Skip to content Accessibility statement

PGDip Global Climate Challenges

Climate change is reshaping our world, demanding new ideas, bold action, and skilled leaders to tackle its urgent challenges

Year of entry: 2026 (September)

Start date
September 2026
View semester dates
Length
1 year full-time,
2 years part-time

Apply for this course

Human-driven climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is unfolding now, bringing rising seas, devastating floods, growing food and water insecurity, conflict, and mass migration.

The world urgently needs new ideas, bold leadership, and practical action. This course is designed to equip you with the tools to respond: to understand the challenges, devise innovative solutions, and drive meaningful change.

What makes this course unique is its breadth and flexibility. You’ll learn from world-leading researchers tackling the climate crisis across the University of York, including the internationally renowned Stockholm Environment Institute York. With optional modules spanning all three Faculties (Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and Social Sciences) you’ll develop a truly interdisciplinary perspective, and the ability to collaborate and communicate across boundaries.

By the time you graduate, you’ll have developed the green skills and expertise that employers in government, consultancy, charities, and business are urgently seeking. More than a degree, this is your chance to shape a more sustainable and just future.

Our superb £12.5m Environment and Geography building contains purpose-built labs, lecture theatre and seminar rooms, and features a spectacular living wall
Throughout the year, academic and industry speakers are invited to talk about current and policy-relevant areas of environmental research
You’ll benefit from our unique access to the Stockholm Environment Institute, an international environment policy unit based within the Environment Building at York.

Course content

You will study 120 credits across the duration of your course

Modules

Core Modules 

Optional Modules

You'll study two option modules per semester. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

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
  • Apply fundamental understanding of global climate challenges across multidisciplinary boundaries.
  • Evaluate strategies to build climate resilience through mitigation and adaptation.
  • Examine policy context for global environmental change from a range of stakeholder perspectives.
  • Communicate climate and sustainability concepts orally and in writing to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
  • Employ professional and technical skills to lead meaningful climate action

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees for 2026/27

Study modeUK (home)International and EU
Full-time (1 year) £10,540 £20,200
Part-time (2 years) £5,270 £10,100

Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.

For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.

  • UK (home) fees may increase in subsequent years (up to a maximum of 2%).
  • International fees may increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

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, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.

Teaching format

You'll be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops.

Teaching location

Run by the Department of Environment and Geography, you'll have access to a range of facilities, including our state-of-the-art Environment Building 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

Types of assessment in this course include:

  • Essays
  • Presentations
  • Reports
  • Policy briefs

Careers and skills

Through the development of skills in the collation, analysis, synthesis and presentation of interdisciplinary data, and an ability to work as part of a team, you'll graduate well-placed for a range of career paths.

Career opportunities

  • Environmental consultant
  • Sustainability manager
  • Climate-related charity and NGO work
  • Climate and sustainability consultant
  • Civil or government agency worker

Transferable skills

  • Time management and people skills 
  • Critical thinking and evaluation
  • Analytical and technical research skills 
  • Data analysis
  • Theoretically/methodologically informed decision making
  • Communication to multiple and distinct audiences

Entry requirements

Qualification Typical offer
Undergraduate degree 2.2 in a related subject or relevant 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 of 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 requirements

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.

Discover York

We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to premium.
Explore campus and city life and hear what our current students have to say about living here.
Lively, full of culture and beautiful, York is regularly voted one of the best places to live and visit in the UK.
Find out more about York. Chat to staff and students and take the tour, on campus or online.