MSc Sustainable Development with Industrial Practice

This module provides an overview of the environmental sciences which underpin sustainable development. It explores theoretical concepts from the physical and natural sciences and considers their relevance for sustainable development. These include ecological systems and ecosystem services, biodiversity and biodiversity loss, environmental measurements and indicators, agriculture and pollution impacts, and climate change and energy. Students will explore how to conduct an environmental risk assessment in a real-life scenario, and learn about enacting environmental policy at international, national and local levels.

The course evaluates and discusses the way environmental and social concerns have affected organisations in the private sector, and how such organisations have affected the content, shape and direction of the public debate. Particular emphasis will be paid to corporate sustainability strategies, the distribution and organisation of roles within an organisation, the contribution of different departments, as well as the industrial perspective towards industrial ecology and sustainable consumption.

This module provides a trans-disciplinary exposition and discussion of the core concepts of Sustainable Development, covering economic, political, ethical, social and ecological dimensions. It also reflects on the real-life application of the concept in organisations across sectors and scales, focusing on policies, strategies, performance and governance. It is aimed at a wide range of students and is suitable as a foundation for students who have not previously studied sustainability. It provides a grounding to the concepts but also raises awareness of the leading-edge challenges in the integration and implementation of sustainable development in reality.

When considering how to reduce the environmental impacts of a product, a service, an organisation, a household or even a nation, it is vital to take a life cycle approach. A life cycle approach considers the environmental impact over the full life cycle of the product– from its design, raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, consumption and then disposal or recycling at the end of the product’s life. In this module we introduce participants to life cycle thinking, the concept of the circular economy, life cycle management and related environmental systems analysis approaches. We consider how such approaches can help inform sustainability trade-offs, thus leading to better-informed decisions.

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and environmental auditing are central mechanisms through which organisations structure, evaluate and improve their environmental performance. ISO 14001 provides an internationally recognised framework for embedding environmental responsibility within organisational strategy, operations and decision-making.This module develops a structured and applied understanding of environmental auditing and EMS implementation. Students examine how organisations identify environmental aspects, manage compliance obligations, implement operational controls, monitor performance, and use internal auditing to drive continual improvement.Through case-based learning, structured audit simulations and applied analysis, the module bridges ISO 14001 principles with real organisational practice. It equips students with the analytical and professional skills required to evaluate EMS effectiveness and contribute to audit processes in complex organisational settings.The module contributes towards Graduate Membership of ISEP (Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals).

This course will introduce the basic insights of ecological economics – that is an economics grounded in ecological realities - and situate these in the context of historical and current debates about economics and prosperity on a finite planet.

Energy use and the systems put in place to supply it are responsible for the majority of the world’s emissions of carbon dioxide and hence much climate change policy is directed towards the energy sector. Energy is also central to economic development and social welfare and thus energy security and cost minimisation are high on national policy agendas. Energy markets throughout the world are also evolving rapidly, with privatisation, competition, market structure and regulation remaining prominent issues in the UK, Europe and internationally. The range of challenges for energy policy is diverse and exciting. This Module focuses on the transitions needed from the current situations in energy use, supply, markets and policy to those required as part of a long term, sustainable, low carbon energy system. The sessions will introduce the range of low carbon energy options including energy efficiency, energy storge, renewables, nuclear and carbon capture and storage. The module will explore different low-carbon scenarios and policies and how these could fit with the Sustainable Development Goals, and what barriers maybe encountered along the route to a just transition, in both the global North and South.

This module introduces students to psychological perspectives on understanding and addressing environmental and sustainability challenges. The module provides an overview of theoretical formulations and research evidence related to 1) people’s understandings and perceptions of environmental risks, 2) environmental and materialistic values, 3) environment and wellbeing, and 4) pro-environmental behaviour change. The module is based on the research-practitioner model and aims to enable students to develop an understanding of how psychological research can help tackle environmental challenges by drawing on empirical research evidence. By the end of the module students should have an advanced understanding of some of the principles and theoretical and methodological developments in the area, and understand the value of this knowledge for helping to tackle environmental challenges.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a robust and systematic methodology to evaluate and analyse environmental impacts of a product or service system across its whole life cycle. This module aims to develop skills in the LCA methodology by providing in-depth training on LCA methodology, and practical experience of doing an LCA on SimaPro software.

The module provides study of the law relevant to environmental pollution.

The Dissertation module provides students with an opportunity to explore a key aspect of environmental management or sustainable development in depth. By applying the knowledge, skills and expertise developed in their degree students undertake original research to answer a research question or prove a hypothesis. The research process typically involves the review of the relevant literature, developing a research methodology, data collection (or acquisition of an existing data set), data analysis and reflection. Students are encouraged to consider and apply interdisciplinary approaches in their research where appropriate, thus crossing the boundaries between disciplines to address a problem which can be better understood by applying combining research approaches from more than one discipline. Students are encouraged to identify their own dissertation topic, however the academic team may also suggest topics in their areas of expertise. Once a topic has been approved students will be assigned a supervisor with sufficient experience and academic background to provide the necessary guidance and support.

This module provides information, guidance and support for developing the student¿s employability.In addition, this module helps students build on their previous skills and generate documents that are required to demonstrate their skill sets to external parties, recruiters and recruiting agencies. Furthermore, skills acquired in this module will enable students to actively participate in placement and employment searches.

This module supports students¿ development of personal and professional attitudes and abilities appropriate to an industrial practice training placement. It supports and facilitates self-reflection and transfer of learning from student¿s industrial placement experiences to their future employment. The industrial practice module is concerned with personal and professional development towards holistic academic and non-academic learning, and is a process that involves self-reflection, documented via the creation of a personal record, planning and monitoring progress towards the achievement of personal objectives. Development and learning may occur before and during the placement, and this is reflected in the assessment model as a progressive process. However, the graded assessment takes place primarily towards the end of the placement. Additionally, the module aims to enable students to evidence and evaluate their placement experiences and transfer that learning to other situations through written and presentation skills. Each student will be assigned an academic tutor who will meet with the student a few times (virtually or face-to-face) during the placement to support the student and help them reflect on the placement.