MSc Climate Change: Science, Society and Solutions

• Join the world number one for societal and environmental impact (THE Impact Rankings 2021) and a top 10 UK university for Geography (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021).
• Benefit from a highly interdisciplinary teaching approach, giving you breadth of knowledge across the social and natural sciences and the flexibility to specialise.
• Explore the full range of solutions to climate change spanning mitigation options for reducing and removing greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation options for protecting against climate change impacts, and more unconventional solar geoengineering ideas for reflecting sunlight back into space and cooling the planet.

Our climate is changing. How we mitigate climate change and adapt to live in a changing climate are fundamental questions for society. Delivered from the unique vantage point of the world's first industrialised city, the MSc Climate Change: Science, Society and Solutions has been designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills you will need to help respond to the challenges of human-induced climate change.

This interdisciplinary programme is led by the Department of Geography, with contributions from around the University, including the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. It will develop your understanding of the options for tackling climate change, the societal and political contexts in which they reside, and the scientific background to the problem itself.

The programme aims to empower you with an applied and critical understanding of the full range of social, political, and technical options for tackling climate change. This includes mitigation options for reducing and removing greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation options for protecting against climate change impacts, as well as more unconventional solar geoengineering ideas for reflecting sunlight back into space and cooling the planet. It will also enable you to develop your scientific knowledge of climate change; hone your critical, analytical, and communication skills; and to design and deliver cutting-edge research under expert guidance.

The programme is ideal for those who want to pursue a career in: local, national or international climate policy; businesses and industries focussed on climate change innovations or corporate social responsibility (CSR); non-governmental organisations (NGOs) campaigning or lobbying for action on climate change issues; or in academia with a focus on climate change research. You will have the freedom to specialise according to your interests and ambitions through drawing upon an array of elective units. This will be carefully guided through the induction process and wider programme support.

Full entry requirements

For the latest information on demonstrating your English proficiency for those whose first language is not English, please see our language requirements .

This programme also accepts successful completion of the 6 and 10 Week Pre-sessional English Language course. We accept the following qualifications which must be valid on the start date of the Master's course.

Pre-sessional 6 Week Course Requirement:

IELTS - 6.0 Overall with 6.0 in writing, no more than one subskill at 5.5 and no subskill below 5.5

TOEFL iBT - 80 overall with 20 in writing, and 20 in speaking, with a minimum of 18 in all other subskills

Pearson PTE Academic or Academic UKVI - 65 overall with 65 in writing, no more than one subskill of 59 and no other subskill below 59.

Pre-sessional 10 Week Course Requirement:

IELTS - 5.5 overall with no element below 5.5

TOEFL iBT - 72 overall with 20 in speaking and no other element below 18

Pearson PTE Academic UKVI - 59 overall and no element below 59

Career opportunities