MSc / MPhil Specialising in Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Cape Town, South Africa
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Feb 2026
TUITION FEES
ZAR 142,910 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for Rest of the World| SADC Fees: From ZAR 79.210| Non-SADC African Students Fees: From ZAR 126,810
Key Summary
Global climate change presents daunting and exciting challenges, especially for the developing world, where traditional routes to development are at odds with the need for a low carbon economy. At the same time, building resilience to climate change and variability is fundamental to sustainable development and prosperity. A transdisciplinary approach that integrates the biophysical, technological, socio-economic sciences and the humanities is required to successfully engage with the challenges of climate change. South Africa is well positioned to engage with these issues because of its status as a developing country with good technology and infrastructure, juxtaposed with less developed communities, and an economy in transition. This provides a microcosm of the developing world's social, environmental, and economic development issues.
This full time one-year taught Master's course provides interdisciplinary training in climate change and sustainable development, with a focus on the issues of relevance to African development. It is convened by UCT's African Climate and Development Initiative, a UCT Signature Theme comprising academics and research units from across the University with a shared interest in interdisciplinary research and solutions to the climate change problem.
The course is administered by the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, to whom applications should be addressed.
Application Deadline
The closing date for applications is: 30 September 2023
Honours or four-year Bachelor graduates from across the spectrum of disciplines, who want to gain a broad understanding of the issues involved in climate change and sustainable development from an African and developing world perspective, and those wanting a comprehensive introduction to climate change issues before embarking on a PhD. The course will equip its graduates for employment in government, local authorities, businesses with a sustainability agenda, consultancies, NGOs and international development organisations. It is aimed at both recent graduates and those with several years' experience who wish to engage with these pressing issues within the context of their vocations.
Two compulsory core modules:
- Introduction to Climate Change and Sustainable Development - providing broad, integrated knowledge on key issues in the climate change and sustainable development field. The module covers topics such as sustainable development; the climate system, anthropogenic forcing and climate system response; African climate variability and change; international climate change legal frameworks; the economics of climate change and climate change financing; and climate-compatible development.
- Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation - providing in-depth coverage of adaption and mitigation from both theoretical and applied points of view.
Two elective modules, chosen from a range of topics such international climate law, sustainable urban systems, climate variability & prediction, and climate change & biodiversity, offering the opportunity to explore new areas or to look at climate and development through existing disciplinary backgrounds.
A 90-credit dissertation to be submitted by the end of January, with possible extension to June.