MSc Global Sustainable Development
Gillingham, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
How will we tackle ongoing global challenges? Join our MSc programme – Global Sustainable Development.
Despite progress in many aspects of global development over recent decades, about 735 million people experienced hunger in 2022, an increase of 122 million since 2019. Degradation of our natural resources – land, water, forests, and biodiversity – continues at alarming rates. These challenges are exacerbated by climate change and violent conflicts in many parts of the world. Tackling these challenges and ensuring a better future will require sustainable development and Transformative Change (TC) – a disruptive change, systemic, occurs at relatively large scales, and involves a reconfiguration of technology, economy, institutions, and society.
Our Global Sustainable Development MSc will provide you with an in-depth understanding of Development Studies theory and practice, including different conceptions of human, societal and environmental changes. Drawing on real-world-lessons from various domains (economic, environmental, social, and institutional), sectors (agri-food, energy, education, and financial services) and contexts (developing and developed countries), you will develop the capacity to critically discuss, analyse, and evaluate sustainable development and TC. You will develop hands-on skills in sustainable development design and planning, project management, research, and impact evaluation methods, and familiarity with systems modelling and relevant software. The MSc will enhance your communication, networking, and community engagement skills.
What you should know about this course
- This MSc course is run by the Natural Resources Institute – a specialist organisation with a focus on development-related research, teaching, consultancy, and community engagement
- Receive personalised teaching from a team of world-leading researchers and development practitioners with experience working with the World Bank, UN, CGIAR, NGOs, etc
- NRI’s extensive global networks & ongoing research projects in 30+ countries will provide you with opportunities for practitioner-based learning
- You will receive one-to-one care and mentoring and be part of a vibrant and diverse postgraduate student community
- Course content is focused not only on what the world’s sustainable development challenges and potential solutions are but also on ‘how to make changes happen’.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
There is a range of financial support options available to support your studies, including the Aspire@Greenwich award for study resources that many full-time students will receive.
EU students may be eligible for a bursary to support their studies. View our EU bursary to find out more.
Discover more about grants, student loans, bursaries and scholarships. We also provide advice and support on budgeting, money management, and financial hardship.
Curriculum
Full time
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory modules.
- Independent Research Project (NRI) (60 credits)
- Fundamentals of Sustainable Development (15 credits)
- Transformative Change – Concepts, Theories, and Case Studies (30 credits)
- Sustainable Development Research Methods (15 credits)
- Planning for Sustainable Development (15 credits)
Students are required to choose 45 credits from this list of options.
- Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) for Sustainable Development and Transformative Change (15 credits)
- Economics, Agriculture and Marketing (15 credits)
- Adaptation to Environmental Change: Climate and Water (15 credits)
- Climate Change, Food Security and Sustainable Development (15 credits)
- Fragility, Conflict and Emergency (15 credits)
- Gender, Inequalities and Social Difference (15 credits)
- Regenerative Societies, Economies and Environments (15 credits)
Part-time
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory modules.
- Fundamentals of Sustainable Development (15 credits)
- Transformative Change – Concepts, Theories, and Case Studies (30 credits)
- Sustainable Development Research Methods (15 credits)
- Planning for Sustainable Development (15 credits)
Year 2
Students are required to study the following compulsory modules.
- Independent Research Project (NRI) (60 credits)
Students are required to choose 45 credits from this list of options.
- Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) for Sustainable Development and Transformative Change (15 credits)
- Economics, Agriculture and Marketing (15 credits)
- Adaptation to Environmental Change: Climate and Water (15 credits)
- Climate Change, Food Security and Sustainable Development (15 credits)
- Fragility, Conflict and Emergency (15 credits)
- Gender, Inequalities and Social Difference (15 credits)
Regenerative Societies, Economies and Environments (15 credits)
Career Opportunities
What sort of careers do graduates pursue?
Our interdisciplinary MSc will make your employment ready for opportunities in government and NGOs worldwide, as managers, policymakers and researchers who can analyse, facilitate, plan, and lead the transformative change towards sustainable development.
Do you provide employability services?
We have a team dedicated to enhancing student employment outcomes. This includes an Employer Partnerships Manager, who works with companies to provide placement and employment opportunities.
Our team will also help you understand the jobs market, produce effective CVs, and prepare for graduate job and placement applications in your final year.
Program Leaders
Student Testimonials
Program Admission Requirements
Show your commitment and readiness for Grad school by taking the GRE - the most broadly accepted exam for graduate programs internationally.