MSc in Climate Change, Development and Policy
Brighton, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 Sep 2025*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 10,500 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* UK
** £9,500/year for full-time home, Channel Islands and Isle of Man students | £18,975/year for full-time international students
Introduction
Study the challenges of moving to a low-carbon economy and adapting to climate change, and how they influence global and regional development. This course is for non-specialists in the climate field. You’ll explore the interconnected dimensions of science and technology, and the economics, politics and policy of climate change.
Climate change and sustainable energy are among the most important issues of our time. The emphasis of this MSc is on understanding the implications of climate change and climate policies for equity between, and within, countries. You’ll gain specialist knowledge of the earth system and climate impacts, for example related to water, food and ecosystem services.
Based at the School of Global Studies, you’ll also learn from faculty in SPRU – Science Policy Research Unit and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). Many of our graduates find employment in the climate profession.
We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, or in response to COVID-19, we’ll let our students know as soon as possible.
Admissions
Curriculum
Full-time and part-time study
Choose to study this course full time or part time, to fit around your work and personal life. Modules for the full-time course are listed below. For details about the part-time course, contact us.
Core modules
Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.
Autumn teaching
Spring teaching
Summer teaching
Options
Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.
While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.
Spring teaching
- Climate Change and Energy Policy
- Climate change: Impacts and Adaptation
- Climate Resilient Development
- Low Carbon Development
Summer teaching
Placements
To help you gain experience and increase your employability, you can apply for an optional placement as part of your course. Research placements run for up to 12 weeks in the summer term and vacation. You can also write your dissertation based on your experience. You’ll be responsible for applying for and securing your placement. Our dedicated careers team can help you:
- find an employer
- draft an application
- prepare for interviews.
Find out more about Global Studies postgraduate placements
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2023/24. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown here.
Check back in January 2024 for the modules running in the academic year 2024/25.
American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid
If you’re receiving – or applying for – USA federal Direct Loan funds, you can’t undertake your placement/internship in the USA if the number of credits for the placement/internship exceeds 25% of the total credits for your course. Find out more about American Student Loans and Federal Student Aid
Rankings
1st in the world for Development Studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023)
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
There is a rapidly expanding market for climate professionals. This course prepares you for employment in a wide range of government, non-government and academic organisations, as well as private companies in the areas of climate change, development and energy policy.
Our graduates are very successful in finding employment and developing careers in the profession, including among others:
- international organisations and agencies (including the UN Environment Programme, The World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank)
- various NGOs (including the International Federation of the Red Cross, Renewable World, Action Against Hunger International)
- national government ministries and development agencies (including UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, DFID, GiZ)
- national environment agencies across the world
- a wide range of private-sector organisations (including energy utilities, the renewables sector, consultancy companies) and public-sector organisations (universities and not-for-profit organisations).