Why study Environment and Development at Edinburgh?
- Our programme enables you to critically evaluate the multiple dimensions of the inter-relationship between development and the environment, with an abiding concern for social and environmental justice.
- It is suitable for students from various undergraduate disciplines, from the environmental and natural sciences to the social and political sciences and humanities.
- Our teaching approach encourages you to reflect upon your role as both researchers and professionals in transformations towards social and environmental justice, considering the ethics of engagement in an unequal world.
- You will be taught by world-leading researchers and experienced practitioners working in environment and development fields in various sectors from non-government organisations (NGOs), consultancies, or state organisations.
- This programme provides a strong basis for engaged citizenship in the world, enabling you to contribute to world debates and actions for reducing inequalities and working towards social and environmental justice and more sustainable practices.
- Through this MSc, you will meet a range of environment and development practitioners who offer their perspectives on taught courses, through dedicated postgraduate career activities, and potentially through collaborations during your own dissertation research.
Online Information Session
Watch the recording of our online Information Session (26th Feb), hosted by Programme Director Dr Clare Barnes.
Back to the applicant website
Pre-arrival reading list
Your courses
This MSc programme comprises:
- compulsory and option courses
- dissertation
The programme helps you develop:
- critical reflective skills
- strong research and critical analysis capabilities
- professional skills tailored to environment and development sectors
- a deep understanding of social and environmental issues
It provides a strong basis for engaged citizenship in the world, enabling you to contribute to world debates and actions for reducing inequalities and working towards social and environmental justice and more sustainable practices.
You can find out more about compulsory and optional courses on the Degree Programme Tables (DPTs). Please note that the information on the current DPTs is for academic year 2024-25 and is subject to change in future years. 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
The dissertation provides an opportunity for you to delve into a topic you are personally interested in, within the broad learning outcomes of the programme.
You can decide on your own topic and may choose to partner with organisations such as NGOs.
This would also provide you with the opportunity to develop skills in working with a partner as well as idea development and project management.
Students choose to write dissertations on a variety of topics – though all approach their topic by centering issues of (in)justices.
Recent topics have included:
- Equity issues of air pollution in London
- Rights of Nature in Ecuador
- Gendered nature of rural land ownership
- Food sovereignty
- Impacts of mining operations on groups in society
Where will you be taught?
For our MSc Environment and Development programme, most of the teaching on compulsory courses is in central Edinburgh.
Depending on the option courses you choose, you may study at the King's Buildings campus, which is- around 15 minutes from central Edinburgh.
Our student Natalie on studying an MSc in Environment and Development
Field trips/excursions
Through our compulsory field trip, you will have the unique opportunity to experience first-hand the intersection of environment and development issues within the global South through collaboration with leading indigenous research organisations - this trip has been to Nepal and Cuba in the past. Please see past student testimonials on this:
Field course locations may change for a variety of reasons. Where suitable, fieldwork will be relocated or rescheduled. Our compulsory field trips or field courses are free, including travel and accommodation.
Scholarships
School of GeoSciences scholarships
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.
Future of your subject
The programme provides a strong basis for engaged citizenship in the world, enabling you to contribute to world debates and actions for reducing inequalities and working towards social and environmental justice and more sustainable practices. The skills and knowledge gained are much desired in environment and society sectors - from NGOs, to governmental bodies, international agencies, businesses and academia.
Careers
We are proud of our graduates, and many have gone on to jobs in government, NGOs, industry and academia around the world.
Some examples include:
- Government agencies in countries around the world
- Local governments
- International Non-governmental organisations such as Oxfam and Fauna & Flora International
- Environmental consultancies and environmental certification organisations
- a range of smaller NGOs, knowledge and research institutes, and home-country government departments around the world
Alumni
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.
If you prefer to watch a video, you can watch our alumni interviews on YouTube.
Your programme director and cohort lead.
Find out more about your programme director and cohort lead.
Dr. Clare Barnes
The programme director and cohort lead for the MSc Environment and Development programme is Clare Barnes. Clare works in natural resource governance in the Global South from a critical social sciences perspective. This means she is interested in issues of common lands, resource use, politics and inequalities in rural areas. Her PhD research was conducted in India and looked at how NGOs support community forestry – both directly through influencing communities, and also indirectly through policy and advocacy. Clare's current research looks at questions of scale in natural resource governance, forest livelihoods and reflexive learning. She is involved in the School’s efforts to widen student participation and diversify our student community.
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