Environmental Change and International Development

Course description

Environmental considerations are central to international development theory, policy and practice. Our Environmental Change and International Development MSc gives you an in-depth understanding of the complexities of international development while exploring how society-environment interactions influence policy and practice. You'll acquire the theoretical and practical knowledge for careers in development research and practice in the public, private and third sectors.

The course is rooted in principles of interdisciplinary learning, decolonising knowledge, connecting theory with policy and practice. You'll also have the flexibility to tailor the course to you own interests.

Through this approach it offers a unique combination of academic excellence, tailored professional skills teaching, an optional field class, and a research-based dissertation based on placements, research collaborations or independent research.

Core modules will teach you about changing ideas of ‘development’ since the mid-twentieth century and how these have translated into different policy approaches and outcomes. You'll learn about poverty and how it has changed, about how development ideas and processes connect to questions of gender, culture and race, about how processes such as migration, urbanisation and technological evolution intersect with development, and about the global governance of international development.

You'll have the opportunity to build a range of professional skills and will be trained in core research methods in order to undertake an individual piece of original research. Our placement-based dissertation option also enables you to gain valuable work experience.

Optional modules from across the University are also available. These include subjects as diverse as food security, public health, urban development, and climate change.

An optional international field class encourages you to engage with overseas development and community organisations through an intensive week of activities. We also offer a lower cost and more sustainable UK-based ‘hybrid’ field class as an alternative. International field class locations are subject to variation and subject to the number of students participating, but previous destinations have included Peru, Nepal and South Africa.

The costs of optional field classes modules and placements are not included in your tuition fees. A limited amount of funding, accessed through a competitive process, is available to students to help finance field classes.

Field class

An optional international field class encourages you to engage with overseas development and community organisations through an intensive week of activities.

We also offer a lower cost and more sustainable UK-based ‘hybrid’ field class as an alternative.

International field class locations are subject to variation and subject to the number of students participating, but previous destinations have included Peru, Nepal and South Africa.

The costs of optional field classes modules and placements are not included in your tuition fees. A limited amount of funding, accessed through a competitive process, is available to help finance field classes.

Find out more about our past international field classes:

Nepal

The Nepal field class gave students the chance to work in small groups with a dedicated Nepali team member, taking part in community initiatives in Kathmandu before staying in Sindhupalchok District. Students pursued research projects around themes of gender, health, migration, earthquake disaster recovery, community forestry and climate change. This research had a direct impact through a final dissemination event which in recent years involved national political and media attention as well as regional and local stakeholders.

The field class is an amazing part of the masters programme, which allows you to consolidate the theory and ideas learnt in lectures, in the field. As well as preparing you for the dissertation it is also a great chance to meet and learn from students of different cultures in a new and interesting environment.
Helena

Tanzania

The Tanzania field class gave students practical experience of field research. Working with our NGO partner KEDA, students were based in rural communities around Mt Kilimanjaro.

They researched a range of issues that affect local communities such as health, environmental change and poverty alleviation among smallholder farmers. Each year students fed back to district officials and previously had even been interviewed for National TV.

The field class in Tanzania provided the incredible opportunity to bring case studies we had always read about in books and lectures to life through hands-on fieldwork. I was able to learn about issues in water, health and sanitation through the voices of local people. Conducting research in the rich and vibrant culture of Tanzania was an unforgettable experience.
Shahreen

Ecuador

The Ecuador field class gave students the opportunity to work closely with our local partner Intercultural Outreach Initiative, which is based on the Island Isabela in the Galapagos Islands. Our students gained experience in field research by exploring a range of issues that affect the local communities such as food security, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues and ocean plastic pollution. Each year students feed back to district officials and local stakeholders.

You can read a blog from one of our students about a virtual field class.

The virtual field class provided an opportunity to experience the challenges of international fieldwork, and allowed us to develop skills in adapting research to changing circumstances and using video interviews for data collection, which will be useful skills for the future! It was a great way to gain an understanding and insight into the situation around plastics in the Galapagos, despite not being able to visit!
Elle

Placement

The dissertation with placement gives you valuable practical experience of working in a development organisation and engaging with development issues.

You'll spend six to eight weeks in June or July based in a host organisation, where you'll carry out a research project identified by the organisation and approved by the University. Your project will have clear practical relevance and will generate findings that form the basis of your dissertation. Students may also spend time working directly on the organisation's core activities.

