MSc Climate Change: Science, Society and Solutions

Please submit the following documents with your completed application form: 

• copies of English Language Certification, such as IELTS, TOEFL or Pearson test score report;
• copies of official degree certificates and transcripts of your previous study, showing the subjects taken and grades obtained. If these documents are in languages other than English, please provide official translations;
• your CV.

Ensure that you enclose all the necessary documents to avoid delays in processing your application.

As there is a high demand for our courses, we operate a staged admissions process with selection deadlines throughout the year.

Due to the competition for places and high quality of applications that we receive, we give preference to students from high-ranking institutions and with grades above our minimum entry requirements.

Please ensure you submit all supporting documentation with your application before the application deadline to avoid a delay in processing.

• Stage 1: Application received by 08 December 2023 ; Application update by 22 February 2024

• Stage 2: Application received by 03 March 2024 ; Application update by 25 April 2024

• Stage 3: Application received by 05 May 2024 ; Application update by 08 June 2024

• Stage 4: Application received by 01 July 2024 ; Application update by 25 July 2024

While we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to the competition for places and the volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date.

Applications received after our final selection deadline will be considered at our discretion if places are still available.

Please note, all places are subject to availability and if you apply at one of the later stages, some courses may already be reaching capacity or be closed to further applications. We, therefore, recommend that you apply early in the cycle to avoid disappointment.

Our climate is changing. How we mitigate climate change and adapt to live in a changing climate are fundamental questions for society. Delivered from the unique vantage point of the world's first industrialised city, the MSc Climate Change: Science, Society and Solutions has been designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills you will need to help respond to the challenges of human-induced climate change.

This interdisciplinary programme is led by the Department of Geography, with contributions from around the University, including the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. It will develop your understanding of the options for tackling climate change, the societal and political contexts in which they reside, and the scientific background to the problem itself.

The programme aims to empower you with an applied and critical understanding of the full range of social, political, and technical options for tackling climate change. This includes mitigation options for reducing and removing greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation options for protecting against climate change impacts, as well as more unconventional solar geoengineering ideas for reflecting sunlight back into space and cooling the planet. It will also enable you to develop your scientific knowledge of climate change; hone your critical, analytical, and communication skills; and to design and deliver cutting-edge research under expert guidance.

The programme is ideal for those who want to pursue a career in: local, national or international climate policy; businesses and industries focussed on climate change innovations or corporate social responsibility (CSR); non-governmental organisations (NGOs) campaigning or lobbying for action on climate change issues; or in academia with a focus on climate change research. You will have the freedom to specialise according to your interests and ambitions through drawing upon an array of elective units. This will be carefully guided through the induction process and wider programme support.

• Geography has been studied at Manchester for more than 125 years, and we're one of Europe's best-equipped universities for the subject.
• Our Geography research improves the quality of knowledge across the world, with 90% of our activity defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (Research Excellence Framework 2022).
• We’re home to world-class academics in Geography and other areas of the University contributing to the programme, including the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.
• Join the Manchester University Geographical Society (MUGS)  a society run by Geography students for Geography students.

The course is taught by world-leading researchers, including but not limited to:

• Dr Rob Bellamy (Programme Director):  climate change, climate tipping points, carbon dioxide removal, solar geoengineering, energy systems, climate change adaptation, public perception, technology assessment, governance
• Dr Joe Blakey:  environmental politics, cultures of expertise, political philosophy, de-/re-politicisation, governance, accountability, accounting, standards and metrics
• Dr Gareth Clay:  carbon cycling, organic matter biogeochemistry, wildfires, land management, landscape disturbance
• Dr Chris Darvill:  past climate, glaciers, ice sheets, sea level
• Dr Will Fletcher:  palaeoclimate, environmental change, human-environment interactions
• Dr Claire Hoolohan:  decarbonisation, demand management, social practices, design and governance for sustainable consumption
• Dr Anna Hughes:  ice sheets, glaciers, sea level, climate, GIS and remote sensing

Typical course units are composed of two hours per week of lectures and seminars. These taught units comprise two-thirds of the course. The remainder of the programme consists of a 12,000-word dissertation on an approved topic.

We are one of Europe's best-equipped universities for geography, with numerous laboratories. These include the main teaching laboratory, microscopy laboratory, and sediments and project laboratories.

You can also learn professional skills such as coding and programming specialist, industry-standard software such as image processing, GIS, GPS and cartographic representation.

The University's Main Library is the largest university library system in the UK apart from the copyright libraries and has a number of different working spaces. It is home to the University Map Collection, which comprises about 100,000 map sheets of every part of the world.

We also have our very own Kantorowich Library, which contains many of the teaching and learning materials that you will need, from books and journals to DVDs and past dissertations.

For more information, please visit our Facilities webpage.

MSc Climate Change: Science, Society and Solutions responds to the rapidly growing need for interdisciplinary expertise in climate change. 

The programme is ideal for those who want to pursue a career in: local, national or international climate policy; businesses and industries focussed on climate change innovations or corporate social responsibility (CSR); non-governmental organisations (NGOs) campaigning or lobbying for action on climate change issues; or in academia with a focus on climate change research.

Geography graduates have particularly great employment prospects and go on to shape environmental policy through positions in the public and private sectors.

Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in areas including consultancy, research, non-governmental organisations, project management, environmental management, agriculture and forestry, environmental sciences, energy, marketing, and finance.

Top employers include:

• DEFRA; 
• the Environment Agency; 
• Natural England; 
• the Organic Soil Association; 
• the UK Atomic Energy Authority; 
• UNEP.

Careers support

The University has its own dedicated  Careers Service  that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of  opportunities to help boost your employability. 

Careers support for international students  

The Careers Service provide specialist resources, advice and events for international students to help with career planning and making the most of your time while studying in Manchester. 

• Working in the UK after study
• Working during study
• Professional and alumni networks for international students  

Global networks  

The University of Manchester is proud to have the largest global alumni community  of any campus-based university in the UK. 

International alumni groups are a great way to keep in touch with fellow Manchester graduates in your country. It is an opportunity to build professional and social networks.