MSc Green Economy

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Full time according to Funding Council definitions, Part-Time

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This course is studied by distance learning.

The development of a green economy, or an economy that is environmentally sustainable, has become a political and socio-economic imperative. It is highly inter-disciplinary, drawing from ecology, geography, social science, psychology and technology – and, in keeping with the ethos of the course, is studied by distance learning.

Key drivers include the need to reduce carbon emissions to minimise the risk of climate change, overexploitation of resources and widespread environmental degradation, which is eroding the natural capital on which human wellbeing depends. The transition to a green economy represents a substantial challenge to society, particularly in the current era of rapid environmental and socio-economic change.

This green economy course seeks to provide the scientific understanding on which the transition to a green economy can be based, including the principles of environmental sustainability and the societal responses required to implement these in practice.

This course is accredited by IEMA. This means as a student on Green Economy you will simultaneously receive free student membership at IEMA. Once you graduate you will also become a GradIEMA professional membership.

Find out more about this course with Programme Leader, Dr Elena Cantarello on the MSc Green Economy webinar.

Interested in studying this course part-time? Enquire now.

“As the Conservation Director for a national charity, having a good understanding of ecological principles is no longer enough. It is also essential that you have an understanding of what makes your country tick. This course option combines a good grounding in economic principles with the consideration of alternative ways of valuing growth and nature, and all from the comfort of your own home!”
Andy Lester, Conservation Director, A Rocha UK

Key information

Next start date:

September 2019, January 2020, September 2020, January 2021

Location:

Distance learning

Duration:

1 year full-time, or 2 years part-time

Accreditations:

IEMA

Required subjects:

Geography, Ecology, Environmental Science, Economics, Politics, Psychology or Sociology

Entry requirements:

A Bachelors Honours degree, 2:2 or equivalent in a required subject area and/or relevant comprehensive professional experience. Applicants without a required subject will be considered.

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS 6.5 (Academic) with a minimum of 5.5 in each component of writing, speaking, listening and reading. For more information see our full entry requirements.

Accredited by:

Course details

You can take the core units of this course separately as individual continuing professional development units (CPDs). You can find out more by following the links through to each of the units listed.

Download the programme specification (pdf 1.3mb)

Core units

Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services: Examine the scientific principles for ecosystem services, how they link with ecosystem function and their relationships with biodiversity. Key ecosystem services that will be considered include food and water, regulating flood and disease control, cultural services such as spiritual, recreational, and cultural benefits, and nutrient cycling. You'll explore how ecosystem services production can be measured and mapped, the distribution of beneficiaries, different approaches to valuation and potential links with the green economy. Key emerging issues include potential trade-offs between ecosystem services and between ecosystem services and biodiversity.
Carbon Management: Increasing concern about the potential impacts of global climate change, attributable primarily to human activities, has placed the issue of carbon management at the top of the international policy agenda. You'll examine the science underpinning the process of climate change and how this might be addressed through adaptation and mitigation measures, based on an understanding of the global carbon cycle.
Environmental Law & Social Justice: Justice in a complex world, environmental policy and law decisions have implications for the environment and the people that live in and rely on it. In this unit we'll explore the legal and policy dynamics and the factors that influence environmental social justice outcomes in environmental policy debates, and identify how social justice considerations can be incorporated more effectively into environmental policy.
Frontiers of Sustainability Science: Sustainability science has emerged in recent years as a new scientific discipline, at the interface between environmental science and sustainable development. Key objectives include understanding of the dynamics of human-environment systems, easing the design, execution and evaluation of practical interventions that promote sustainability in particular places and contexts, and improving links between research, innovation, policy and management. You'll develop a detailed knowledge of sustainability science and advanced literature-based research, evaluation and reporting skills. You'll also learn to use your knowledge to solve problems.
Green technology & Renewable Energy: In the context of global climate change and the consequent need to phase out using fossil fuels, developing renewable energy sources has become one of the main drivers of the green economy. Green technology developments can also improve efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while reducing the ecological footprint of human activities. However, such technologies can also have negative environmental impacts and become the focus of social concern. This unit examines environmental and social impacts of different technologies; to critically evaluate which approaches might truly be considered ‘green’. It will consider the main environmental, political and socio-economic drivers for the development of green technology, and examine how these challenges are being met through scientific and technological innovation.
Sustainable Development in Practice: Understand how the scientific principles for sustainable development can be executed in practice. You'll consider the international policy for sustainable development, and evaluate the extent to which policy targets and goals have been achieved to identify any lessons that might be learned. This will include considering how sustainability can be measured, for example through using indicators. The practical execution of sustainable development's principles will then be explored through a series of real-world case studies, relating to a variety of different locations and focusing on different economic sectors.

Option units (choose one)

Research Project: An introduction to a range of academic skills essential for becoming a successful researcher in the modern research environment. You'll learn transferable skills in designing a research project, developing the right methodology, writing a research proposal, collecting and analysing data and presenting your work at conferences and in scientific journals. The unit combines a variety of learning and teaching methods including lectures, workshops, computer-based learning, practical activities and small group work.
Extended Professional Placement: The placement offers you a workplace experience for developing your vocational skills and applying the theory and knowledge gained from other elements of the course. You'll get an opportunity to gain individual professional experience through executing a practical project in a workplace environment. The placements could potentially be with any government, non-government or commercial organisation, and might typically include NGOs, government bodies, local councils, private companies, consultancies or community or research organisations.

