York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs)

York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs) offer our students the opportunity to develop skills and experience in working across disciplines on sustainability challenges.

Our York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs) are elective modules that allow students to work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary teams to solve local, regional and global sustainability challenges. Students are taught by academics from different departments and work in groups with students from across the University, allowing them to apply their expertise to these challenges and learn from students and staff from other disciplines.

Established by Environmental Sustainability at York (ESAY), there are currently four sustainability-related YIMs available for undergraduate and taught postgraduate students to take in 2025/26 (subject to department availability/timetabling constraints).

Award-winning modules

In 2024, our YIMs were awarded a national Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) from Advance HE. The award has been made in recognition of the ESAY-YIMs team’s value-based approach to collaborative, interdisciplinary programme design, teaching and learning.

YIMs prospectus 2026-27

Read our latest York Interdisciplinary Modules prospectus to find out which elective modules are available to choose next year.

YIMs Prospectus 2026/27 (PDF , 1,003kb)

Contact us

Sustainability at York

Take a YIM in 2026/27

Applications are now open to choose a York Interdisciplinary Module in 2026/27, including the award-winning Sustainability Clinic.

How to apply

Check your eligibility: Find out if your department allows you to take an elective module. You'll have heard about this at the start of Semester 2 when choosing modules for next year.
Choose the YIM you would like to take. Browse our modules below and pick one that fits your stage of study. Remember to check the “who can take this module" section on each module description.
Submit your application via e:Vision before 7 March 2026. Go to 'Your Study'; look for the 'Module Registrations' section. There, you'll find the option for 'Elective Module Application.'
Wait for confirmation: once your application has been submitted, you'll be contacted in due course to hear whether your application has been successful.
Have a question? Visit our FAQ page or email us via esay@york.ac.uk.

Apply for a YIM elective module via e:Vision

Current YIMs available

Future of Food

Develop an understanding of the food system and work in multi-disciplinary student groups to create a solution to a food system related challenge.

Sustainability Clinic

As part of a multidisciplinary team, work on “live” real-world sustainability problems for a range of organisations including charities, businesses and NGOs, helping them to achieve their sustainability goals.

Sustainability and Policy

Learn how policy engagement is used to tackle environmental and social challenges. Work in multi-disciplinary student groups and use engagement to solve challenges faced in developed and developing countries.

Climate Crisis, Advocacy and Action

Place yourself in the shoes of an environmental rights investigator or campaigner and work in multi-disciplinary student groups to tackle a climate-related unlawful government policy or failure to act.

Just and Equitable Nature-based Solutions

NEW FOR 2026/27: Explore how nature-based solutions can transform the built environment to tackle the climate crisis while advancing biodiversity, health, and social justice.

Future of Food

Students develop an understanding of the food system and work in multi-disciplinary student groups to create a solution to a food system related challenge.

The current UK food system is giving rise to a growing social, health and environmental crisis. Much food production and our practices of food consumption are environmentally unsustainable. A new kind of food system is needed which restores and regenerates the natural environment while also delivering safe, healthy, affordable food to all populations. The module introduces students to social, economic and environmental challenges in food systems with case studies covered in lectures and workshops.

Further information about the module

Module code

ESA00001I

Offered by

Department of Biology and the School for Business & Society.

Who can take this module?

2nd Year undergraduate students in Semester 2 (subject to timetabling availability).

Climate Crisis, Advocacy and Action

Students place themselves in the shoes of an environmental rights investigator or campaigner and work in multi-disciplinary student groups to tackle a climate-related unlawful government policy or failure to act.

In this module, students act as strategic environmental rights investigators and campaigners, collaborating with peers from various disciplines. Working on real-world issues from external agencies, such as NGOs, they analyse climate crises at a strategic level. For example, students might explore solutions to prevent raw sewage dumping in UK rivers, investigating scientific evidence, community impacts, and potential legal or political avenues, along with any obstacles to change.

Further information about the module

Module code

ESA00003H

Offered by

Department of Chemistry, Department of Environment and Geography, and York Law School.

Who can take this module?

3rd Year undergraduate students in Semester 2 (subject to timetable availability).

Sustainability and Policy

Students learn to use policy engagement to address environmental and social challenges, working in multidisciplinary teams to solve issues faced in both developed and developing countries.

Our planet faces urgent, life-threatening challenges like climate change, wildfires, pollution, and biodiversity loss. The science-policy interface, where theory turns into action, is more crucial than ever as time runs out to address these threats to environmental and human health.

In this module, students tackle environmental and social challenges, focusing on policy engagement in both developed and developing countries. Working in multidisciplinary groups, they use evidence and research to communicate with diverse audiences for maximum impact.

Further information about the module

Module code

ESA00004H

Offered by

Stockholm Environment Institute at York (SEI-Y).

Who can take this module?

3rd Year undergraduate students in Semester 2 (subject to timetable availability).

Sustainability Clinic

Students are put into multidisciplinary teams to help local and regional organisations and businesses achieve their sustainability goals.

In multidisciplinary teams, students collaborate with local and regional organisations, government, charities, or businesses to address real-life sustainability challenges. Problems range from environmental quality and biodiversity to sustainable business, policy, and heritage.

Throughout their projects, students receive support through dedicated training, a project facilitator, and access to university experts for guidance.

Undergraduate (semester 1)Undergraduate (semester 2)

Postgraduate (semester 2)

Module codes

ESA00002H (semester 1) ESA00001H (semester 2) ESA00002M (postgraduate)

Offered by

A collaboration between Environmental Sustainability at York (ESAY), Careers and Placements, Department of Environment and Geography, the Baroness Hale Law Clinic and York Environmental Sustainability Institute (YESI).

Who can take this module?

3rd year undergraduate students in Semester 1 or Semester 2; taught postgraduate students in Semester 2 (subject to timetable/department availability). Please do not choose this module if you are a 3rd Year Environment and Geography student, as it has already been included in your list of module choices.

Just and Equitable Nature-based Solutions

Explore how nature-based solutions can transform the built environment to tackle the climate crisis while advancing biodiversity, health, and social justice.

In this module, students investigate the development of nature-based solutions for the built environment as an ecosystem-based approach to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis whilst also improving biodiversity, livelihoods, resource use, and health and well-being. The module will go on to explore the intersection between nature and justice to ensure that the power of nature and people can be used to generate transformational changes in the pursuit of progressive regenerative sustainable and just nature-grounded communities.

Further information about the module