Green Gown Awards UK & Ireland Finalist
MSc in Sustainability Transitions has been shortlisted in an internationally recognised awards scheme celebrating sustainability excellence.
This programme is designed to train the future generation of innovators and thinkers who have the passion and ambition to deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and become true sustainability leaders which the world needs.
While societies and economies are embarking on complex transitions to more sustainable practices in order to mitigate climate change and address contemporary environmental challenges, there is a shortage of leaders with appropriate skills and knowledge to take this agenda forward and help make the world a more sustainable place.
Sustainable development – the balancing of environmental, economic and social goals – is the greatest challenge facing the planet today. The transitions to more sustainable forms of production and consumption which organisations, firms, and institutions, as well as entire communities, societies and economies need to undergo to mitigate climate change are, however, far from simple.
Apart from the shift from carbon-intensive systems to less environmentally destructive arrangements based on renewable sources of energy and greener practices, such transitions require corresponding changes in governance structures, institutional frameworks, legal regulations, public perception and consumption patterns.
Moreover, each industry and each community, region, and country faces challenges of a different kind, with the need to reconcile numerous conflicting objectives often remaining the most serious one. Never before has the world needed qualified professionals to lead transitions to sustainability more than now!
To provide students with a comprehensive understanding of what sustainability transitions entail, the programme covers a wide array of topics, addresses challenges faced by different sectors and utilises case studies drawn from different parts of the world – both more and less developed states.
Students are taught not only by academics, but also by experts in a range of fields, including energy transitions, coastal management, land management, tourism, and transport.
The programme includes multiple field trips and visits to organisations that champion sustainable practices, which helps students to engage with government, industry and business.
The information listed below is the structure followed for September starts. Those that commence the degree in January will study the same courses but in a slightly different order. When a student commences in January, they will undertake the semester 2 courses at the same time as the September cohort of students. The January start students will then study the Semester 1 courses, followed by the summer project.
Fee category | Cost |
---|---|
EU / International students | £22,000 |
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year | |
UK | £10,000 |
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year |
15 Credit Points
This course provides an opportunity to explore and develop an understanding of your own leadership behaviour. Through workshops, group activities and discussions we investigate how personality, past experience, current situations and culture shape the way each of us behave in a leadership role. Using this information as a starting point we then explore how different leadership theories and approaches can be used as frameworks for developing a deeper understanding of leadership behaviour. You will also have an opportunity to try out a range of practical tools and techniques to assist you in the development of your own approach to leadership.
15 Credit Points
This course will provide students with knowledge of theories of governance in the context of sustainable development. It will focus on the political economy of sustainable development and the political and economic tensions between different institutions, levels of administration and sectors of economy. Students will learn about theories of governance pertaining to the natural environment and sustainable development. They will explore the different institutional scales (e.g. local, national, global) of environmental governance and the processes of decision making for environmental governance. The course will also investigate the tensions between social, economic and environmental objectives for sustainable development.
15 Credit Points
Students are introduced to relevant research methods for the analysis of rural, land, property, and environmental resources. The course is the fundamental building block for the substantive dissertation or partnership project that students undertake over the summer. Topics studied in detail include strategy formulation for effective literature review, various methodological approaches, the selection of appropriate methods for carrying out specified research exercises and the production of feasible research proposals and programmes of work.
15 Credit Points
Partnerships for Sustainability provides an overview understanding and analysis of the role of partnerships as a means of delivering and governing the Sustainable Development Goals.
This course, which is prescribed for all taught postgraduate students, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 5-6 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks.
Topics include orientation overview, equality and diversity, health, safety and cyber security and how to make the most of your time at university in relation to careers and employability.
Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’.
60 Credit Points
The aim of the Sustainability Project is to enable students to produce an independent and original piece of work that demonstrates advanced knowledge in a chosen aspect of sustainability transitions. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to identify, define and develop appropriate research questions, and collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data to address specific research aims using a range of standard and specialised techniques of enquiry.
15 Credit Points
This course will introduce students to contemporary environmental issues at various temporal and spatial scales, and will explore associated environmental management challenges. Students will learn about different conceptual and theoretical approaches to the study of environmental challenges and they will explore the key drivers of environmental challenges from local to global scales. Lecturers will draw on their own research experience and use case studies to illustrate many of these issues.
15 Credit Points
The course provides an understanding of the role of policy and the law in regulating the use, management, development, planning, acquisition and transfer of land and natural resources. It covers legislation for environmental protection, conservation and designations, at Scottish, UK and international levels. The course also examines access legislation, community right to buy and community-based planning, agricultural holdings, rent reviews and powers regarding compulsory purchase of land. Part of the course is dedicated to a teamwork module to build student skills in communication and engagement, planning and managing work in terms.
15 Credit Points
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.
15 Credit Points
This course gives students an introduction and overview of energy transition, by focussing on the three key areas of demand, technology and economics. It begins with an introduction to the current energy system and the motivation for an energy transition. There follows a characterisation of the key drivers that underpin our social and economic reliance on energy. Subsequently, behavioural measures and technologies to enable the energy transition are examined and assessed according to diverse technical, economic and environmental criteria.
Fee category | Cost |
---|---|
EU / International students | £22,000 |
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year | |
UK | £10,000 |
Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year |
We will endeavour to make all course options available. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
Visit our Funding Database to find out more and see our full range of scholarships.
Self-funded international students enrolling on postgraduate taught (PGT) programmes will receive one of our Aberdeen Global Scholarships, ranging from £3,000 to £8,000, depending on your domicile country. Learn more about the Aberdeen Global Scholarships here.
To see our full range of scholarships, visit our Funding Database.
By coursework, by written examination, or by a combination of these, as prescribed for each course. Please see individual course entries in the Postgraduate Catalogue of Courses, or departmental documentation, for further details.
Motivation and understanding of this degree is an important factor in securing admission. Your personal statement/statement of purpose should focus on covering the following points:
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
2:2 (Honours) degree (or equivalent) in Agriculture, Business, Ecology, Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Environmental Economics, Environmental Engineering, Forestry, Geography, Geology, Law, Marine Science, Planning, Politics, Sociology, Soil Science, Zoology.
Candidates with degrees in other subject areas will be considered if they can demonstrate interest, aptitude and experience in a field relevant to the application of environmental studies and management.
Please enter your country to view country-specific entry requirements.
To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.
Eligible self-funded postgraduate taught (PGT) students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Explore our Global Scholarships, including eligibility details, on our dedicated page.
Aberdeen Global ScholarshipsGraduates of this programme will possess analytical, interdisciplinary and problem-solving skills that are in high demand from all employers, from the largest global corporations, supranational NGOs and national, regional and local governments, to small community-based organisations and sustainable businesses.
Consultants from businesses, government development agencies and NGOs who were engaged in drawing up the programme said:
“I am very impressed by the breadth of topics and skills, and the fact that they are so clearly interlinked.”
“...the new MSc looks really interesting and very pertinent in all sorts of ways.”
“I like the way in which the MSc complements technical environmental knowledge by providing participants with the skills they need to engage with the wider world and ... to function as a manager”
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. However, these may be subject to change - see our Student Terms and Conditions page.
Recent trips have included visiting community forestry and local economic development initiatives, decision making in local government and coastal management sites.