Why study Carbon Management (Online Learning) at Edinburgh?

Carbon Management at Edinburgh

  • Our unique programme provides an opportunity to study at The University of Edinburgh on an increasingly important subject and yet stay at home wherever you may be.
  • Within our programme, you can develop the skills and knowledge to engage critically with climate change discussions and challenges for an equitable transition toward a resilient, low-carbon future for all.
  • You will learn from academics working at the leading edge of carbon management and climate change.
  • Our programme is made for a diverse range of graduates from the natural, environmental and social sciences, as well as from business, economics, management studies and other related degrees who are passionate about combatting climate change.
  • This degree may be for you if you're looking to provide climate change skills and knowledge in your organisation or want to move into this field from a completely different one.
  • We offer a wide network to find opportunities for dissertation projects with external organisations, enhancing the real-world relevance of your degree.

Online Information Session

Watch the recording of our online Information Session (20th Feb), hosted by Programme Director Dr James Paterson.

Back to the applicant website

Pre-arrival reading

Your courses

This MSc programme comprises:

  • 6 compulsory courses
  • dissertation

You will be taught various topics and themes across the required courses, including: 

  • climate science 
  • climate change risk 
  • mitigation and adaptation 
  • policy 
  • business 
  • climate justice
  • nature-based solutions

You can find out more about compulsory and optional courses on the Degree Programme Tables. This programme is undergoing structural changes as it transitions from MSc Carbon Management (Online Learning) to MSc Climate Change Management (Online Learning). We link to the latest information available for this programme, which refers to the current MSc Carbon Management (Online Learning) programme (24/25). Please note that this should be considered indicative. The DPTs for academic year 2025/26 will be published in April 2025.

Read more about selecting optional courses on the applicant website.

Your dissertation

Your teaching team will work with you throughout the programme to prepare for the dissertation project.

This will be your opportunity to explore a topic of your choice in relation to climate change and carbon management.

You can even use the dissertation to explore your own business idea for tackling climate change through the business plan dissertation option. 

Some students find external supervisors, often within a business or NGO but the staff in GeoSciences supervise most.

We have had a huge range of dissertation topics in the past, ranging from:

  • conservation
  • energy
  • consumer behaviour
  • and life cycle assessments. 

Where will you be taught?

This programme is delivered 100% online and part-time, enabling you to study flexibly and at your own pace. Many students continue to work full-time and partake in the programme. You will benefit from interaction and engagement with our expert staff, as well as your peers around the world.

Future of your subject

Given the burgeoning global impacts of climate change, this area of study has never been more important.

We need more people with a strong grounding in climate change issues to work in all areas in society, so we envisage this course going from strength to strength.

We are introducing new courses over the next few years as well as updating existing ones.   

Scholarships

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Online learning scholarships

The University offers several scholarships specifically for online, part-time postgraduate programmes.

School of GeoSciences scholarships

See potential funding for students studying a postgraduate degree with the School of GeoSciences:

Scholarships and student funding

You can find funding opportunities, tuition fees and costs of living for prospective UK and international postgraduate students on the University website.

You are also encouraged to undertake your own research into the range of potential scholarships and other funding outside the University for which you may be eligible.

Careers

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Our graduates work in hundreds of organisations around the world within the climate change field.

Some examples include: 

  • Deutsche Bank
  • Forestry Department Malawi
  • Scottish Government
  • The Carbon Trust, Deloitte
  • AECOM
  • Mott MacDonald
  • World Bank
  • 2020 Climate Group
  • Japanese Ministry of Education
  • Climate Bonds Initiative
  • China Beijing Environmental Exchange
  • WindPower Nepal
  • UBS
  • Department of Energy and Climate Change
  • Edinburgh Climate Change Institute

Alumni

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We have a thriving global network of alumni living and working around the world. As well as individual MSc programme networks, the School of GeoSciences has a large alumni network, which you can join after graduation. You'll have the opportunity to engage with and learn from like minded individuals who can offer advice about shaping your career path.

You can read our alumni profiles to find out more about our graduates experiences throughout their studies and beyond on our website:

Your programme director and cohort lead.

Find out more about your programme director and cohort lead.

Dr James Paterson headshot

Dr James Paterson

The programme director and cohort lead for MSc Carbon Management (online learning) is James Paterson.

James' main interests lie in adaptation to climate change in the agricultural, forest and conservation sectors although he has also worked on several ecosystem services projects.

More recently he has been focusing on the role ecosystems can have in adaptation and currently runs a course for campus students called Nature-based Solutions (which he hopes to introduce online very soon).

He is a keen bass player (in a progressive rock band…), skier, hiker and wine lover. 

Dr Erika Warnatzsch headshot

Dr. Erika Warnatzsch

The co-programme director and cohort lead for this programme is Erika Warnatzsch. Erika is a digital education designer and teacher at The University of Edinburgh. Her main interests are in the intersection between climate change and health.  In addition to post-graduate teaching, she provides a range of professional development courses for corporate clients, and develop Climate Solution MOOCs for an international youth audience.  Outside of academia she has a background in carbon accounting and had the privilege to work with businesses, policy makers, communities, and individuals from around the world on climate solutions. On a more personal note - she is a mum of two and she enjoys photography and hill walking with her cocker spaniel Isla. 

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