We currently work with over 30 host organisations in the UK and across the globe. Some have a wide remit, others have a specialist focus on issues such as conservation, education or health.

Placements to overseas destinations are subject to the same potential constraints imposed by travel conditions and health risks due to Covid-19.

The costs of the dissertation with placement module are not included in your tuition fees. A limited number of low-cost local placements are also available.

Recent topics for the dissertation with placement

Exploring the impact of land certification programmes on land tenure security and land conflicts for peasants in Indonesia
Inclusive education for students with visual, hearing and physical disabilities: Barriers and experiences in Gondar, Northern Ethiopia
Sustainable livelihoods and the urban poor: The importance of rural-urban connections for second generation rural-urban migrants in Kampala, Uganda
Shifting and negotiating identities: Shan refugees in Northern Thailand Breaking dichotomies and the process of social reproduction: A case study of urban market women in El Alto
Life histories of giving: Individuals’ changing relationships with charities over time
Governance and livelihoods: The future of aquaculture on Lake Bunot, San Pablo, Philippines
Exploration of how recognised factors affect public perceptions of climate change within the North of England
Learning from international emergency responses: a critical assessment of how the British Red Cross learns from its international emergency responses

Modules

A selection of modules is available each year - some examples are below. There may be changes before you start your course. From May of the year of entry, formal programme regulations will be available in our Programme Regulations Finder.

Core modules:

Professional Skills for Development: In this module, which is taught across several departments drawing in a range of multi-disciplinary expertise, students gain a critically engaged understanding of professional practice in international development and develop a range of professional skills for future career paths. Through the module students will learn to apply academic training to real-world situations, with a strong focus on employability-related skills.

Students will be taught about a set of key transferable and employability skills in keeping with the Sheffield Graduate Attributes before being given the option to choose between one of three specialist skill development tracks for hands-on group work. The key transferable skills covered will include communications, project design and fundraising, policy analysis and consultancy work, ethics and cultural sensitivity. Whichever of the specialist tracks they choose, students will work on a group-based project output and an individual written assessment. While acquiring some specialist skills, all students will reflect on all key transferable skills offered in the first half of the module.
15 credits
The Science of Environmental Change: This module gives students a critical understanding of the science behind historical and recent environmental change. The module covers the core debates in environmental change, the science behind these changes, methods for detecting environmental change, and the impacts of these changes, and projected future changes.
15 credits
Ideas and Practice in International Development: This module introduces students to key theoretical debates in international development. Co-taught by the Departments of Geography, Politics, Urban Studies and Planning, and Sociological Studies, it takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring how thinking about development has changed over time, and why it has changed. The module also encourages students to think about the relationship between development theory and development practice. It is spread over two semesters, in order to maximise the synergies between the core content of this module and the various other core and optional modules that students will take across the year. The first semester focuses on the overarching questions of how development has been understood and conceptualised from the colonial period to the present. The changing development paradigms presented through weekly lectures are explored in depth through fortnightly seminars, each of which focuses on a set of key questions about changing theoretical perspectives and their implications for policy. The second semester then shifts focus onto a set of critical issues for policy and practice, including (for example) global health, migration, technology, urbanization and development finance. The overall aim of the module is to build students' understanding of the origins of the idea of international development, changing debates about its meaning and purpose, and the implications of these for policy and practice.
30 credits

Optional modules:

Theory and Debates in Food Security and Food Justice: Food Security and Food Justice are areas of increasing importance at local, national, transnational and global scales. Political and non-political agents at multiple scales have recognised that Global Hunger and Food Security (of which Food Justice is a primary component) is a key challenge requiring urgent interdisciplinary investigation and problem solving. There remains limited agreement as to how best to approach these issues. This module provides students with a background to the problems encompassed within the food security/food justice nexus by drawing on academic and policy debates that focus on both the macro as well as the micro impacts. By looking across food systems, the module also critically evaluates different strategies for mitigating the impacts of food insecurity and injustice. In addition to academic, knowledge and critical thinking skills, the module will help students to develop the following attributes: Communication, Networking, Collaboration, Influencing, Inclusivity, Defining Purpose, and Growth Mindset.
15 credits
Epidemiology: Epidemiology is the discipline underpinning both effective public health practice and research into the causes, control and prevention of disease. Knowledge and understanding of epidemiological concepts and methods is a basic requirement for effective public health practice.

