MSc Energy and Climate Policy

Key information

• Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
• Start date: September 2023
• Apply by: 1 August 2023 (international), 1 September 2023 (UK)

Take on the challenge of creating sustainable energy systems.

To avoid catastrophic climate change, global carbon emissions must be brought to zero within a few decades. This requires a transformation of the global energy system, beginning now. On this MSc, you learn to contribute to this challenge. You’ll gain the skills and confidence to develop and deliver policy with impact. With climate change as a focus, you’ll explore the role of policy and innovation in transforming energy systems, while sharpening your analytical and decision-making skills.

You’re taught by globally recognised faculty from the University of Sussex Business School. This course draws on expertise from SPRU – Science Policy Research Unit and the Sussex Energy Group, one of the largest energy policy research groups in the world. You’ll explore the opportunities and challenges of creating sustainable and low-carbon energy systems throughout the world.

Our approach is interdisciplinary, practical and applied. The course gives you an essential foundation for careers in government, international organisations, the private sector and NGOs.

Accreditation

The University of Sussex Business School is accredited by EQUIS, the most comprehensive institutional accreditation system for business and management schools. Accreditation ensures rigorous quality control, benchmarking against international standards and is acknowledged worldwide.

With the growing importance of energy and climate change on political, corporate and even social agendas around the world, there is an increasing demand for energy policy professionals in this area.

With this MSc, you’ll be well prepared for work in:

• International organisations (such as the OECD, UNDP, UNEP, IEA, and IREAN)
• Government departments (such as the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, Government of British Columbia, Canada)
• Local authorities (such as the Brighton & Hove Council sustainability team)
• Businesses (such as RWE Npower, Ecofys, EDF, Unilever, Southern Solar, Renaissance Re, Centro de Apoio a Inovação Social-CAIS)
• NGOs (such as the International Social Science Council, Green Jobs Alliance, People and Planet)
• Independent consultancies
• Academia and further research.

Full-time and part-time study

Choose to study this course full-time or part-time, to fit around your work and personal life.

Online study

Choose to study this course online and benefit from the flexibility to gain a Master's qualification at a time and pace that suits you. You can start modules every two months and pause whenever you need to. Offering a distinctly Sussex style, you’ll be part of a global network of students, through peer-to-peer learning and discussion groups.

We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2023/24. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to COVID-19, or due to staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. It may not be possible to take some module combinations due to timetabling constraints. We’ll make sure to let our applicants know of material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Core modules

Core modules are taken by all students in the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

Autumn teaching

• Challenges in Energy and Climate Policy
• Perspectives on Energy and Climate Policy
• Policy Making and Policy Analysis
• Science, Technology and Innovations: Markets, Firms and Policies

Spring teaching

• Perspectives, Methods and Skills for Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

Summer teaching

• Dissertation (Energy Policy)

Options

Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.

While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.

Spring teaching

• Energy and Development
• Energy Policy and Sustainability
• Governing Energy Transitions
• Industrial and Innovation Policy
• Infrastructure, Innovation and Sustainability
• Innovation for Sustainability
• Introduction to Quantitative Research
• Quantitative Methods for Science, Technology and Innovation Studies
• Transformative Innovation Policy for Inclusion

Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Challenge

You’ll have the opportunity to compete for a prize for developing novel science, technology and innovation policy ideas. Our Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Challenge helps you develop skills in:

• Presenting
• Communication
• Critical thinking.

You can work on your own or in a small team. At the end of the year, you'll pitch your idea to a panel of industry experts and a live audience.

The Challenge is optional. It's designed to enrich your academic studies and give you the opportunity to apply knowledge gained from the course. It also allows you to explore essay and dissertation topics.

We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, we may need to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to COVID-19.

• Top 10 in the UK for Business and Economics (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020)
• 3rd in the UK for annual research income in 2015-2019 (Chartered Association of Business Schools)
• 16th in the world and 3rd in the UK in the field of energy economics (Research Papers in Economics 2019)