Climate Futures: Science, Society and Politics MSc

The following modules are available in 2023/24 for Climate Futures: Science, Society and Politics MSc and are examples of the modules you are likely to study. All Modules are subject to change. You will study 180 credits in total.

Compulsory modules

The compulsory modules will develop your core practical and critical analytical skills and methods in social, political and natural sciences to enable deeper cross-disciplinary specialisation later in the course.

Physical Climate Change, Impacts and Mitigation – 30 credits

You’ll be introduced to the natural sciences behind climate change, the history of climatology and the philosophy and sociology of science, establishing a scientific literacy that is essential for understanding and responding to climate change.

Social and Political Dimensions of the Climate Challenge – 30 credits

The module introduces essential social analytical tools for navigating diverse climate knowledge disciplines and understanding and critiquing competing approaches to social and technical transformation.

Climate Futures Project: Visions for Transformative Change – 60 credits

You’ll take part in a residential field course and regular practical and problem-solving workshops to develop your research and communications skills. The module will enhance your opportunity to put into practice the language, theory and research methods to communicate and enact change across disciplines, with a focus on employability skills.

Optional modules

You’ll study any two of the following four optional modules, each exploring a particular perspective on the climate challenge facing society today, building on the breadth of knowledge, approaches and methods gained in semester one.

Climate Risk – 30 credits

This module explores the science and politics of climate change as a risk management challenge and how it’s framed in terms of probabilistic future scenarios involving assessments of impacts, vulnerabilities and approaches to risk mitigation and adaptation that balance costs and benefits.

Climate Security – 30 credits

This module explores climate change as a question of securing threatened natural and social systems directing attention towards worst case scenarios and potential emergency measures.

Climate and Development – 30 credits

This module explores the many ways in which climate change intersects with the challenge of global development, sustainable livelihoods and related goals like poverty reduction, equality, health and food security with a focus on the Global South.

Climate Justice – 30 credits

This module explores – and plans to tackle – how climate change inevitably has complex repercussions for social and natural systems, and therefore involve multi-dimensional questions of justice and fairness.