collageOur Climate Change: Environment, Science and Policy MSc is an interdisciplinary course that examines key issues relating to climate and environmental change at an advanced level. You will explore a wide range of critical topics, focusing on human influences on the Earth’s climate and environment, and their societal consequences.
This MSc is unique because it’s flexible and allows you to study climate change from a policy or science pathway – and choose from an interdisciplinary list of optional modules to deepen your knowledge. You can choose to take the science pathway and concentrate your studies on the physical science aspects, such as forecasting climate change and its impacts. If you opt for the policy pathway, you’ll focus on the societal aspects, such as policymaking, adaptation, and communication.
This flexibility allows you to specialize while still studying modules from the other pathway. By drawing on social, natural, and environmental science approaches, you’ll learn how to critically analyse and interpret scientific evidence related to climate change, its distributional impacts across the globe, and the responses of nation-states, businesses, and other key stakeholders.
You’ll join an alumni network boasting graduates working in consultancy, NGOs, governments, and further academic research. This article explains how to obtain masters in climate change online, information on environment and climate change masters, and masters In climate change and sustainable development
Key benefits
- Bring your understanding of climate and environmental change issues up-to-date, focusing on the human influences and societal consequences of climate change.
- Learn about how the potential future impacts and consequences of environmental change can be studied, including changes to the climate, carbon cycle, hydrology and land use.
- Master your ability to address complex research and policy questions with newly developed multidisciplinary skills. Gain the skills to critically evaluate and analyse environmental change research, the implications of the science, and the range of possible policy responses.
- Develop your understanding of what policymakers and society need from scientific research in order to respond to global and regional environmental changes.
- Find out more about the nature of the uncertainties involved in future predictions.
Course detail
Description
This Climate Change: Environment, Science and Policy MSc is unique because it approaches the topic from both a science and policy perspective, which means you’ll learn more about applied physical science that’s policy-relevant.
It’s also the only MSc where you can choose to study climate change with a focus on science or policy – or you can opt for a more comprehensive understanding of both disciplines. With 50 modules to choose from, this Climate Change: Environment, Science and Policy MSc is a rare opportunity to get truly interdisciplinary teaching.
You’ll complete compulsory modules on the Fundamentals of Climate Change and Environmental Science and Policymaking, to develop your cross-disciplinary outlook. You’ll get the chance to learn from researchers who have, and are currently, contributing to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as well as staff providing expert advice to the UK Government on a wide range of pressing policy matters.
You’ll also have the freedom to pick from a large number of optional modules from across all our Geography programs, including the Environmental Internship where students gain hands-on experience of formulating and implementing actions on behalf of an environmental actor. Students can also take one module outside Geography such as the Global Law of Climate Change.
You’ll be taught by physical and social scientists, and gain an in-depth understanding of the scientific and policy basis of a series of global environmental change issues.
Course format and assessment
Teaching
We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face-to-face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.
We will teach you through a combination of lectures and seminars, and typically 20 hours per module. We also expect you to undertake 130 hours of independent study for each module.
| Module | Lectures, seminars, and feedback | Self-study |
|---|---|---|
| Per 15-credit taught module | 16-30 hours | 120-134 hours (some modules may involve lab work or e-learning which would require less self-guided learning) |
| Dissertation module | Usually 5 contact hours of one-to-one or group consultation with supervisors | 595 hours of self-study and project work |
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Assessment
Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include essays and other written assignments, oral presentations, lab work and occasionally an examination, depending on the modules selected. All students also undertake a research-based dissertation of 12,000 words.
Location
This program is primarily taught at the King’s College London Strand Campus, with occasional lectures and practical sessions taking place at the Waterloo Campus. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select.
Regulating Body
King’s College London is regulated by the Office for Students. Read more
Structure
Programs are divided into modules. You will take modules totaling 180-190 credits as outlined below
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date innovative and relevant programs of study. Therefore, modules offered may change, and not all optional modules given below are offered every year.
Required Modules
Required Modules
You are required to take the following module:
- Dissertation (60 credits)
Science Pathway
If you choose the Science Pathway, you are also required to take the following modules:
- Fundamentals of Climate Change (15 credits)
- Methods for Environmental Data Analysis (15 credits)
- Modelling Environmenta Change (15 credits)
- Research Design and Project Management (15 credits)
Policy pathway
If you choose the Policy pathway, you are also required to take the following modules:
- Environmental Science and Policymaking (15 credits)
- Fundamentals of Climate Change (15 credits)
- Practising Social Research (15 credits)
- Research Design and Project Management (15 credits)
Optional Modules
In addition, for both Science and policy Pathways, students are required to take 60-70 credits of optional modules, which may typically include:
- Advanced Quantitative and Spatial Methods in Human Geography (15 credits)
- Climate: Science and Society (15 credits)
- Earth Observation and Remote Sensing for Sustainability (15 Credits)
- Environmental Dynamics in the Anthropocene (15 credits)
- Environmental Internship (15 credits)
- Environmental Science and Policymaking (15 credits) (Required for Policy pathway, Optional for Science pathway)
- Environmental Science for Sustainability
- GIS and Spatial Data Science (15 Credits)
- Political Ecology and Development (15 Credits)
- Resilience, Adaptation and Development (15 Credits)
- Risk Analysis: Science and Applications (15 Credits)
Other Optional Modules Available to Students
- Any Level 7 (Master’s) modules offered in the Department of Geography including from those listed above.
