Climate Change and Policy (2011 entry)
MSc, 1 year full time/2 years part time
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Subject overview
- Climate change is perhaps the most important issue of our time. The challenge is twofold: to make a transition to a lower carbon global economy, and to adapt to the impacts of future climate changes.
- To meet these challenges, society needs professionals and policy-makers who understand the complex, multidimensional scientific, socioeconomic, technological and institutional issues of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- Our climate change programmes are designed to provide state-of-the-art training for this expanding professional market.
- Sussex is renowned for its agenda-setting, interdisciplinary teaching and research in science, development, and policy studies. You will be taught by leading researchers who have played key roles advising governmental/intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
- You will be taught by faculty from the Department of Geography, SPRU – Science and Technology Policy Research and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS).
- The University offers a number of partial scholarships for its climate change programmes.
- For more information, refer to Sussex Climate Change Network.
Programme outline
This MSc integrates natural and social science dimensions of climate change. You will acquire specialist knowledge of the causes and consequences of climate change, and the policy options for both the transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy and adaptation to climate impacts. You cover international, national and local policy arenas.
Courses on climate science are taught by Geography faculty and are designed to be accessible for non-climate specialists. Courses on the economic, policy and technological dimensions of mitigation are taught by faculty in SPRU – Science and Technology Policy Research. The programme also draws upon the experience of the Institute of Development Studies in adaptation policy and low-carbon development. You can develop a specialist thematic or regional enquiry in the dissertation.
Funding
The University offers a number of partial scholarships for our taught MSc degree programmes. Refer to Funding and fees.
Assessment
Courses are assessed by essays, short term papers, policy briefs, presentations, research proposal, and book review.
Entry requirements
UK entrance requirements
A first- or upper second-class undergraduate honours degree in either social or natural sciences. Applicants with relevant professional experience will also be considered.
Overseas entrance requirements
Sussex receives applications from all over the world and is therefore very experienced in assessing the qualifications offered by students from outside the UK.
For information on some of the most common international qualifications that meet our general entry requirements, please refer to the table in our International students section.
If you have any questions about your qualifications after consulting our overseas
qualifications table, contact the University.
E pg.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5, with not less than 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in the other sections. Internet TOEFL with 90 overall including 24 in Speaking and 25 in Writing. For more information, refer to English language requirements.
Related programmes
Fees and funding
Fees
The latest available fee information for this programme is listed below. Different years' fees are quoted as confirmation of fee amounts are provided at different times of the year by various external agencies. Please check back regularly for up-to-date information. Note that all fees increase on an annual basis and are liable to review and change without notice. For this reason, these figures are intended as a guide only.
'Home' UK/EU students: £6,0851
'Home' ELQ students: £7,4352
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £7,4353
Overseas students: £12,7954
1The fee shown is for the academic year 2011.
2The fee shown is for the academic year 2011. For an explanation of ELQ fees, refer to Fees explained.
3The fee shown is for the academic year 2011.
4The fee shown is for the academic year 2011.
Funding
Refer to Funding and fees for more information.
Faculty interests
Professor Richard Black Global migration in response to climate change.
Adrian Ely Innovation; sustainability; development; climate change and agriculture.
Mick Frogley Quaternary palaeoecology, and climatic history of lake basins.
Dominic Kniveton Climate systems; and hydrological cycle in Southern Africa.
Professor Gordon MacKerron Energy policy of carbon emission reductions and security of supply; nuclear power economics and policy; economic regulation in the energy industries.
Merylyn Mckenzie-Hedger International governance of climate change; and the integration of climate change into sectoral planning such as water. Long-term experience in Ecuador and Papua New Guinea.
Tom Mitchell Climate change; disaster management; participatory processes and governance. Practical experience: conducting deliberative processes for improving disaster resilience.
Julian Murton Permafrost; physical modelling; and Quaternary environments in Arctic Canada and UK.
Lars Otto Naess Social and institutional dimensions of adaptation to climate change at local and national levels, as well as climate change considerations in international development.
David Ockwell Low-carbon technology transfer to developing countries; energy policy; communication and behaviour change.
Steve Sorrell Energy and climate policy; emissions trading; energy efficiency; economics; transport modeling and policy.
Thomas Tanner The policy and practice of adaptation to climate change. Climate risk management, child-centred approaches, social protection, organisational change, and adaptation policy processes.
Professor Martin Todd The role of mineral dust in the climate system; the impact of climate change on hydrological and ecological systems.
Frauke Urban Climate change mitigation; low-carbon growth; energy transitions; climate policy and the links between poverty and climate governance. Research experience in China and India.
Yi Wang Climate science: terrestrial ecosystems, global bio-geochemical cycles; climate change; ocean-land-atmosphere interaction; tropical convection.
Jim Watson Energy policy; energy and development; sustainability, technology innovation.
Careers and profiles
What sort of career could I have?
Climate change is perhaps the most important issue of our time. The challenge is twofold: to make a transition to a lower-carbon global economy, and to adapt to the impacts of future climate changes. To meet these challenges society needs professionals and policy-makers who understand the complex, multidimensional scientific, socioeconomic, technological and institutional issues of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Our climate change programmes are designed to provide state-of-the-art training for this expanding professional market.
Our Climate Change and Development programmes equip both those new to the field and development practitioners with the key skills and knowledge to work on the implications of climate change for global and regional development.
Our Climate Change and Policy programmes integrate natural and social science dimensions of climate change. You will acquire specialist knowledge of the causes and consequences of climate change, and the policy options for both the transition to a sustainable low-carbon economy and adaptation to climate impacts.
Martin's perspective
‘There can be few areas of science that directly inform policy to the extent that climate science does today. When I started my climate research career more than 20 years ago, climate science was a minority interest and climate change only a peripheral issue. Now it is at the forefront of the scientific, social, economic and political agendas and has a prominent media profile.
'Since climate change has moved out of the research labs and on to the front page, I felt I wanted to look outwards also. Coming to Sussex has enabled me to work with leading groups that work directly on developing policy on the shift from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy and on the impact of climate change on people in the developing world. It has highlighted the magnitude of the challenge society faces and the necessity for the multidisciplinary approach we are developing at Sussex.’
Professor Martin Todd
Chair in Climate Change
School and contacts
School of Global Studies
The School of Global Studies aims to provide one of the UK's premier venues for understanding how the world is changing. It offers a broad range of perspectives on global issues, and staff and students are actively engaged with a wide range of international and local partners, contributing a distinctive perspective on global affairs.
Further information
Professor Martin Todd,
School of Global Studies,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9SJ, UK
T +44 (0)1273 873723
E
climate@sussex.ac.uk
Sussex Climate Change Network
