Sustainability and Adaptation

Masters in Sustainability and Adaptation
A flexible Master’s degree designed to develop a rigorous understanding of transformational responses to climate change. Taught at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), which pioneered sustainability practice and theory in the UK, this is the first MSc course to properly integrate and the social, political, economic and practical aspects of living with environmental change.

This Master’s degree tackles these themes through a combination of academic study, discussion and hands-on practical work. We give our MSc students the knowledge, skills and experience needed to develop a career in the environmental sector and make an impact. The programme draws on our expert staff and a wide selection of academics and specialist guest lecturers; people who have made exceptional contributions to environmental thinking and action.

The MSc course uses the concepts of sustainability and adaptation transformation to frame an analysis of environmental and climate change policy and its implications for society. Students can then choose modules from a wide range that covers politics and economics, urbanisation, communities, biodiversity and ecosystem services, energy in buildings, sustainable materials, environmental assessment and renewable energy.

How is the course taught?
Our MSc programme is taught either by distance learning or through residential blocks in one of the most imaginative environmental buildings in the UK, or in a mixture of the two.

What qualification will you receive?
Successful completion of the programme MSc Sustainability and Adaptation at the Centre for Alternative Technology leads to the award of Master of Science (MSc) by UEL. The programme is also available to study as a Postgraduate Certificate and as a Postgraduate Diploma. This course is created and delivered by CAT and validated by UEL.

Modules include:
Introduction to Sustainability and Adaptation
Sustainability and Adaptation Concepts in Practice
Introduction to Politics and Economics of the Environment
Energy Flows in Buildings
Cities and Communities
Energy Provision
Ecosystems and Ecosystems Services
Sustainable Materials in the Built Environment
Food Production and Consumption
Communicating Transformational Social Change
Restoration Ecology
International Zero CO2 Energy
Applied Research Design
MSc Dissertation

Why study at CAT?
Studying at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is a truly unique experience. For over 50 years CAT has been at the forefront of the environmental movement, pioneering low-carbon living and renewable technology. At the Graduate School of the Environment (GSE), students benefit from our extensive practical and academic knowledge, graduating with the skills needed to become leading players in the sustainability sector. Find out more about our facilities here.

Hands-on, flexible and immersive learning
At CAT, hands-on practical learning takes place side by side with academic study, group work and lectures during residential on-site block learning weeks taught at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), an immersive learning environment. Nestled in a disused slate quarry on the edge of the Eryri National Park, CAT is a living laboratory for practical, sustainable solutions. It contains some of the most innovative and renowned environmentally conscious buildings in the country, as well as one of the most diverse range of installed renewable technologies, on site water and sewage treatment, sustainably managed woodland and acres of organic gardens. It is a flexible degree with a choice of modules, each 8 weeks long, taken over one year or two – meaning the degree can be part time.

Is this the course for you?
Interested in studying this course? Join us for our next open day or contact us.