Prepare to lead business through current and future sustainability challenges and opportunities with our York-Maastricht Partnership course
Year of entry: 2023 (September)
Join us online between 11am and 2pm GMT on Wednesday 8 February to see what postgraduate study at York is all about. Find out more.
Book your placeBusiness is a crucial agent for change. Instead of the origin of sustainability problems, it can be the initiator of innovation and lead on solutions to the pressing problems of our time.
Gain the knowledge, skills and experiences you need to lead on sustainability initiatives and change in a business setting with a degree from a prestigious Russell Group university.
Our problem-based learning (PBL) and research-led approaches to teaching mean you'll develop expertise in independent and critical thinking. Opportunities to undertake projects with external organisations allow you to apply your skills to real-world problems. Dedicated placement, employability and careers support will be available with this degree to facilitate these opportunities and provide ongoing careers guidance.
On graduation, you'll be well-placed for roles in internationally orientated companies, public institutions or (non-governmental) organisations that are committed to international agreements and which strive for sustainability.
This course is taught in English at our campus in York.
The course runs on semesters from 18 September 2023 to 6 September 2024.
Modern, dynamic learning that ensures you experience and understand concepts in practical, social and theoretical contexts
We believe that universities should have a positive impact at a local, national and global level
We've improved our ranking to become a top 15 research department, and our research is ranked joint second in the UK for impact, according to the Times Higher Education's ranking of the latest REF results (2021).
This course is a 60 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) Masters. You should expect to spend around 28 hours of study for 1 ECTS (taught, self study and assessment activities). This equates to 1680 hours over the year.
The course structure will equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to undertake an independent academic or applied sustainable business project. You'll gain multidisciplinary knowledge, including business functions, theories of intra- and entrepreneurship, and environmental, social and economic sustainability.
You'll develop skills in project design and implementation. You'll learn how to design and implement effective change management strategies including how to assess, improve and monitor the sustainability of an organisation. Through the group project you'll gain the experience of collaboration with an external organisation committed to sustainable business.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
In the Summer Term you'll initiate, design, and implement a substantial research project. You'll have three to four months to complete a dissertation based on your original research.
You can choose to focus your research on any topic related to sustainability that interests you. It could be a chance to explore a previous topic in greater depth, or investigate an organisational challenge in an industry close to your heart.
You'll work under the guidance of a personal supervisor with expertise in the subject you're studying. Your supervisor will help you develop research questions and identify methods and theories to investigate and analyse your topic.
You have the option to undertake your project through placement with an external organisation in the UK or further afield. If you choose a placement, you will be supported by a dedicated Industry Liaison Officer (ILO).
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.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £9,990 | £22,250 |
| Part-Time (2years) | £4,995 | £11,125 |
Students on a Student Visa (formerly Tier 4 Visa) are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
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.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2023/24 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
If you are interested in the exchange option, you should consider the implications for:
Travel and accommodation for the conference will be covered.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
Throughout the course, there is a strong focus on project work and developing your change management skills.
The first section of the course is taken up by taught modules. Programme teaching comprises a mix of lectures, seminars, workshops, and face-to-face and online PBL learning opportunities, as well as independent private study.
At the start of the group project, you'll select a broad project idea from a list compiled in collaboration with business partners.
To support project development and implementation, you'll have weekly two-hour workshops and separate one-hour weekly meetings with business partners.
For your independent project, you'll have regular one-hour meetings with the academic supervisor and business partner (if undertaken as placement) as well as weekly two-hour workshops in the first eight weeks of the module.
Our state-of-the-art building contains purpose-built labs, lecture theatre and seminar rooms.
You will be based in the Department of Environment and Geography on Campus West.
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.
All the modules you take will be assessed, and we employ a variety of forms of assessment, including:
Your individual project will be assessed on a research project proposal, conference presentation and dissertation.
On graduation, you'll be well-placed for roles in internationally oriented companies, public institutions or (non-governmental) organisations that are committed to international agreements and strive for sustainability.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:1 or equivalent in any discipline or 2:2 with relevant professional experience. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 7.0, with a minimum of 7.0 in Writing and no less than 6.5 in all other components |
| C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency | 185, with a minimum of 185 in Writing and no less than 176 in all other components |
| Duolingo | 130, minimum 130 in Production and 120 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | C1: 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert International ESOL | C1 Expert: Pass with 25/50 in each component |
| PTE Academic/PTE Academic Online | 67, with a minimum of 67 in Writing and no less than 61 in all other components |
| TOEFL | 96 with a minimum of 24 in Writing and no less than 23 in all other components |
| Trinity ISE III | Level 3 with Distinction in all components |
For more information see our postgraduate 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.
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