This module will provide an introduction to epidemiology covering key epidemiological concepts; measures of disease; association and causation; confounding and bias. It will also introduce research designs including cross-sectional, ecological, cohort, case-control and intervention studies and introduce population health measures such as screening.
15 credits
Critical Reflections in Global Health: Global health has been described as the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organised efforts of society, with the goal being the attainment of biological, physical, and mental well-being of all members of society. In this module we take an inter-disciplinary approach to explore these themes.

Aligned with the themes of our key reader (7th edition of the Oxford Textbook of Global Public Health) we will consider some of the key concepts of global health, explore some of the determinants of health, and consider some of the key function / methods applied to address global health issues. We will then reflect on these themes in relation to the practice of global health through the lens of specific health challenges. Throughout the module themes such as inequalities in health, complexities in our response, and the political, social, and economic context within which we work will be repeatedly raised and discussed.

In delivering this module we are excited to have secured the expertise of regional, national, and international leaders and experts who will share their learnings on a diverse range of subjects that include socioeconomic and health inequalities, health intelligence, and sexual and reproductive health. In relation to the sharing of experiences and expertise, and in stimulating engaged discussion, throughout the module you will be encouraged to develop and use a reflective learning approach to consider shifts in your perception and understanding of the issues raised.
15 credits
Hate, Hope and Digital Misinformation: The module explores contemporary issues that affect the relationship between digital media and society in the global context. It focuses on digital media and dis/misinformation (for example debates around fake news), the relationship between misinformation and online extremes (such as online hate, conspiracy theories, or online radicalisation), and attempts to counter these phenomena (including fact-checking and the creation of digital counter-narratives). These developments are contextualized in relation to longstanding debates about the ways that power, inequality and the political economy of the mainstream media shape the availability and visibility of information. The module takes examples from around the world and applies relevant theories to their analysis.
15 credits
Contemporary Challenges: Refugees and Asylum: Contemporary Challenges explores a key contemporary challenge in depth and applies key concepts in Sociology (e.g. class, race, nationalism, democracy) in analysing it. The focus of the challenge will change on a 3-4 yearly basis.
In its first iteration, the module focuses on Brexit: ideas of class and 'the left behind', English nationalism, nostalgia for empire, the media, and some of the impacts of Brexit in relation to everyday life. In doing so the module will develop a deeper understanding of the reasons behind the vote for the UK to leave the EU, as well as some of its consequences.
15 credits
Foundations of GIS: This module introduces students to the core principles and skills of GIS. It covers the major sources of data used to study the lived environment and the variety of ways it can be displayed to aid both understanding and analysis. The module has a particular focus on techniques used in the analysis of socio-economic and demographic data and its potential applications. It is taught through a combination of lectures and practical workshops using ArcGIS software.
15 credits
Urban Development in the Global South: This module explores the challenges of urban planning and development in the global South: how are conflicting imperatives of ecological sustainability, social inclusion and economic competitiveness being balanced by practitioners, and what implications does this have for those living there? The module will develop understanding of how urban planning systems are constructed and mediated by different actors. The unit will use a series of scenarios; representing some of the diversity of conditions that exist in the global South, to develop understandings of how planning systems shape and are shaped by the contexts in which they operate.
15 credits

Core modules:

Environment, Society and Development: Key Issues, Debates and Concepts: This module engages critically with the key theoretical debates that shape the relationships between the environment, society and international development. By looking at current questions in development theory and their relationship to development practice in the context of the Anthropocene and environmental change, it encourages students to think critically about the ways in which interdisciplinary approaches define issues and problems, and the theoretical viewpoints that inform their actions. The module is taught primarily through seminars: these structure students' learning, and provide an environment in which they can develop their skills in researching, presenting and debating arguments drawn from the academic literature on international development.
15 credits
Managing Climate Change: This module aims to provide students with a strong understanding of the social and physical science of climate change with relevance to international development. This understanding is then applied to consider the challenge of living with climate change in the Global South. The module is taught through seminars and lectures. Lectures introduce and impart factual knowledge while seminars allow discussion and an emphasis on applying key concepts to practical situations. Together these structure students' learning, and provide an environment in which they can develop their skills in researching, presenting and debating arguments drawn from the wide ranging literature on climate change.
15 credits

