Environment and Development MSc
The University of Edinburgh
Student rating
This is the overall rating calculated by averaging all live reviews for this uni on Whatuni.
( 4.2) View reviews

Want to know what it's like to study this course at uni? We've got all the key info, from entry requirements to the modules on offer. If that all sounds good, why not check out reviews from real students or even book onto an upcoming open days?

Different course options
academic-cap
Qualification

MSc - Master of Science

location-pin
Location

Main Campus

beaker
Study mode

Full Time

calendar
Start date

SEP-26

time
Duration

1 Year

Course info

Select a course option


Qualification

MSc - Master of Science

Location

Main Campus

Study mode

Full Time

Start date

SEP-26

Duration

1 Year

SELECTED

Subjects

Select a subject


Geology
SELECTED

Geography & Environmental Science
SELECT

Exam type

Select a an exam type


Location

Select student location


Domestic
SELECTED

England
SELECT

Wales
SELECT

Northern Ireland
SELECT

EU
SELECT

Rest of World
SELECT

Course info

About the programme Are you ready to explore some of the world’s most pressing challenges? Understand the link between the environment, development agendas, and justice issues for today and the future. Our MSc Environment and Development enables you to critically evaluate the inter-relationships between development and the environment, with an abiding concern for social and environmental justice. What will I learn? You will learn about issues that are inherently transboundary, ...Read more

About the programme Are you ready to explore some of the world’s most pressing challenges? Understand the link between the environment, development agendas, and justice issues for today and the future. Our MSc Environment and Development enables you to critically evaluate the inter-relationships between development and the environment, with an abiding concern for social and environmental justice. What will I learn? You will learn about issues that are inherently transboundary, multi-generational and multi-faceted. Our approach to understanding these issues will centre on questions of justice and inequalities. Attempts to understand and address interconnected issues such as climate justice, gender and social equity, and biodiversity conservation, must pay close attention to their contested, political and ideological nature and how they differ across places and scales. That is why our MSc foregrounds society and nature as inherently linked, historical contexts as highly relevant to current debates, and global capitalism as an underlying force of change. It will consider the increasingly diverse set of actors, practices and processes driving environment and development issues, and question the power of these to direct agendas and actions. The MSc has relevance in both the ’Global South’ and ’Global North’, drawing attention to relationships of inequality and marginalisation as they occur for particular environments and sections of society worldwide. It will provide you with a unique critical perspective as it draws on expertise from across the University, especially from development geography, social and political sciences, and environmental studies. You will explore societal and environmental issues through different theoretical and conceptual lenses, examining the interplay of sociocultural perspectives, economics and governance, development debates and ecological dynamics. There is much diversity in what you can study and conduct research on. Our flexibility enables you to develop your interests at an advanced level in an area you are most passionate about. We will challenge you to cultivate reflective critical thinking that is cross-cutting and globally relevant. Is the MSc for me? The MSc provides a strong basis for engaged citizenship in the world, enabling you to contribute to world debates and actions for reducing inequalities and working towards social and environmental justice and more sustainable practices. The MSc Environment and Development will suit a range of students, including those with practical experience in the broad field of environment and development, either as practitioners, volunteers or activists. It is suitable for students from various undergraduate disciplines, from the environmental and natural sciences to the social and political sciences and humanities. We are fortunate to attract a wide range of students from around the globe, and we celebrate that diversity and the opportunities for learning that it brings. What is it really like to study with us? No one knows what it is like to study here better than the students themselves. Our students are sharing their experiences - from studying to living in Edinburgh and everything in between. Get social with us: Student experience blog School of GeoSciences Instagram School of GeoSciences TikTok

Key stats

Geology
  IDP Connect
CUG Subject Ranking
CUG Subject Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2026
10th
CUG Ranking
CUG Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2026
18th
What students say
SR
Student Reviewer
25 Feb 15

Some lecturers seem as if lecturing shouldn't be part of their job, just not enough effort or thought. However the vast majority of lecturers are enthusiastic, willing to help and..Read more

Modules

Modules (Year 1)
IDP Connect

Entry requirements

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent.

We may also consider a UK 2:2 honours degree, or its international equivalent, with relevant work experience, a strong personal statement and supportive reference.

Tuition fees

Students living in

Domestic

£18,000 per year

This information is updated by IDP Connect, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: The fees might vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Domestic

This is the fee you pay if the University is in the same country that you live in (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)

Standard single room - 9950 per year

£18,000 per year

This information is updated by IDP Connect, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: The fees might vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from England

Standard single room - 9950 per year

£18,000 per year

This information is updated by IDP Connect, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: The fees might vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Wales

Standard single room - 9950 per year

£18,000 per year

This information is updated by IDP Connect, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: The fees might vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Northern Ireland

Standard single room - 9950 per year

£38,800 per year

This information is updated by IDP Connect, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: The fees might vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from EU

The amount you'll pay if you come to study here from somewhere in the EU.

Standard single room - 9950 per year

£38,800 per year

This information is updated by IDP Connect, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: The fees might vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from International

The amount you'll pay if you come to study here from a country outside the EU.

Standard single room - 9950 per year

IDP Connect

Latest reviews

Latest Environmental Studies reviews

Environmental Studies
Environmental Studies
SR
Student Reviewer
25 Feb 15
Some lecturers seem as if lecturing shouldn't be part of their job, just not enough effort or thought. However the vast majority of lecturers are enthusiastic, willing to help and...
Read more
Review breakdown
University rating
University rating
Students' union
Societies and Sports
University halls
Facilities
Lecturers and teaching quality
Local life
Career prospects
Student support
Location
Campus look and feel
Student life
Course rating
Course content
Work placements and internships
Tutor contact time
Subject facilities
University location
Cost of living
Safety
Public transport
Part-time work opportunities
Graduate employment opportunities
Diversity
Location
Safety
Room allocation
Internet/wifi
Value for money
Property management

How Environmental Studies students rated:

Student rating
( 4.0) 1 reviews
5 star
0%
4 stars
100%
3 stars
0%
2 stars
0%
1 star
0%

How all students rated:

Student rating
( 4.2) 443 reviews
5 star
42%
4 stars
45%
3 stars
9%
2 stars
2%
1 star
2%
Search reviews that mention

Uni info

The University of Edinburgh
Old College, South Bridge Edinburgh EH8 9YL United Kingdom
Nearest train station: Edinburgh Waverley  0.2 miles away
Thinking of studying in Edinburgh?

Check out our

Edinburgh city guide

Find a course

  • Undergraduate
  • HND / HNC
  • Foundation degree
  • Access & foundation
  • Postgraduate