Climate Change

Climate change is one of the most pressing and challenging issues facing humanity. Extreme heat, flooding, and rising sea levels are leading to a number of dangerous and irreversible impacts on societies and economies. Avoiding the worst impacts depends on decisions we make today to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and to find solutions to remove carbon from the atmosphere. A course in climate change has never been so important, as we attempt to tackle these fundamental issues facing humanity in the 21st century. This highly interdisciplinary course offers a specialised knowledge of climate change from multiple perspectives, addressing many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) around themes including climate science; impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; technological and nature-based mitigation; and the connections between climate change and human culture. Practical skills training is embedded in all modules and will provide vital hands-on experience in applying subject knowledge in the real world. There are also strong links with employers – notably through a bespoke careers module. This will ensure students graduate as the global citizens and leaders that society needs to help secure the future of our planet. This will open the doors to a wide variety of careers and pathways for future study – including the public sector (e.g. national meteorological and environmental agencies, and local councils), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and charities; the private sector (e.g. environmental consultancies, energy and utilities companies, risk, finance and insurance providers); universities and research institutes; and many more.

Core Modules

The Science of Climate Change (20 credits)

Living with Climate Change (20 credits)

Culture and Climate Change (20 credits)

Mitigating Climate Change (20 credits)



Optional Modules

Foundations for Sustainable Development (20 credits)

The Politics and Political Economy of Energy and Low Carbon Energy Transitions (20 credits)

Assessment of Environmental Impacts (20 credits)

Urban Futures (20 credits)

Planning for Sustainable Communities (20 credits)

Sustainability Management (20 credits)

Entrance requirements

How we choose our students

A 2.2 Honours Degree (or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University) in any subject.



International Students

Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region at https://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/international-students/your-country/



English Language Requirements

Evidence of an IELTS* score of 7.0, with not less than 6.0 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required (*taken within the last 2 years).



International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.



For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.



If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 30th June 2026 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal prior to the deadline stated on course finder. Notifications to this effect will appear on the application portal against the programme application page.



Please note: A deposit will be required to secure a place on this course.

9 months (Full Time), 18 months (Part Time)

Entry Year: Academic Year 2026/27

Career Prospects

Introduction

In addition to the subject-specific skills acquired on the programme, considerable care has been taken to ensure students are equipped with employability skills and are supported in their career development. Practical skills training is central in all core modules, ensuring students graduate with a range of technical hard skills (e.g. climate modelling, GIS, quantitative and qualitative data analysis) and transferable soft skills (e.g. presentations and report writing) that are highly valued by employers. We also support students' career development through our Graduate School, offering guidance on building CVs, job applications, and LinkedIn profiles.



Employment after the Course

Where could you be in five years?



• Developing climate and/or flood risk scenarios in the public sector at national meteorological and environmental agencies

• Formulating climate adaptation strategies and sustainability policies within local governments / councils

• Implementing conservation and climate action within NGOs and charities

• Leading change within the private sector at environmental consultancies, energy and utilities companies, and risk, finance and insurance providers

• Working as a Scientific Officer within research institutes

• Pursuing further study at PhD level in various areas relating to climate change



Employment Links

Employers interested in people like you:



• AECOM

• Agri-Food Biosciences Institute

• Arup

• Atkins

• AXA

• Belfast City Council

• Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

• Climate Northern Ireland

• Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA)

• Department for Infrastructure (DfI)

• Environment Agency

• Environmental Protection Agency

• Friends of the Earth

• Greenpeace

• Irish Water

• Met Éireann

• Met Office

• Mott MacDonald

• Northern Ireland Environment Agency

• Northern Ireland Water

• RPS

• SSE Airtricity

• Thames Water

• United Nations

• World Bank