- Global Law of Climate Change (20 Credits), (King’s Dickson Poon School of Law), subject to approvals.
- Green finance: Regulation and Governance (20 credits)(King’s Dickson Poon School of Law), subject to approvals.
- Up to 20 credits from Level 7 (Master’s) modules form other King’s Departments or Institutes outside of Geography, subject to approvals.
Part-Time Students
Part-time students on both pathways are advised to take 75-90 credits of taught modules in their first year. Students on the Science Pathway are advised to take Modelling Environmental Change, Methods for Environmental Data analysis, and Fundamentals of Climate Change their first year, and Research Design and Project Management in their second year. Students on the Policy Pathway are advised to take Environmental Science and Policymaking and Fundamentals of Climate Change their first year, and Practising Social Research and Research Design and Project Management their second year. Should Students have strong reasons to deviate from this module, they should consult with and have the agreement of their Programme Director.
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date innovative and relevant programs of study. Therefore, the modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Entry requirements & how to apply
| Minimum requirements | 2:1 | 2:1 degree with preference given to geography, natural sciences (such as environmental science, physics, chemistry, and biology), and engineering subjects. Candidates who do not achieve a 2:1 but have professional or voluntary experience will also be considered. In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this program you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. |
|---|---|---|
| International requirements | Visit our admissions webpages to view our International entry requirements. | |
| English Language requirements | Band B | Visit our admissions webpages to view our English language entry requirements. |
Application procedure
Applications must be made online using King’s online application portal apply.kcl.ac.uk and a non-refundable application fee of £70 applies.
We run a rolling admissions system. We aim to process all complete applications within four to six weeks; during February and March and over holiday periods, applications may take longer to process.
For marginal academic criteria cases, candidates will be invited to a remote video interview to assess their ability to successfully complete the program. Interviews will be conducted by the Geography staff.
Personal statement and supporting information
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
| Supporting Document | Yes | Please provide a writing sample of around 500 words, answering the following questions. Please note this is an essential requirement and supporting statements that do not answer the questions below will not be assessed as part of your application. Why you are applying for this specific program, and how does it fit in with your future plans? (max 250 words)How do your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this program? (max 250 words)Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents, where your answers are not clearly titled and separated, will not be accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
| References | Yes | One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you |
| Other | Optional | Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application |
Environment And Climate Change Masters
This environment and climate change master’s program is focused on understanding processes, both natural and anthropogenic, which have contributed to contemporary environmental problems and which threaten to transform our environment.
Emphasis is placed on techniques for reconstructing recent environmental change, methods of contemporary monitoring, and providing the context for predicted possible future consequences.
The degree draws upon staff expertise from across the School of Environmental Sciences and has a strong practical component including specialist training in a wide variety of field and laboratory techniques. The course has recently benefited from substantial investment in teaching facilities and equipment.
A variety of assessment approaches are used including, oral and poster presentations, reports, essays, and field notebooks. Teaching is provided in a range of environments and formats, including field, seminars, lectures, small groups, and laboratories.
For a Diploma, students will complete and be assessed on eight months of coursework. For the MSc, an additional four months will be spent preparing and submitting a dissertation based either on a research project or a placement with an appropriate institution.
Masters In Climate Change And Sustainable Development
Climate action and sustainable development are inseparable.
Climate change is a threat multiplier. It amplifies existing threats, exacerbating problems for the economy, environment, and society.
I would like to share with you three points of linkage between climate change and sustainable development goals based upon our latest assessment.
First, the current warming is already producing negative impacts on natural and human systems, seriously impeding progress toward some SDGs.
Second, an ambitious climate goal such as the Paris Agreement objective of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursuing 1.5 degrees Celsius helps achieve most SDGs but it creates a trade-off for some SDGs, and balancing the goals will be a challenge.
Third, ambitious climate actions produce new opportunities for the economy, environment, and society. But these are contingent upon international cooperation, with social justice and equity being core aspects of climate-resilient development pathways.
The basis of these three points in our latest assessment on the global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
First, a few brief comments on the impact of current warming and its implications for sustainable development:
Currently, the global average temperature is 1 degree Celsius higher than the preindustrial level. But the warming is not uniform. Obtaining a master’s in climate change and sustainable development is good.
Most land regions are experiencing warming greater than this 1-degree average. For instance, the Arctic temperature is two to three times higher.
Up to 40% of the world’s population lives in areas where the warming already exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial level for at least one season.
This has caused notable disruptions in human livelihoods.
We found that: For agriculture-dependent countries, the temperature has had a positive and statistically significant effect on outmigration over recent decades. A 1 degree Celsius increase in average temperature was associated with a 1.9% increase in bilateral migration flows from 142 sending countries and 19 receiving countries. A 1-millimeter increase in precipitation was associated with a 0.5% increase in migration.
These findings confirm the concern we raised 5 years ago when we completed the 5th assessment report that climate change impacts on migration and displacement were an emerging risk.
Our report on 1.5-degree warming also found that coral reefs and biodiversity are at higher risk with current warming than previously understood and that four regions face disproportionately higher risks than others—the Arctic, small island regions, dryland regions, and least developed countries.
In particular, we detected economic slowdowns due to warming in the tropics and the Southern Hemisphere subtropics. Climate change adversely affected crop yields in these regions.
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