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MSc Environmental Sustainability Education and Communication
Lead, educate and communicate on the most important environmental issues of our times.
Year of entry: 2026 (September)
Effective education and communication are crucial in addressing contemporary environmental challenges including the climate crisis and loss of biodiversity.
Environmental Sustainability Education and Communication (MSc) is an exciting collaboration between our Departments of Education and Environment and Geography and will equip you with the skills to lead change in your future career. You’ll develop participatory, inclusive and creative approaches to formal and non-formal education, and critically reflect on how these approaches can contribute to social and environmental justice, and to environmental care and repair.
Our course will empower you to take action, lead change and negotiate difference in constructive ways, drawing on approaches from philosophical dialogue to problem-based learning.
Accreditation
This course is accredited by the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES). Students on this programme qualify for free student membership of the IES.
Course content
Our programme is an offer from Environmental Sustainability at York, a collaboration between research, teaching, and policy; spanning disciplines across the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences.
You will study a total of 180 credits across the duration of your course, including five core modules, one option module, and a dissertation focusing on an environmental sustainability education or communication topic. Further information about the modules can be found below.
- Semester 1 - three core modules
- Semester 2 - two core modules and one option module
- Summer semester - 60 credit dissertation
Modules
Core modules
- Transformative Environmental Education
- Communicating the Climate Emergency
- Sustainability 1: definitions of sustainability and methods of assessment
- Research Methods for Education I: Researching Questions
- Research Methods for Education II: Researching Answers or Professional Practice in Education*
*You must choose this module in Semester 2 in order to take the Professional Practice Dissertation.
Option modules
You will also study one option module. Examples may include:
Elective modules
You may be able to replace one option module with an elective module, studying a complementary subject, a language or an interdisciplinary topic.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
Dissertation
You will complete an 10,000-word dissertation as part of this MSc. Your dissertation will focus on environmental sustainability education or communication.
- Dissertation
- Professional Practice Dissertation (you need to choose the Professional Practice in Education module in Semester 2 to take this option)
Learning outcomes
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
Learning outcomes for this course
- Demonstrate a systematic and critical understanding of the role of education and communication in addressing environmental problems, and a global and multidisciplinary view of solutions and actions
- Critically reflect on the use of education and communication to interrogate values, include stakeholders, elicit different perspectives, and work across difference on environmental issues
- Ask questions and use a comprehensive understanding of research techniques in environmental education and communication
- Create and communicate meaningful and equitable solutions to complex, real-world educational scenarios to promote environmental sustainability - using a variety of means - in a highly credible, independent, and trusted way
- Work independently and in teams to educate and communicate in formal and non-formal settings, using reliable and trustworthy sources of information and evidence to inform thinking
- Take a whole systems approach to environmental sustainability education and imagine alternative educational futures
- Use initiative and imagination to make decisions and take responsibility for informed individual, social and political action
- Make a positive contribution by assessing the environmental impact of education and communication actions, set targets for improvement and understand the implications of change.
Fees and funding
Annual tuition fees for 2026/27
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £13,900 | £27,250 |
Fees information
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
Funding information
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2026/27 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
Funding opportunities
Chevening Scholarships
We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.
Teaching and assessment
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, capabilities, opportunities, and support you need for growth and leadership in environmental sustainability education and communication.
Teaching format
You will be taught through a combination of formal lectures, seminars, practical exercises and scenarios, workshops and online learning.
You'll spend time working on your own, reading assigned texts and researching supporting materials, as well as working with others to research, discuss and present your ideas.
There will also be opportunities to attend seminars from visiting scholars on a wide variety of educational topics.
Teaching location
This programme is an offer from Environmental Sustainability at York. You will be based in the Department of Education and the Department of Environment and Geography on Campus West. Teaching for this course takes place at various locations on Campus West.
About our campus
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
Assessment and feedback
You will be assessed by a variety of methods during the course, these will depend on the modules you study. Assessment methods include:
- infographics
- lesson plans and commentary
- online exams
- policy briefs
- portfolios
- presentations
- reflections
- reports
- dissertation
Throughout your course you'll complete several assessed tasks which don't count towards your final grade. The feedback you receive for these will help you understand your strengths and identify areas for improvement as you work towards the module assessments.
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Careers and skills
This course is suitable if you are aiming for a sustainability related role in the for-profit or not-for-profit sectors and education settings. By the time you graduate you will have gained a wide base of knowledge and a diverse skill set that will enable you to begin or advance your career in areas related to environmental sustainability education or communication.
Career opportunities
Career opportunities for graduates of MSc Environmental Sustainability Education and Communication are varied and include:
- Education roles in formal and non-formal educational settings, for example environmental centres, charities, museums, science centres, schools, and colleges
- Communication roles in industry, the civil service, the media, and charities
- Research roles in industry, third sector, UN, and academia.
Transferable skills
- Communicating effectively to a range of audiences
- Creativity
- Curiosity
- Critical thinking
- IT skills
- Leadership
- Problem solving
- Research methods
- Team working
- Time management and organisation
Turn ambition into achievement with our expert guidance and connections. From your first day here to life after graduation, we'll help you find your career advantage.
Entry requirements
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in any subject or equivalent professional experience. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
English language
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Qualification | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum 6 in each component |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 136, minimum 126 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 478-509, with 444-477 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all components |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
If you haven't met our English language requirements
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
Next steps
Contact us
Get in touch if you have any questions
Dr Anna Bull
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