MSc Global Development (Environment and Climate Change) / Course details

MSc Global Development with Environment and Climate Change links environmental understanding grounded in the physical sciences with study of the social and economic bases of global sustainability with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. 

Over the past two decades, environmental challenges have risen to the top of the global agenda. 

As a result, there is a pressing need for policymakers, planners and managers to understand the environmental dimensions of development, and to find socially just solutions to climate change and environmental problems.

The course is therefore perfect if you're looking to benefit from research-led teaching - by world-class academics - that examines both mainstream sustainability and radical alternatives for sustainable global development.

• Provide you with interdisciplinary training to equip you with an understanding of the environmental and climate change dimensions of development trends and interventions. 
• Provide you with a thorough conceptual framework and the skills necessary to analyse effectively the relationships between environmental issues, climate change and development processes, and make judgments about policies and their implementation. 
• Provide critical insights into the key strategies, policies and practices currently employed to promote sustainable development and address global environmental change, especially in low- and middle-income countries.   
• Develop  professionally-oriented skills to formulate, investigate and implement different approaches to promote sustainable development and address global environmental, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• Provide a wide range of options for advanced, people-centred training in areas of specialist expertise relevant to environment, climate change, and development. 
• Develop advanced competencies in transferable areas, including developing reasoned arguments, gathering, organising and using evidence and information from a wide variety of sources, undertaking both team-based and independent work to deadlines, and both written and verbal forms of communication. 
• Assist you in developing your specialist area of expertise within the field of environment, climate change, and development in the context of low- and middle-income countries, and applying your understanding and skills through supervised individual research culminating in a dissertation.

• We're Europe's largest dedicated development research and teaching institute and have been at the  forefront of development studies for over 60 years .  
• We're ranked second in the UK and seventh in the world for development studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022). 
• We’ve been ranked first for research environment and second overall in the recent Research Excellence Framework (2021).
• We are proud to tackle global inequalities and rank first in the UK for our impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2021 ( THE Impact Rankings 2021 ). Most of the course units - core and optional - are closely associated with SDGs.  
• We bring cutting-edge insights from our research into all our postgraduate teaching. Our courses bring different development perspectives and voices to Manchester, from  activists from the Global South  to the leaders of multinational companies.  
• We are home to the internationally recognised  African Cities Research Consortium ,  Effective States and Inclusive Development  and  FutureDAMS  research centres. 
• Students are part of our vibrant research community, including our  public lecture series  which brings world experts, former heads of state, and leading development thinkers, to discuss current issues in development.  

Important notice: factors affecting fieldwork and placements

The School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED) recognises the value of fieldwork and placements. However, the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff remains our priority.

The School will assess on a regular basis the viability of any travel and fieldwork and communicate any significant changes to our students at the earliest possible opportunity.

The role of SEED

• changes to the rules and guidance on travel and activities implemented and published by the UK and overseas governments;
• a risk assessment conducted by or on behalf of the University identifying unmanageable risk;
• changes that enhance the educational value and student experience of the activity;
• changes to the situation of a placement provider (for example, which cause them to be unable to accept students);
• the unavailability of appropriate insurance cover;
• the unavailability of appropriate travel and accommodation and any significant changes to their financial costs;
• where fieldwork and placements are a compulsory element of the Programme, they will be replaced with something academically similar;
• where a trip or placement is not a compulsory element of the Programme, it may not be replaced.

We will consult with affected students at the earliest possible opportunity and explore the options available to them.

The duty of students

Preparation, attendance and conduct

Attendance at preparatory classes is a compulsory pre-requisite of the fieldwork and placements to ensure safety and learning outcomes are met.

Students who do not attend the compulsory preparatory classes may be prevented from participating in the fieldwork or placement. It is the duty of students to discuss any attendance issues with the field course or placement convenor.

Students are representatives of the university during their fieldwork or placement. Behaviour deemed by the convenor to be unacceptable may result in students being sent home.

Where a student is unable to attend or complete the fieldwork or placement (e.g. due to mitigating circumstances), is prevented from attending due to absence from compulsory preparatory classes, or returned home due to poor conduct:

• a suitable alternative assessment will be offered (as appropriate) to ensure that the programme ILOs are met, and that the student is not academically disadvantaged;
• the University accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred by the student in relation to the fieldwork or placement.

Immigration, passport and visa requirements

It is the responsibility of the individual student to ensure they have:

• a valid passport to enter the destination country (including sufficient months prior to expiry);
• a valid visa (where required) and comply with its requirements.

The School cannot guarantee that visas required for fieldwork or a placement will be granted by the relevant authority. Please note that countries may change their immigration and visa regulations at short notice.

Where a student is unable to attend fieldwork or a placement because they do not have the required visa or passport:

• a suitable alternative assessment will be offered to ensure that the programme ILOs are met and that the student is not academically disadvantaged;
• the University accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred by the student in relation to the fieldwork or placement.

The taught elements of the course, carrying 120 credits overall, is continuously assessed by a variety of methods (eg project-based reports, essays), involving largely individual submissions, but also elements of group work. 

You must also complete a 12,000-15,000-word dissertation on a topic of your choice approved by the Programme Directors. 

You are encouraged to base your dissertation on topics of direct professional concern.