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  • Climate Change Management (MSc / Postgraduate Diploma / Postgraduate Certificate)
  • 2012/2013 entry
  • Contact us
  • Assessment

    • Coursework and examinations. Coursework includes practical tasks relating to reporting of climate change-related information. The MSc also requires a substantial piece of independent research in the form of a dissertation, which accounts for one-third of the final grade.

  • Attendance
      • Two evenings a week.
      • October–September.
  • Duration
      • MSc/PgDip: two years part-time.
      • PgCert: one year part-time.
  • Entry requirements
      • Good honours degree (2:1) in a relevant discipline; we may consider professional experience in place of a degree.
      • Two references: either from an academic source and a past or present employer, or two from an academic source.
      • Non-native speakers need to provide proof of English language ability.

      Find out about our international entry requirements

  • Fees and funding
    • Fees (2012/13)

    • MSc Climate Change Management

      • Part-time (home/EU students): £3975 pa
      • Part-time (overseas students): £6875 pa

      Postgraduate Certificate Climate Change Management

      • Part-time (home/EU students): £2700 pa
      • Part-time (overseas students): £4575 pa
  • Location
      • Central London.
  • Teaching

    • Each module is taught via lectures and seminars lasting one term (either autumn or spring). Most are taught in the evening, but some options are taught in blocks of days. Revision sessions are held in the summer term before the examination period. Research supervision is provided for students preparing a dissertation.

Climate Change Management (MSc / Postgraduate Diploma / Postgraduate Certificate) - 2012/2013 entry


  • Overview

    • This programme provides you with a comprehensive advanced-level grounding in many areas of climate change and an opportunity to reflect on practice at both individual and corporate levels. As the programme is offered through part-time, evening face-to-face study, it provides a distinctive opportunity for practitioners to combine study with a continuing career.

      In the compulsory programme, you will gain an informed understanding of the key issues in the three main areas of science, policy and business by engaging with academic, professional and popular literature. You will be able to critically evaluate scientific scenarios for future climates and landscape impacts, assess the effectiveness of different policy approaches, and determine suitable business responses to the climate change challenge. You will then be able to pursue your own interests, both within climate change and across the broad range of Master's-level environment modules. The research project will comprise in-depth study of real challenges arising from climate change, in a number of contexts.

      Find out more about studying at Birkbeck and what our students say about our geography- and environment-related programmes.

  • Why study this course at Birkbeck?
      • Aims to meet the needs of both climate change practitioners and those hoping to move into this fast-developing sector.
      • We have good contacts with many public and private sector organisations, professional bodies and researchers at other academic institutions.
      • Excellent computing facilities, used for a range of GIS applications and remote sensing/image processing functions.
  • Course structure

    • MSc: complete all six modules, plus a dissertation (180 credits).

      Postgraduate Diploma: complete six taught modules (Year 1 and Year 2, 120 credits).

      Postgraduate Certificate: complete the modules Climate Change and Environment and Policy (60 credits).

      Year 1

      Four compulsory modules (worth 90 credits):

      • Climate Change (30 credits): fundamentals of the climate system and past changes over geological timescales; evidence for recent human-induced climate change; climate modelling and forecasting; climate change impacts on natural systems; mitigating human-induced climate change; adaptation strategies
      • Environment and Policy (30 credits): carbon policy; governance; sustainability and the city; futures planning.
      • Climate Change and Sustainable Business Practice (15 credits): impacts of climate change on different sectors; carbon reporting and the Carbon Disclosure Project; carbon in the supply chain; carbon footprinting and lifecycle analysis; financing a low-carbon economy; innovation for a low-carbon economy; cross-sector partnerships and the role of NGOs for a low-carbon economy.
      • Research Methods in Management I (15 credits): philosophy and research approaches; research design and qualitative methods; case studies; survey design; descriptive statistics; inferential statistics (correlation, regression, hypothesis testing).

      Year 2

      Dissertation (worth 60 credits)

      Two option modules (worth 30 credits) from a list including:

  • Study resources

    • Virtual learning environment; library facilities; fully equipped computer laboratories and significant expertise in GISc.

  • Further study opportunities
  • Careers information

    • Graduates go on to careers in government and policy, planning,development agencies and other international organisations, and journalism.

  • Apply now