MA Education for a Sustainable Environment
Manchester, United Kingdom
MA
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
05 Jul 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
GBP 29,400 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning, On-Campus
* due to high demand for this course, we operate a staged admissions process with multiple selection deadlines throughout the year, to maintain a fair and transparent approach
** international student full-time fee
Develop the skills to support learning communities in addressing local and global environmental and sustainability challenges.
Course overview
- Join the world number two for societal and environmental impact (THE Impact Rankings 2025) and a top ten UK university for Education (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).
- Study on an innovative course to help address local and global environmental and sustainability challenges in and through education.
- Benefit from a blended teaching approach, giving you the flexibility to study this master's either onsite or online to fit your circumstances.
- Benefit from a creative blended pedagogy to encourage sustainability and flexibility. In this unique MA, on-campus and distance students attend classes together and at the same time using video conferencing tools.
The MA in Education for a Sustainable Environment is committed to reducing its carbon emissions as a part of a broader commitment to socio-environmental sustainability in the School of Environmental, Education and Development.
Reflecting that commitment, we are pleased to offer a Carbon Reduction Scholarship, in the form of a 10% discount on tuition fees, for those students who choose to study remotely on this programme.
Manchester Institute of Education (MIE) graduates go on to shape education policy and practice. This MA is designed to develop careers in the area of Sustainability Education, including taking on new or more senior professional roles related to sustainability education in educational, government, private and/or voluntary/non-government sectors.
Graduates from the programme should be prepared and able to take on leadership, practitioner, research and professional roles in:
- formal and informal educational settings;
- professional learning and training settings;
- media and communications training roles;
- local, national and international governmental and NGO organisations;
- academic and other research settings.
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.
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, and provide an opportunity to build professional and social networks.
MA Education for a Sustainable Environment provides you with knowledge, insights and competencies to become effective and creative practitioners, policy makers, researchers and communicators in the field of sustainability education.
Situated in the School of Environment, Education and Development, the course offers an environment for interdisciplinary exploration of the interconnected ecological, economic, political, historical and social dimensions of local and global sustainability challenges. It will enhance your critical awareness and knowledge of the relationship between education and a sustainable environment to support learning and research in communities, ethically and responsibly.
The programme also engages with Indigenous knowledge systems, recognising their value in shaping sustainable practices and enriching diverse approaches to education.
This MA has been designed for educational practitioners and policy makers, addressing the need to integrate sustainability education as a learning outcome in formal, informal and professional education settings. You will become part of a research-oriented, international community, working with expert tutors, practitioners, and 'movement makers' equipping you with the skills to realise this integration in practice.
Special features
- Experience an innovative blended pedagogy designed to support sustainability and flexibility.
- Join a unique MA format where on-campus and distance students attend classes together in real-time via video conferencing tools.
- Engage in face-to-face teaching in Manchester while connecting with peers across the globe as an on-campus student.
- Take up volunteering opportunities with local environmental organisations to gain work experience in the sector.
- Participate in scheduled classes online as a distance learner, with real-time interaction with Manchester-based students and staff.
- Benefit from a rich academic tradition – Education has been a discipline of study at Manchester since 1890.
Coursework and assessment
Assessments will be real-world oriented, will emphasise real-world impact and communication of results. Assessment of the core course units will encourage group-based work, including the dissertation stage. Students will have the opportunity to choose from options for each assessment as they build a portfolio that can help them in their future work.
The form of assessment varies by course unit and may include written assignments (reports and/or critical reviews), portfolios, presentations and practice-oriented activity. The MA values formative feedback from tutors, peer-peer feedback, and feedback from professionals in the field.
The dissertation element of the MA is worth 60 credits and may be completed as a traditional 60 credit dissertation, and this may have an empirical, conceptual, evaluation, or professional focus. Alternatively, participants may satisfy the dissertation requirement through the completion of two linked parts, each one addressing one of the four listed foci. Indicative dissertations, or dissertation parts, include:
- a research project and report (building on the earlier completed 'Planning and Piloting Research in Sustainability' course unit) (Empirical);
- theorising an aspect of sustainability education in a particular context, or more broadly (Conceptual);
- an evaluation of the current state of sustainability education practice, policy and/or research in a particular setting (Evaluation);
- a context-specific and/or client-based sustainability education project (Professional).
Course unit details
MA Education for a Sustainable Environment students are required to take the following four core units:
- An Introduction to Sustainability Education
- Policy and Community in Sustainability Education
- Approaches to Sustainability Education
- Planning and Piloting Research in Sustainability Education
Students will further take three elective units in other areas of Education, and one elective unit from other disciplines within the School of Environment, Education and Development (Geography and Planning) or the University College for Interdisciplinary Learning (UCIL).