Partner Details

Centre for Alternative Technology

Awards

Target Award

Award Description:Master of Science - MS
Recruitable Target
Recruitable Target
Alternative Exit
Alternative Exit

Programme Offerings

Full-Time

F2F-CAT-SEP

Part-Time

DL-CAT-SEP

Educational Aims of the Course

The overall aim of the programme is to train postgraduate students so they are able to play a significant role in the development of approaches and application of knowledge to communicate and bring about transformative change in sustainability and adaption to global environmental issues. By their very nature global environmental issues are complex, and require a holistic awareness of scientific, social, cultural and economic concepts, issues, and theories. Therefore, an interdisciplinary approach is taken throughout the programme and is implicit in the programme aims and learning outcomes. This programme will offer appropriate support to students, so they can continue to build their knowledge, understanding and skills to become independent learners for the future. The specific aims of the programme are: • To critically reflect upon the consequences, seriousness, and urgency of environmental and climatic change with respect to how these multidisciplinary factors influence sustainability thinking and approaches to adaptation • To hone the ability to identify and appraise the complex influences that technical, political, legal, social, cultural and psychological factors have on the human / nature interface. • To develop technical evaluation skills to become systematic, logically iterative and imaginative, in order to make sound judgements within the limits of uncertainty and incomplete data, and communicate evidence and conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences; • To develop critical, practical and analytical problem-based learning and transferable skills to in order to make informed decisions to transform behaviour at a variety of organisational levels and bring about sustainable change; • To enable students to extend their capacity for independent study and to make an original contribution to research within the fields of Sustainability and Behavioural Change. • To develop the self-confidence and ability to act on, initiative, and to prepare for the rigours and demands of employment or further postgraduate study in areas related to sociology, communications, or sustainability. • Provide students with a well-developed academic base for further learning /research/ personal and professional development and employment within the fields of sustainability and/or behavioural change. • To develop transferable skills including written and verbal communication, IT, problem-solving, teamwork and time management skills, to prepare the students for leadership in the workplace.

Learning Outcomes

1.
Demonstrate a holistic, systematic and sophisticated understanding of the concepts, issues, and theories of behavioural change within the context of environmental, social and economic sustainability (e.g. Critical assessment of the theoretical approaches to enable transformational social change, evaluation of the roles and motivations of government and organisational approaches towards driving societal change, a critical understanding of the interactions of infrastructure, energy and material flows, transportation, food requirements and social dynamics that underpin the development and management of resources in cities);
2.
Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the logistical issues involved in planning and conducting social science research and study;
3.
Collate and handle data, carry out statistical analyses and modelling where appropriate.
4.
Communicate effectively in written and oral forms to a wider audience;
5.
Make effective use of communication and IT to gather and use evidence and data to find, retrieve, organise and exchange new information;
6.
Demonstrate clarity, fluency, and coherence in a variety of written forms and expression;
7.
Organise tasks and manage time effectively;
8.
Design, investigate, and present an extended and independently-conceived piece of research;
9.
Work in a team, identifying individual and collective goals; exercising initiative and personal responsibility when performing roles in a manner appropriate to achieving team goals.
10.
Present a sophisticated and integrative appreciation of the influence that technical, engineering, legal, political, social and cultural perspectives can have on developing sustainability and adaptation strategies;
11.
Gain specialist knowledge of behavioural, social and systems approaches to delivering the transformational social changes needed to bring about environmental and social sustainability and adaptation;
12.
Gain experience in techniques to assess, measure and monitor the effectiveness of behaviour change approaches and motivations towards sustainability.
13.
Develop and sustain arguments in a variety of written and numerical forms, formulating appropriate questions and using primary and secondary evidence;
14.
Critically evaluate methods, analyses, conclusions and relevance from interdisciplinary sources, and where appropriate, propose new hypotheses from congruent argument, of current research and advanced scholarship;
15.
Synthesise a clear understanding of the various attitudinal, legal, institutional and ethical considerations and developments associated with sustainability and adaptation in an area of practice;
16.
Display a holistic and sophisticated understanding of how knowledge is advanced through research, and produce clear, logically argued and original written work.
17.
Analyse the effectiveness of approaches to driving forward sustainable change, at a range of societal scales from individual, community, to governmental.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Teaching and learning will be via interactive lectures, workshops, discussion groups, seminars, oral presentations, and practical work. Assessments will be written, oral and practical assignments such as essays, project reports and presentations. Intellectual skills are developed through the teaching and learning programme. Critical analysis and problem-solving skills are embedded in all modules and are taught, developed and practised through debate, workshops and all forms of practical work. Experimental, research and design skills are further developed and practised through a broad range of coursework activities, project and dissertation work. Written or verbal individual feedback is given on all work submitted. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are assessed through written and oral assignments. Experimental research and design skills are assessed in the dissertation. Professional social science skills are taught during workshops in the core modules. Other relevant numerical and practical skills are taught across the suite of options. Experimental design is taught in the Dissertation module and is embedded thought the topic via lectures and workshops, and practical work. Professional social science skills are assessed via the dissertation and in core modules ‘Theoretical approaches to transformational social change,’ ‘Environmental politics and economics’ and ‘Communicating Transformational social change’ as well as in some of the optional modules. Transferable skills are taught, developed and practised through the teaching and learning programme. Social science techniques and problem-solving skills are taught on ‘dissertation and core modules ‘Theoretical approaches to transformational social change ‘, ‘Environmental politics and economics’ and ‘Communicating Transformational social change’ Students will also develop additional numerical and statistical problem solving skills within the dissertation and in modules such as ‘Energy Provision,’ or ‘Buildings and People’. Assessed through written and oral assessments.

Opportunities for work related learning

The programme offers a specific period of work-related skills in the Dissertation module (7520CATSCI) such as planning, and managing and completing an independent piece of research. Students have the option of completing a module ‘Work-based Project’ which is an individual project based within the work-place (7509CATSCI). The use of practitioners from sustainable food and natural resource industries within module teaching will also enable students to learn first-hand about the industry and meet professionals.

Programme Structure

Programme Structure Description

The MSc (180 credits) Sustainability and Behavioural Change is achieved via completion of the 30-credit introductory core module, the four 15-credit core modules, two optional 15-credit modules and the 60-credit dissertation module. Students completing the MSc programme part time will complete 60 credits in year 1, 60 credits in year … For more content click the Read More button below.

Approved variance from Academic Framework Regulations

Variance from PG.A4.2 (module-size requirements.) - 15-credit modules permitted Variance from PGA4.4 (semester credit balance) - A credit imbalance between semesters is permitted Note: Part-time students will be requested to do 60 credits of taught module in each academic year. The following variance applies only to students who joined the … For more content click the Read More button below.

Entry Requirements

Alternative qualifications considered
Other international requirements
Undergraduate degree

HECoS Code(s)

(CAH04-01) psychology
(CAH13-01) architecture, building and planning
(CAH26-01) geography, earth and environmental studies