MSc Environmental Sustainability Simon Allen and Marc Metzger School of GeoSciences University of Edinburgh Web:

Origin and profile of the MSc programme Launched by interdisciplinary sustainability centre First cohort 1997/98 Admits up to 35 students per year Diverse academic backgrounds and nationalities 379 graduates to date Employment destinations: – Environmental consultancy – Public sector agencies – Non-governmental organisations – Local authority and community organisations – Education and further research

Part of a suite of MSc programmes MSc programmes offered by the School of GeoSciences MSc Ecological Economics MSc Ecosystem Services MSc Environment, Culture and Society MSc Environment and Development MSc Environmental Protection and Management MSc Environmental Sustainability MSc Marine Systems and Policies MSc Sustainable Resource Management MSc Food Security Programmes led and organised by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)

Structure of the MSc programme Semester 1 – Core: Principles of Environmental Sustainability (Allen) – Option course 1 – Option course 2 Semester 2 – Core: Case Studies in Sustainable Development (Metzger) – Option course 3 – Option course 4 May to August – Dissertation research project

Principles of Environmental Sustainability Semester 1 core course Context setting, ‘big picture’, provides interdisciplinary integrating framework History of sustainability as an idea Focuses on core principles: Holism, integration and systems thinking Environmental protection Equity Participation and governance Precautionary principle Polluter pays principle Analytical and conceptual Assessed by essay and exam

Case Studies in Sustainable Development Semester 2 core course ‘Solutions’ oriented External speakers, mainly practitioners Case studies covering varied sectors and scales ‘Hands-on’ element: group projects with Social Responsibility and Sustainability department Food / waste / resource efficiency Energy / travel / procurement Student and staff engagement Skills element: communication outside of academia Assessment Group presentations Policy briefs

Option courses Students choose two per semester Semester 1 Atmospheric Quality and Global Change Development: Principles and Practices Ecosystem Dynamics and Functions Ecological Economics Environment and Development Human Dimensions of Environmental Change Integrated Resource Management Marine Systems and Policies Values and the Environment Semester 2 Energy Policy and Politics Environmental Impact Assessment Forests and Environment Global Environmental Politics Participation in Policy and Planning Political Ecology Sustainability of Food Production Waste Reduction and Recycling Water Resource Management Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) School of Social and Political Science

Dissertation 15 weeks, up to 20,000 words Most students choose their own research topics Some collaborative projects with external organisations Word cloud showing 100 most frequent words in 379 dissertation titles (produced using Wordle)

A few titles to illustrate the diversity of dissertation research topics Assessing and tackling the barriers to reducing aviation emissions within the University of Edinburgh Understanding the impacts of soil conservation measures on food security around Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda Climate change adaptation in the private sector: How prepared are the brewing and whisky industries in Scotland? Inclusiveness and participation in Transition Towns in socially deprived areas Food businesses in Scotland and the transition to zero waste A study of urban air pollution and control measures in Hong Kong The socio-cultural value of urban green space: a method of assessing the impact of the Edinburgh Living Landscape What is permaculture and is it the answer to the 'ecological crisis'? The Climate Challenge Fund, sustainable lifestyles and achieving pro-environmental behaviour change

How is interdisciplinarity achieved? Following the key questions and arguments wherever they lead, without recognising disciplinary boundaries Being open minded and valuing other perspectives Recruiting a diverse group of students Encouraging discussion and social interaction Listening to students and soliciting their ideas Sharing courses with other MSc programmes to achieve breadth Building relationships with other parts of the university and external organisations

Challenges - academic Breadth versus depth – Lecturers and external contributors – Pitching material at the right level – Reading materials Varying interpretations of sustainability – Where are the boundaries? Assessment – Disciplinary differences in language and worldview – Disciplinary differences in epistemology – Theory and abstraction may be valued more than application and practice

Challenges - organisational Choice / complexity versus efficiency Timetabling Dissertations – Finding suitable and willing supervisors – Covering all the students’ interests – Expectations of host organisations – Applied versus theory-driven topics Working against academic culture – Emphasis on research excellence favours specialisation

Challenges - students Recruitment: applicants have varied understandings of ‘Environmental Sustainability’ Lack of relevance of case studies to overseas students Shift in student interests from characterising ‘the problems’ to finding ‘the solutions’ Differing levels of personal engagement with sustainability Staying positive in the face of unsustainability The need for envisioning a sustainable future