Master of Science
MSc Environmental Governance
Due to high demand for this course, we operate a staged admissions process with multiple selection deadlines throughout the year, to maintain a fair and transparent approach.
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Fees and funding
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2027, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
MSc (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £16,000
International, including EU, students (per annum): £33,100
The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.
Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .
Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.
International student CAS deposit
Self-funded international applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2500 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. Some applicants will be required to pay a higher deposit. More information on tuition fee deposits .
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.
- Learn more about - student finance options for UK students .
- Learn more about - fees and finance for international students .
- Graduates of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.
Course unit details:
Green Infrastructure: Principles, Policies and Practice 1
| Unit code | PLAN64001 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
The course unit introduces the concept of Green Infrastructure and its application in policies and practice. Using global examples of the design, development and investment in Green Infrastructure the module will make links between the principles of landscape and urban sustainability and the implementation of these theories in practice. It will take a purposefully broad approach to these debates to integrate both conceptual and real-world practice from planning, geography, urban, environmental and landscape studies to present Green Infrastructure as a polymath term that is applicable to scenarios across the built and natural environment.
To achieve this the module will be focussed around the conceptual, spatial, disciplinary and temporal presentations of Green Infrastructure presented in the academic, policy and practice literature. Assessing landscape and urban change from this perspective will provide the module with a set of analytical lenses through which the format, focus and delivery of Green Infrastructure can be assessed against competing socio-cultural, political, economic and ecological needs. This will be complimented by the discussion and deconstruction of the concept’s principles in
Aims
1. Describe the historical and contemporary development of GI within landscape and urban planning.
2. Engage with a variety of academic, policy and practice-based resources to determine the influence of complex interactions of stakeholders, scale, and planning context in the development of GI
3. Demonstrate a knowledge of the UK and international planning systems to examine GI from different disciplinary, geographical, and spatial contexts.
Teaching and learning methods
1. Face-to-Face
Each week a face-to-face/synchronous lecture will be held developing core ideas regarding the development and utility of GI in practice. These will focus on the core issues of the module including: context, scale, stakeholders and the interaction of policy and practice, to illustrate the complexity and complimentary nature of the design, investment and management of GI in different geographical contexts.
2. Pre-recorded lecture/Q&A materials
Each lecture will be supported with pre-recorded material outlining key issues related to GI development, policies and practice, which will be used as introductions to the more detailed discussions presented in lectures. The materials will vary in length from brief introductions to mini-lectures, specific details will be provided to students during the module.
3. Individual tutorials
Each tutorial will be offered to students to support the development of their assignments. Tutorials will be up to 30-minutes and agreed with the module Coordinator.
4. Field class
Manchester virtual field class – pre-recorded tour of key GI in Manchester prepared for Week 1 of teaching (hosted on the VLE)
5. Online information/evidence repository
The VLE site holds a repository of academic and practitioner focussed articles, policies, videos, weblinks and podcast links. These should be used to supplement the module reading and to provide complimentary evidence/examples to support student learning.
Knowledge and understanding
Demonstrate an understanding of different approaches to GI across the globe.
Have an overview of the current issues facing cities in relation to their future development of GI.
Demonstrate a critical understanding of how cities, different stakeholders and communities of interest are engaging with competing social, economic and environmental demands.
Intellectual skills
Display an understanding of the spatial disparities between cities and their application of GI thinking.
Illustrate your arguments with examples and case studies drawn from cities around the world.
Practical skills
Demonstrate an appreciation of the various methods that have been used to study the current and future challenges facing cities around the world with respect to climate, health, economic development and landscape/urban development.
Illustrate your arguments with examples and case studies drawn from cities around the world.
Transferable skills and personal qualities
Critical writing and analysis.
Development of professional Briefing Reports
Effectively communicate ideas and concepts orally, visually and in writing
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Report | 60% |
| Oral assessment/presentation | 40% |
Presentation (10 minutes) 40%
Briefing Report (2000 words) 60%
Feedback methods
Summative feedback will be given via written feedback uploaded on the VLE.
Recommended reading
Austin, G. (2014). Green Infrastructure for Landscape Planning: Integrating Human and Natural Systems. New York: Routledge.
Beatley, T. (2000). Green Urbanism: Learning from European Cities. Washington DC: Island Press.
Benedict, M. A., & McMahon, E. T. (2006). Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes and Communities. Urban Land (Vol. June). Washington DC: Island Press.
Coutts, C. (2016). Green Infrastructure and Public Health. Abingdon: Routledge.
Dover, J. (2015). Green Infrastructure: Incorporating plants and enhancing biodiversity in buildings and urban environments. Abingdon: Routledge.
Firehock, K. (2015). Strategic Green Infrastructure Planning: A Multi-Scale Approach. Washington, DC: Island Press.
Hellmund, P. C., & Smith, D. (2006). Designing Greenways: Sustainable Landscapes for Nature and People. Washington DC: Island Press.
Mell, I. C. (2016). Global Green frastructure: Lessons for successful policy-making, investment and management. Abingdon: Routledge.
Sinnett, D., Smith, N., & Burgess, S. (2015). Handbook on Green Infrastructure: Planning, design and implementation. (D. Sinnett, N. Smith, & S. Burgess, Eds.). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 18 |
| Practical classes & workshops | 4 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 128 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Ian Mell | Unit coordinator |
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