School of Earth and Environment
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  • Overview
  • Entry Requirements
  • Fees & Funding
  • Course Structure
  • Course Leaders
  • Industry Links
  • Student Profiles

Overview

This long-established programme examines the ways in which businesses can improve their environmental performance and enhance their social responsibility.

Uniquely based outside of a business school context, this programme adopts an interdisciplinary approach to the complex relationship between business and the different dimensions of sustainability. Taught by specialists in sustainability, the course combines a conceptual review of the relationships between business, environment and society with a more applied examination of the wide range of initiatives that relate to environmental management and corporate social responsibility.

Perspectives from government, business and stakeholder groups (such as pressure and community groups) are examined, drawing on the expertise of the School, the University and the practitioner community.

The course explores the drivers pushing business to tackle sustainability from insider and outsider perspectives, considers how sustainability is conceptualised from a business perspective and introduces students to different approaches to managing the challenges of sustainability. It examines the range of management tools that are available, shows how they are applied in practical situations, and examines the factors that shape the success or failure of these initiatives.

Excellent Career Prospects

This programme aims to equip student for careers both in business and in other sectors of the economy (such as government or non-governmental organisations). The final career destination often depends on the experience the students had before starting the MSc, so some who have already worked in business find it easier to get sustainability or CSR jobs in companies immediately upon graduation. We have some students who are taking ‘time out’ from their jobs to enhance their sustainability credentials and are able to return to their jobs with new skills and understanding. Others who are more recent graduates may work for local government or NGOs or undertake internships. Others are now working for consultancy companies. Some students continue in education to do PhDs.

Some specific examples include:

Entry Requirements

Candidates should have an upper second class degree (2.1) or above in an environmental or social science, management or economics subject. Equivalent international qualifications are also acceptable.

Mature applicants without a first degree or with a lower degree classification may be considered on the basis of their relevant industry experience and their potential for benefiting from the programme.

Applicants whose first language is not English, or whose degree is not from a UK institution, will need to satisfy language requirements determined by the School. Please click here for more information.

Not sure if your International/European degree meets our requirements? Find out more information here.

Fees & Funding

For programme fee information visit our fees page

School Scholarships

There are twelve SEE Excellence Scholarships available (various awards for International/Home and EU), for full information visit the School's Scholarships page

Postgraduate Scholarships at Leeds

Visit the University of Leeds Scholarship Web Page: http://scholarships.leeds.ac.uk/

Other Funding Sources

Students in the past have secured funding through a career development loan, for details visit the UK Government Website

Cost of Living in Leeds - Useful Links

Cost of living in Leeds - Leeds University Union guidance

Unipol Student Homes - Unipol Housing Leeds provides student accommodation directly to around 2,000 students including 194 student families in self-catering provision. Information on accommodation costs and 'find a home' events can be found via this website.

Course Structure

This programme shares the sustainability foundation modules with the other MSc Sustainability programmes and the business focused modules then apply these concepts to the business context, both in theory and in practice. The programme aims to develop knowledge and skills for environmental and social excellence in business beyond ‘technical fix’ and ‘end of pipe solutions’ to think about business and sustainability more holistically.

Students on the programme have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of optional modules in different dimensions of sustainability that complement and enhance the business oriented modules, for example, in international development, climate change, law or management.

The compulsory and optional modules can be found in the programme catalogue.

Course Leaders

The course is taught by a number of staff from the Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) within the School and is managed by Dr Anne Tallontire.

Industry Links

Our University is a corporate member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) and our students are eligible to join IEMA as Student members.

We encourage students to develop links with companies or organisations for their dissertations and provide information on internship opportunities to enhance students’ practical skills and experience.

Student Profiles

On this page you can find out more about our former students:

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