Overview

This course is aimed at people who want to pursue a career in environment economics. It can be taken either as a twelve-month Masters degree or nine-month Diploma.

The MSc/Diploma in Environmental Economics is a specialised programme of advanced interdisciplinary knowledge and skills in the economics of environmental resources. The programme is designed for economics graduates who would like an advanced academic qualification as a starting point for a career in environmental economics or for those who intend to progress into doctoral research in this field.

In particular, the MSc/Diploma in Environmental Economics aims to:

• Provide students with advanced knowledge of, and skills in, economics and management of natural resources
• Develop critical and analytical capability in relation to the economics and management of environmental resources
• Provide students with training in: quantitative methods, bibliography/computing skills, research management, personal development and a range of other skills relevant to post-graduate employment
• Develop students' interpersonal skills
• Assist students to develop the skills required for both self-study practice and team-working

The MSc in Environmental Economics provides an academic qualification for those intending to work or already working in the area of environmental management. It also serves as preparation for those who wish to enrol on a PhD course in this research field. Students also have the possibility to transfer from the MSc programme to the MPhil/PhD programme at the end of the taught module component.

The Diploma in Environmental Economics offers an opportunity for mid-career professionals who may not wish to pursue a research degree, to upgrade their skills in this field.

Content

All Environment degree programmes have a 'modular' structure, where each module comprises a 10 credit unit or multiple of this. A 10 credit module is equivalent to 100 hours of work, typically comprising 18 contact hours with staff and 82 hours of private-study for a lecture-based module. Modules involving field and laboratory classes have a higher proportion of contact time.

The MSc/Diploma course comprises both compulsory and optional modules. Students must accumulate 180 credits for the MSc course and 120 credits for the Diploma course in total.

Of the optional taught modules, the students on MSc/Diploma in Environmental Economics may take at a maximum of 10 credits from the environmental/ecological optional modules:

• Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
• Environmental Law and Policy
• Fisheries Ecology and Management
• Pollution Control and Waste Management
• Pollution Effects on Soil/Plant/Water Ecosystems
• Wildlife Management

An 80 credits dissertation forms a major component of the MSc in Environmental Economics. The dissertation involves the application of economic theory and methodology to a problem in environmental economics and environmental management.

Structure

Key:

• C= Compulsory
• O = Optional
• C* = ONE of these two modules must be taken
• [E] = taught by the Economics Department