MSc Sustainable Development

University College Dublin

Ireland, Dublin

University RankQS Ranking

127

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Home/Ireland/Dublin /University College Dublin/MSc Sustainable Development

University College Dublin

Ireland , Dublin

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

Online

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake Deadlines25-Jan-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 1 year(s)

Tuition Fee

EUR 10,700 / year

Next Intake 25-Jan-2026

MSc Sustainable Development

About

(Online Programme)

Please read our FAQ page before proceeding to the Contact Us button above.

Visit Our Website for Further Information such as Entry Requirement and Application Documents.

Programme Information Session Webinars are now available! Every Friday at 1pm (Dublin Time)

Register in advance for one of the webinars.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

World Top 100 in the QS Ranking 2024 in Politics | Oldest and Largest School of its Kind in Ireland.

UCD School of Politics & International Relations is the oldest and largest school of its kind in Ireland with over 150 years of experience in political studies and a world-renowned faculty drawn from many countries.

In September 2015, the United Nations adopted Agenda 2030, an ambitious agenda to promote people, planet, and prosperity. Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted as part of Agenda 2030, setting forth an ambitious framework of action for countries around the world.

UCD has worked with the SDG Academy since its foundation. Prof Patrick Paul Walsh has served on her Academic Oversight Committee since 2012. UCD and the SDG Academy have identified a clear need and demand to offer a formal online Masters in Sustainable Development. The SDG Academy is the online education platform of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global initiative for the United Nations. UCD is ranked 14 in the Times Higher World Impact Ranking 2020 for SDG Partnerships (SDG 17) with clear focus on sustainability in the new strategic plan, rising to the future.

The online Masters in Sustainable Development brings together the best of online resources in the SDG Academy, UN SDSN academic “stars” and experts, with her partner UCD, a leading University in the area of Sustainable Development.

This MSc programme will be the first online, global programme of its kind, drawing on the expertise, credibility and network of its host institution to offer cutting edge, global, multi-disciplinary learning for the SDGs.

The course has the unique ability to address the large range of issues covered by the SDG agenda that will equip students to solve some of the most pressing issues of our times. Both organizations, with mandates to support the UN system through consultative status , are well-suited to establish and administer such a programme and provide students with a unique experience in access to global taught leaders, opportunities for excellent placements and careers in Sustainable Development.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

A primary degree with at least Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1). 2H1 is equivalent to 60 per cent, B minus or 3.08 GPA - in American system: B or 3.00 GPA.
English language requirements: applicants whose first language is not English should have met TOEFL, IELTs, or computer-based TOEFL requirements (600, 6.5, or 250 respectively), or the Cambridge English Test (Certificate in Advanced English at a minimum of Grade B, or Certificate of Proficiency in English at Grade C). Applicants who obtained a previous degree from an English-speaking university may be exempted from this requirement.
Your application will be considered on its individual merits and relevant professional experience will also be taken into account.
Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD’s International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information: https://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/int%20pmp/
These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes

You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

English Program Requirements

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

Taught Master's: A minimum overall score of 7.0 over all components and a minimum of 6.0 in each band on the Academic Version. The non-academic version is not accepted.

Research Programmes: A minimum overall score of 6.5 over all components and a minimum of 6.0 in each band on the Academic Version. The non-academic version is not accepted.

IELTS Indicator: A minimum overall score of 7.0 over all components and a minimum of 6.0 in each band. This test will be accepted for 2022/23 and 2023/24 intake.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Taught Master's: A minimum score of 100 is required in the Internet based TOEFL (iBT) with a score of at least 20 in each section.

Research Programmes: A minimum score of 90 is required in the Internet based TOEFL (iBT) with a score of at least 20 in each section.

TOEFL iBT Home: A minimum score of 100 is required with a score of at least 20 in each section.

Duolingo Test of English (DET)

UCD has approved the use of the Duolingo Test of English (DET) for the 2024/25 intake.
An overall score of 130 will be accepted with no section below 110.

Please note that this does not apply to the CEMS MiM / MSc in International Management. In the case of the CEMS MiM the Duolingo English Test will not be accepted.