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may change from year to year.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

Placement opportunities

Work-based projects and Extended Professional Placements

There is no requirement for a professional placement. However, the course has been designed so that it may be taken in conjunction with paid employment, for example by studying on a part-time basis. If you have been or are currently in employment you will be encouraged to draw on your professional practice during the course.

Rather than undertake a research project towards the production of a dissertation, you may prefer to undertake a work-based project, referred to as the Extended Professional Placement. You would then be required to produce a portfolio of activities describing the project work undertaken, as part of the placement. Typically this might be conducted over a period of several months.

Your application

A strong background in scientific subjects is not an essential requirement for this course, and candidates with a broad range of first degrees will be considered, including arts and humanities as well as scientific subjects. A key requirement is a commitment to learn about and integrate perspectives from a range of disciplines, including both social and environmental sciences, and the characteristics of social-ecological systems.

Above all, candidates should be keen to consider the real-world challenges to achieving sustainable development, and to critically examine the various options for the future that have been proposed.

What we’re looking for

For MSc Green Economy we are looking for applicants who:

Are enthusiastic to learn about a wide range of issues relating to sustainable development and the development of a green economy
Are interested to apply the knowledge that they gain during the course to solving practical problems in the real world
Are prepared to engage actively in an online learning process, including interacting with staff and other students
Can demonstrate an academic interest in the multi-disciplinary science that underpins development of the green economy
Can demonstrate a practical interest in environmental issues.

We welcome students who are keen to develop their intellectual skills by gaining a sound scientific understanding of the green economy and the process of sustainable development. This course is strongly interdisciplinary, and therefore we welcome candidates from a wide range of academic backgrounds and interests.

We particularly encourage applications from people who are keen to broaden their education and who are interested in learning about a wide range of issues relating to the development of a green economy. Candidates should have a strong interest and commitment to the environment, but should be committed to deepening their knowledge of the scientific principles underpinning sustainability, and learning how these may be applied in practice.

Selection methods

How and when to apply

There is no application deadline for this course. However, if you will need a visa to come to the UK to study, think carefully about the length of time it will take for your visa application to be processed and make sure your visa will be ready in time for the beginning of your course.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in a required subject. Required subject: Geography, Ecology, Environmental Science, Economics, Politics, Psychology or Sociology.

Applicants without a required subject will be considered.

For post-experience and professional qualifications, there may be additional entry requirements set by the association or institute that ultimately administers the qualification in question. The qualification description on the course information pages should tell you what these are but please get in touch with the Future Students Enquiry team if you are in doubt.

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow. Some of these are based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry team for more information.

International entry requirements

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level.

Careers

Upon completion of this course you will enjoy a wide range of career opportunities, as an increasing number of organisations are taking an active interest in the green economy. Not only will this course equip you with subject expertise, but you will have a practical understanding of how to apply that knowledge to make a difference to businesses. This will give you extra marketability in the professional arena, providing you with a route into a successful and rewarding career.

Potential job roles

Industries worked in

Further study

Costs and fees

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees and funding section, including details of the Postgraduate Loan (subject to fee status).

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per annum. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.

Find out more about living expenses for postgraduate students

No hidden extras

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

One set of study-related consumables such as a memory stick/ DVD
Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity
Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement
A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
Disability and additional learning support
The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website.
Optional fieldwork travel, outdoor wear and footwear (where applicable)
Text books, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses.

Repeat units

Financial help available from BU

Deposits

International (non-EU) students need to pay a non-refundable £2,000 deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that teaching staff can change.

Dr Elena Cantarello – Lecturer

Dr Elena Cantarello is a lecturer in sustainability science with ten years experience in conducting research in forest landscapes. Elena has knowledge and experience in GIS and spatially explicit modelling tools (Landis-II), which she regularly employ in her research to explore vegetation dynamics and changes in ecosystem services in response to human impacts. Her particular interest is to contribute to solutions to environmental problems and to provide tools that inform environmental practice and policy implementation.

Elena has worked in local, regional and international projects, collaborating with several academic institutions, government bodies and commercial partners in the UK, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Kyrgyzstan and Italy. She has also undertaken regular and extensive fieldwork campaigns, particularly in the New Forest National Park. Since 2011 she has been involved in the development of the materials for the MSc in Green Economy and is now the programme leader as well as the unit leader of the units in carbon management and climate change, and green technologies and renewables.

View Dr Elena Cantarello’s staff profile

What our students say

Brian Atkinson

The academics are very, very good. The material is interesting and well written.

Hear from our staff

Dr Adrian Newton

The green economy is widely seen as a potential solution to current economic and environmental crises and a potential mechanism to achieve sustainable development.

Hear from our alumni

Lucy Harbour

On days when I wasn't working I studied from home. Distance learning suited me and I got better grades than I did when I was studying first time around.