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NUI Galway

Environment Society & Development

Your Course

The MA in Environment, Society and Development comprises two core elements: firstly, it involves a critique of interventionism and the various practices of development, environmental management and securitization that define our world; and secondly it considers practically how that critique can enable more community-based, human-centred and environmentally just forms of governance. The programme engages with a range of multidisciplinary concerns, from geopolitics to political ecology, and exposes students to vital global challenges encompassing a complex array of environmental, social and economic processes. The MA culminates each year with students working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

3 Good Reasons To Study This Course

1. Field-based learning and civic engagement form integral and innovative elements of the programme. In one dedicated module, students work on the ground in the challenging international development context of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through partnering with a range of NGOs, including the United Nations Development Programme, students gain vital experience of civic engagement and bringing critical thinking to international development challenges.

2. The Neil Smith Graduate Research Award is presented annually to the best overall student. Students work in consultation with dedicated individual supervisors, enabling the pursuit of a range of research interests.

3. The programme director and teaching team have received a number of accolades for teaching excellence, including: an Irish National Academy Award for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning; NUI Galway's President's Award for Teaching Excellence; and a Teaching Innovation Award from NUI Galway's Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements
Second Class Honours QQI Level 8 degree with a 2:1 in Geography and a 2:2 overall or related discipline, or equivalent. Selection is based on a candidate's academic record, statement of intent and letters of recommendation. Prior learning in terms of relevant work experience is also recognised.

Duration

1 year full-time.

Careers or further progression

Career opportunities
The programme will prepare students for a range of workplaces, including government departments, NGOs, planning and project management agencies and specialist research and policy institutes. The emphasis on transferable and problem-solving skills is further reflected in the focus on field-based learning practices that are part of all modules. The programme is also designed to enhance students' prospects for undertaking further research at PhD level.

Further enquiries

Dr John Morrissey
T: +353 91 492 267
E: john.morrissey@nuigalway.ie

Subjects taught

Modules include: Conceptualising Environment, Society and Development; Geopolitics and Security; Environment and Risk; Managing Development, and Field-based Learning.

Application date

Applications are made online via the NUI Galway Postgraduate Applications System.

When To Apply: NUI Galway does not set a deadline for receipt of applications (with some exceptions). Offers will be issued on a continuous basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible.