges to sustainability transitions across different scales, sectors and contexts |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
2,500-word individual essay. Mark capped at 9 / D3. |
Word Count | 2500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
15-minute group presentation, if the whole group fails. If just one student fails, an individual presentation will be organised on the same basis. Mark capped at 9 / D3. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Understand | To develop an advanced understanding of the theoretical evolution of the notion of sustainability and related concepts, including sustainable development, green growth and the green economy. |
| Factual | Apply | To use real-world examples to understand various social, economic, political, cultural, and technological challenges to sustainability transitions across different scales, sectors and contexts |
| Conceptual | Understand | To develop a broad and critical understanding of the theories of sustainability transitions and their various social, economic, political, cultural and institutional aspects and implications. |
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