Postgraduate taught 

Environmental Futures: Sustainable Systems MSc

Geo-Environmental Policy and Planning for Sustainable Futures EARTH4088

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

This course will involve student-led research and dissemination around contemporary environmental topics e.g. renewable energy, food security etc. Working in groups, students will explore an issue or problem, undertake research on it, and communicate their work in a form accessible to non-academic audiences e.g. a policy note or a science communication piece. This will help students to further develop key graduate attributes and consider their own employment prospects beyond the academy.

Timetable

Two classes per week for 5 weeks (held as 3-hour workshop).

Excluded Courses

none

Co-requisites

none

Assessment

Portfolio of group and individual outputs (e.g., policy note, children's game) (100%)

Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? Not applicable for Honours courses

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Course Aims

■ To encourage students to critically engage with contemporary environmental issues

■ To develop students' skills in teamwork and group research project design/implementation, and in the critical evaluation research and dissemination methods

■ To enhance students' (oral, visual, and written) communication skills to non-academic audiences 

■ To reinforce students' graduate attributes through self-reflection

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Design and undertake effective research on a contemporary environmental issue

■ Communicate the importance of environmental geoscience concepts and research findings to a non-academic audience

■ Work effectively as a team to manage deadlines

■ Audit and critically reflect on their skills set and understand how to frame these skills to prospective employers

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.