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:
Global Urban Futures
| Unit code | URBN70032 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 15 |
| Unit level | FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Offered by | Geography |
| Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
How do we imagine urban futures in the face of mounting social, economic and environmental challenges? What do we do to change current trajectories of development associated with continued and amplified marginalisation, exploitation and destruction? How can we intervene to discontinue the incessant reproduction of inequalities across the global urban and interlinked spatial scales?
This course unit will introduce students to current approaches to the future of cities, including theoretical, technology, policy and artistic research. It will be working with a range of researchers, activists and practitioners around the world who are at the heart of imagining and changing urban futures within their specific context. The focus will be on understanding systems and systems thinking, co-dependencies (humans, more-than/non-humans, etc.) uncertainty and likely trajectories of change.
Aims
The unit aims to:
- provide an overview of current challenges to urban sustainability in different geographical, cultural and political contexts around the world
- offer a diverse portfolio of options and tools to think about and intervene in the future of cities, ranging from research activism to the use of innovative or yet-to-be-invented technology
- prepare students for transdisciplinary collaboration in research and practice.
Learning outcomes
Students should/will be able to:
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching and learning will take place through a mix of lectures, student-led seminars and practical exercises.
Lectures will be delivered by the course convener (in person) and guest speakers (in person and online).
Guest speakers will be participating in student-led seminars.
Practical exercises will allow students to apply acquired knowledge (theory, methods) in a real world context (Manchester) and invite them to think through and evaluate applicability in urban contexts elsewhere.
Students will learn in groups and individually.
Knowledge and understanding
- Identify and make use of a range of disciplinary approaches to the study of cities as well as typical methods and tools
- Describe and evaluate the relationship between people and the built and natural environment at the urban scale
Intellectual skills
- Find, evaluate, synthesise and use information from a variety of sources
- Analyse and evaluate urban conditions using transdisciplinary methods and tools
Practical skills
- Identify, evidence and communicate their own role as urban scholars and practitioners
- Apply theories, approaches, methods and tools in their professional practice
- Converse and collaborate with future partners from different disciplinary and/or professional backgrounds
- Express ideas effectively and communicate information appropriately and accurately to academic and non-academic audiences using a range of media
Transferable skills and personal qualities
- Apply skills of critical analysis to real world situations within a defined range of contexts
- Recognise, respect and integrate different perspectives when working as part of a team and/or in collaboration with others
- Articulate an awareness of the social and community contexts of suggested interventions
Assessment methods
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Written assignment (inc essay) | 30% |
| Portfolio | 70% |
Feedback methods
- Verbal feedback from convener following in-class presentations (formative)
- Summative, via the VLE15 days after submission
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Fieldwork | 16 |
| Lectures | 24 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 110 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Deljana Iossifova | Unit coordinator |
Regulated by the Office for Students
The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.
