MA (Environment, Society and Development)

Course details

The MA in Environment, Society and Development is designed to empower students to become critically informed by, and ethically engaged with, the various geopolitical, economic and environmental processes that shape the world in which we live. The programme involves engagement with a number of core areas in critical human geography, including issues of geopolitics, development, governance and political ecology, and exposes students to vital global challenges that encompass a complex and dynamic mesh of environmental, social and economic processes.

Key facts

Entry requirements

Second Class Honours NQAI level 8 degree with a H2.1 in Geography and a H2.2 overall or related discipline, or equivalent. Selection is based on a candidate's academic record, statement of intent and letters of recommendation. Prior learning in terms of relevant work experience is also recognised.

Course outline

Running through the MA is an overarching aim to impart understanding of how different philosophical and ideological approaches to environment-society relations influence policy formulation and implementation. In this context, our hope is to empower students to become critically informed by, and ethically engaged with, the various (geo)political, social, economic and environmental processes that shape the world in which we live. The practical emphasis of the MA is reflected in a field-based learning module in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where students will intersect with the development work of the European Commission, UN agencies and various NGOs. In connecting with the work of UN agencies like the United Nations Development Programme, a key challenge for students will involve thinking through the scalar nature of all forms of development, in which initiatives on the ground are framed by broader geopolitical, economic and institutional structures that both enable and hinder development in complex ways.

Modules include:

• Conceptualising Environment, Society and Development
• Geography and Geo-graphing
• Geopolitics and Security
• Environment and Risk
• Managing Development
• Field-Based Learning
• MA Dissertation

Requirements and assessment

Assessment shall be in the form of continuous assessment, essays, oral presentations and other projects. Students must also submit a dissertation of 15,000–20,000 words based on original research. The topic will be agreed, after consultation, with individual supervisors.