Optional modules:

UK-Based Field Class: This optional, UK-based field class provides you with the opportunity to explore and engage with development issues through practical fieldwork experiences. Central to the module is a focus on developing critical reflectivity on the nature of development in a particular globalised and historicised context. You will have the opportunity to practise and build on research skills learnt in Semester 1 as well as dealing with issues of ethics, power and co-produced development research and practice. You will work in-person with UK partners or conduct remote or hybrid research with overseas partners, you will develop transferable skills through teamwork and engagement with a variety of stakeholders.

For field trips to run we require a minimum number of students to sign up for these modules. This varies depending on the specifics of individual field trips. If this number is not reached, the field trip will be cancelled. To assist with planning, this module must be selected by the end of the Semester One Add/Drop period.
15 credits
International Development Fieldclass: This optional field class module provides you with the opportunity to explore and engage with development issues through practical fieldwork experiences, and to enhance your understanding of grass-roots development organisations.

Central to the module is a focus on developing critical reflectivity on the nature of development in a particular globalised and historicised context. You will have the opportunity to practise and build on research skills learnt in Semester 1 as well as dealing with issues of ethics, power and co-produced development research and practice.

You will work with an International partner, and you will develop transferable skills through teamwork and engagement with a variety of stakeholders.

For field trips to run we require a minimum number of students to sign up for these modules. This varies depending on the specifics of individual field trips. If this number is not reached, the field trip will be cancelled. To assist with planning, this module must be selected by the end of the Semester One Add/Drop period.
15 credits
Health Promotion: The module seeks to elaborate on the theoretical background of health promotion with the aim of developing a critical awareness of the key concepts, debates and methods. The module also aims to evaluate a range of health promotion strategies in different fields. Teaching will be presented through a series of lectures and workshops that will also include group discussion, case studies and examples, to develop the lecture themes, and problem-solving skills.
15 credits
Public Health Informatics: Public Health Informatics is a module designed to look at how informatics and information technology can be used to help address some of the major issues in public health. Public health informatics was traditionally defined as the systematic application of information and computer science and technology to public health practice, research, and learning (Yasnoff, 2000). In this module, we examine this rapidly changing field, using a combination of lectures, individual and group exercises and self directed learning. Key issues around the local, national and international contributions that technology can make to public health are critically examined and students are given a theoretical and practical grounding in this increasingly important discipline.
15 credits
Communicable Disease Control: Health protection is one of the cornerstones of public health. The control of communicable diseases is one of the major functions of health protection. This module will cover the principles of surveillance, outbreak management, immunisation programmes, and prevention and control of infectious diseases. It will also present a broad range of common infectious disease topics including HIV, tuberculosis, meningitis, diarrhoeal illnesses and hospital acquired infections. This module would provide the essential foundations for students intending to undertake the Faculty of Public Health Part A/Diploma examination.
15 credits
Using Policy to Strengthen Health Systems: The module seeks to build on students' own experiences and knowledge of policy and public health systems. During the module, you will work individually and also in groups to develop a critical understanding of policy within particular public health systems. You will consider how policy to strengthen public health systems is developed and how improvements might be targeted at any combination of the regional, national, district, and community levels.

In the module, policy is interpreted broadly as 'purposeful and deliberate actions' through which efforts can be made to reshape or address issues within public health systems and is about power and politics (cf. Gilson, 2012). Public health systems are understood both as public health systems (covering, for example, health protection, health promotion and health care public health) and, more narrowly, as health care systems. The module is suitable for students with a broad public health and health care knowledge, but also for those with more limited experience.
15 credits
Citizen Participation in Planning and Development: Recent decades have seen a proliferation of initiatives to involve citizens in policy-making, planning and urban governance. There is widespread agreement that 'citizen engagement' can play a positive role in democratizing urban development. However, public participation raises a range of significant challenges for urban professional practice. This module will draw on critical debates about the roles citizens and publics can and should play in shaping the city to reflect on the theory and practice of participation. The module is taught through seminars which structure learning, and help students to research case studies of participatory initiatives.
15 credits
Urban Informality: The overall aim of this module is to critically examine informality, with a particular but not exclusive focus on cities of the Global South. The module relies on a mixture of lectures, seminars and student-led group work, with the latter focusing on an in-depth case study of a selected city. It explores patterns and causes of informality and discusses the strengths and limitations of a range of theoretical approaches. It also analyses the success of different real-world urban planning responses (understood in broad terms), including government-led, donor-led and community-focused ones, in addressing key urban issues in the context of informality.
15 credits

