Climate Change - Policy Media & Society

MSc in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society
Introduction
DCU’s MSc in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society interrogates how societies are responding to climate change, and how that response can be strengthened. It examines the roles played by politics, regulation, law, education and the media in creating the broad societal response demanded by climate change.

This pioneering programme will equip students with critical insights and analytical skills to enable them to play a part in shaping the transition to a decarbonised and climate resilient future. Most postgraduate courses focused on climate change are concerned with the science of climate change. DCU’s new MSc. in Climate Change: Policy, Media & Society is unique in Ireland in its focus on the social sciences and humanities, on media, policy, law, governance, regulation and politics.

Programme Structure and Content
Climate change is growing ever more central to politics, policymaking, planning, business, and civil society, both in terms of mitigating our impact on the climate, and building resilience to current and future climate impacts through adaptation. At a global level, the Paris Agreement on climate change, agreed at COP21 in Paris in December 2015, set a pathway towards full decarbonisation of the global economy in the second half of this century.

The challenges posed by climate change are partly technical and scientific, but they are also profoundly political, institutional, and societal. According to Dr. Youba Sokona, former Vice-Chair of the UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “It is technically feasible to transition to a low-carbon economy … but what is lacking are appropriate policies and institutions”.

The MSc in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society interrogates how societies are responding to climate change, and how that response can be strengthened. It is the only master’s programme in Ireland focused on climate change that adopts a social science and humanities perspective on this challenge. It brings together DCU’s unique strengths in the study of climate change governance and law, communications and media, societal transitions, and education.

Students take core modules on climate change policy and governance, EU and national climate change law, climate change and the media, the physical science basis of climate change, and climate change and societal transition, as well as choosing from a range of optional modules. Students also undertake research methods training and write a dissertation.

The programme is open to both full-time and part-time applicants. Full time students take the programme over one year, while part time students take the programme over two years. Classes for part time students are scheduled one day a week from 14:00 onwards

Programme Academic Structure for 2023 - 2024, MSc in Climate Change Policy Media & Soc
This information is provisional & subject to change.

Full-time Programme Structure
Year 1 Core Modules:
Code Title Credit Semester Exam % CA % Resit Category
CM5028 Climate Change and the Media 10 Semester 1 0 100 1
CM5029 Climate Change and Societal Transition 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
GY502 Climate Change: The Physical Science Basis 10 Semester 1 0 100 1
LG5034 Climate Change Policy and Governance 10 Semester 1 0 100 1
LG5048 Dissertation/Capstone project 25 Autumn Semester 0 100 2
LG5049 Research Methodology 5 Semester 1 0 100 1

Year 1 Optional Modules -
Code Title Credit Semester Exam % CA % Resit Category
CM5995 Political Economy of the Environment 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
LG5008 Environmental Change and World Politics 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
LG5035 Climate Change Law 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
LG5056 Climate Change and Cities 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
SG816 Climate Change Education 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
UM405 Uaneen Non-Contributing Module Year long 0 100 1

Part-time Programme Structure
Year 1 Core Modules:
Code Title Credit Semester Exam % CA % Resit Category
CM5029 Climate Change and Societal Transition 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
GY502 Climate Change: The Physical Science Basis 10 Semester 1 0 100 1
LG5034 Climate Change Policy and Governance 10 Semester 1 0 100 1

Year 1 Optional Modules,
Code Title Credit Semester Exam % CA % Resit Category
CM5995 Political Economy of the Environment 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
LG5008 Environmental Change and World Politics 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
LG5035 Climate Change Law 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
LG5056 Climate Change and Cities 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
SG816 Climate Change Education 10 Semester 2 0 100 1

Year 2 Core Modules:
Code Title Credit Semester Exam % CA % Resit Category
CM5028 Climate Change and the Media 10 Semester 1 0 100 1
LG5048 Dissertation/Capstone project 25 Autumn Semester 0 100 2
LG5049 Research Methodology 5 Semester 1 0 100 1

Year 2 Optional Modules,
Code Title Credit Semester Exam % CA % Resit Category
CM5995A Political Economy of the Environment 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
LG5008A Environmental Change and World Politics 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
LG5035A Climate Change Law 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
LG5056A Climate Change and Cities 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
SG816A Climate Change Education 10 Semester 2 0 100 1
UM405 Uaneen Non-Contributing Module Year long 0 100 1

Requirements
For admission to the MSc in Climate Change programme, successful applicants will have -
• A degree at the level of an Irish or UK Honours undergraduate degree (H2.2 or above) or equivalent.
• If the applicant has not yet completed their degree than a conditional offer may be made on the basis of most recent grades and pending the achievement of a H2.2 degree.
• Applicants with appropriate combinations of professional qualifications and experience may also be considered. This includes discipline-specific knowledge and know-how; transferable skills; basic research competency; personal effectiveness.
• International candidates who are non-native speakers of English must satisfy the University of their competency in the English language.

Application Deadlines
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the programme is full or until the following dates:

• Closing date for non EU applicants is 1st July 2024.
• Closing date for EU applicants is 31st July 2024.

Note applicants who require a study visa for the purposes of studying at DCU, are advised to apply as early as possible.

All entry requirements should be met before the commencement of the programme.

Queries
Queries from EU applicants should be directed to postgraduateadmissions@dcu.ie
Queries from non EU applicants should be directed to internationalapplications@dcu.ie

To apply for this programme:
• All Applicants must apply through DCU's Student Application Portal - View Application Weblink above.

• Provide Academic Transcripts for each and every year of study with English translation if applicable.

• If applicable, provide evidence of competence in the English language as per DCU entry requirements.
Please see link http://www.dcu.ie/registry/english.shtml

Please note if you are a non EU student and require a study visa, you are not eligible to apply for part-time programmes as study visas are only granted for full-time programmes.

1 year full-time or 2 years part-time.

The programme commences in September 2024.

Careers
The MSc in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society will be particularly attractive to recent graduates of science, engineering, communications, social & political science degrees, current civil and public servants working in central government and the wider civil service dealing with climate change policies; those working in industry who need a thorough grasp of the regulatory and legal landscape as it pertains to climate change; educators who wish to contribute to or initiate primary or second level courses concerning climate change; and employees of unions and NGOs who may be asked to become involved in advocacy concerning climate policy.

Graduates of this pioneering programme will have acquired the advanced knowledge and skills to develop careers in the environmental or climate section of public bodies and organisations, both in national and local government; the environment, climate or Corporate Social Responsibility departments of businesses; or in civil society, either in Ireland or internationally.

The programme will enable students currently employed to found, lead or contribute to climate action and emissions monitoring/reduction efforts of their organisations. The dissertation element will allow students to focus on their organisation as a case study.
• Advocacy
• Communications
• Consultancy
• Development
• Editor
• Environmental Monitoring
• Environmental Officer
• International and public policy
• Journalism
• Public Relations