Core modules - choose from:

Research Foundations with Placement: This module allows students to develop and manage an individual, interdisciplinary research project. The module aims to help students to develop and apply research skills and an appreciation of the issues involved in managing a research project; to develop an understanding of the role of research in relation to theoretical and practical dimensions of the chosen discipline; and to further and deepen knowledge in their chosen area of international development. The module combines an independent research project with experience of working (in-person or virtually) with a development related organisation. Students make a detailed analysis of an issue, topic or problem agreed with their host organisation, develop a research proposal, carry out research while on placement, and produce both a dissertation and a shorter consultancy-style report based on their dissertation findings. The module is supported by lectures, seminars, fieldwork and one-to-one supervision. It includes core research methods required to undertake a dissertation at Masters level in the field of International Development, which are assessed through a 2,500-word research proposal in the Spring, and a final 10,000-word dissertation alongside the 2,500-word placement report at the end of Summer.
60 credits
Research Foundations without Placement: This module allows students to develop and manage an individual, interdisciplinary research project. The module aims to help students to develop and apply research skills and an appreciation of the issues involved in managing a research project; to develop an understanding of the role of research in relation to theoretical and practical dimensions of the chosen discipline; and to further and deepen knowledge in their chosen area of international development. The module involves a supervised research project carried out either independently or as an attachment to a wider UoS research project. Students make a detailed analysis of an issue, topic or problem agreed with their dissertation supervisor, develop a research proposal, carry out research, and produce a dissertation. In the case of students working with a UoS research project, they will also engage with the Research Lead (who will usually, but not always, be their supervisor). The module is supported by lectures, seminars, fieldwork and one-to-one supervision. It includes core research methods required to undertake a dissertation at Masters level in the field of International Development, which are assessed through a 2,500-word research proposal in the Spring, and a final 12,500-word dissertation at the end of Summer.
60 credits

The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

Open days

An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses.
Book now for Wednesday 27 November

Duration

1 year full-time

Assessment

You’ll be assessed on your coursework assignments and a dissertation.

School

School of Geography and Planning

The School of Geography and Planning at the University of Sheffield is a world leader in teaching and research. We're ranked in the top 10 in the UK for geography by the Guardian University Guide 2024.

We are experts in the fields of social justice and environmental change. We explore our dynamic, diverse world to address humanity’s greatest problems, from food waste to melting ice sheets and sustainable international development. Our innovative research and practice-based learning will equip you with distinct, relevant professional skills.

Our high staff-to-student ratio ensures that you receive excellent quality teaching and a high level of pastoral support throughout your studies.

Student profiles

I feel like I am playing a small yet important part in tackling the climate emergency

Alex Adams Constituency Support Officer, Hope for the Future, Environmental Change and International Development MSc

Alex works for Hope for the Future, helping communicate the impact of the climate crisis to elected representatives.

Entry requirements

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in a relevant subject.

Subject requirements

We accept degrees in the following subject areas:

Any Arts and Humanities or Social Science subject (see [LINK])
Medicine
Public Health

We also consider a wide range of international qualifications:

Entry requirements for international students

We assess each application on the basis of the applicant’s preparation and achievement as a whole. We may accept applicants whose qualifications don’t meet the published entry criteria but have other experience relevant to the course.

The lists of required degree subjects and modules are indicative only. Sometimes we may accept subjects or modules that aren’t listed, and sometimes we may not accept subjects or modules that are listed, depending on the content studied.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 (with 6 in each component) or University equivalent

Other English language qualifications we accept

Pathway programme for international students

If you're an international student who does not meet the entry requirements for this course, you have the opportunity to apply for a pre-masters programme in Business, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Sheffield International College. This course is designed to develop your English language and academic skills. Upon successful completion, you can progress to degree level study at the University of Sheffield.

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department.

Fees and funding

There are various scholarships and bursaries available to support the dissertation with placement. Low-cost local placements are also available.

Additional costs