Carbon Management MSc

This MSc programme comprises:

• compulsory and option courses
• dissertation

You will be taught various topics and themes across the required courses, including climate science, climate change risk, mitigation and adaptation, economics, policy, business, and climate justice.

Throughout the programme, your teaching team will work with you to prepare for the dissertation project. This will be your opportunity to explore a topic of your choice in relation to climate change and carbon management. You can even use the dissertation to explore your own business idea for tackling climate change through the business plan dissertation option.

We also work with our wide network to find opportunities for dissertation projects with external organisations, enhancing the real-world relevance of your degree.

How will I learn?

You will experience a range of learning styles while studying, depending on the subject matter and courses you are taking. You can view each relevant course for teaching and assessment methods through the ‘Programme Structure’ link under compulsory and option courses below.

Although we endeavour to provide a wide range of optional courses to choose from, these can be subject to change or cancellation at short notice. Places on optional courses can be limited due to course capacity and timetabling constraints. It may not be possible to guarantee every offer holder their top choice of optional courses.

Part-time study

As we are committed to helping people into education while continuing to work or managing family and personal commitments, you may study this programme part-time.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative. We will continue to update you on the teaching you can expect throughout your application process.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

On completing the MSc Carbon Management, you will:

• Gain a critical understanding of the theories, concepts and principles relating to local, regional and global climate change.
• Be able to demonstrate responses to climate change issues that are reflective, self-critical and based on research and evidence.
• Be able to demonstrate multidisciplinary skills, techniques and practices that draw upon different empirical sources, analytical perspectives and sub-disciplines within carbon management studies.
• Be able to demonstrate initiative in tackling and managing problems towards realizing a just and equitable society given global climate change.

A key strength of the MSc Carbon Management is the employability of our graduates.

The MSc aims to provide businesses, industry, academia and governments with an annual cohort of graduates with the high-level knowledge necessary to help move the world towards a low-carbon future.

The programme combines the teaching of theory, academic knowledge and understanding with the development of applied and practical skills.

Our graduates have been successful in securing employment in the carbon and climate change sector around the world. Although there is not a 'typical' job our graduates go on to do, types of roles include:

• Carbon management consultants to companies large and small
• Renewable energy project developers
• Central, regional and local government civil servants delivering a wide range of climate and decarbonisation policies
• Climate policy advisors
• NGO climate policy researchers and executives
• Climate change adaptation and mitigation specialists
• PhD researcher and subsequent academic career path

In addition, many alumni have gone on to create their own successful businesses and consultancies.

We have fantastic resources through the University department 'Edinburgh Innovations' to help you successfully nurture your entrepreneurial ideas and launch your own enterprise.

• Visit the Edinburgh Innovations website

The MSc in Carbon Management has excellent relationships with relevant employers and an exclusive alumni network on LinkedIn with over 450 members covering more than 30 nations.

This network provides you with unique opportunities to seek advice from alumni, some of whom have decades of experience in the job market.

Our graduates

Our graduates work in hundreds of organisations around the world within the climate change field.

Examples include:

• Bloomberg New Energy Finance
• Carbon Sense
• Mott MacDonald
• Costain Group
• PwC
• John Wood Group
• The World Bank
• Forestry Department Malawi
• The Carbon Trust
• Arup
• Deloitte
• The Nature Conservancy
• Japanese Ministry of Education
• China Beijing Environmental Exchange
• University California Berkeley
• WindPower Nepal
• Rolls-Royce
• Department of Business
• UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• London Assembly
• Asian Development Bank
• SEPA
• Scottish Parliament
• Forestry Research Institute of Ghana
• Delta Energy & Environment
• DSS+ DuPont Sustainable Solutions

Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service plays an essential part in your wider student experience at the University, providing:

• tailored advice
• individual guidance and personal assistance
• internships and networking opportunities (with employers from local organisations to top multinationals)
• access to the experience of our worldwide alumni network

We invest in your future beyond the end of your degree. Studying at the University of Edinburgh will lay the foundations for your future success, whatever shape that takes.

• Careers Service

Please note that day trips and field trips are now under review for this programme, and will not be on offer for the academic year 2023/24.

Despite this change, we maintain the highest standards for your educational experience and will ensure you achieve the quality learning outcomes of your degree.

(Revised 8 March 2023 to clarify that field trips will not be on offer for academic year 2023/24.)

These entry requirements are for the 2023/24 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2024/25 academic year will be published on 2 October 2023.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject such as environmental sciences, management, social sciences, energy, sustainability, earth sciences, physical sciences, geology, geography, economics, biology, health sciences, engineering, business administration, or finance.

We may also consider degrees in other disciplines if you can demonstrate how it is relevant to the programme, or if you have relevant work experience in a related field.

We may also consider a UK 2:2 honours degree, or its international equivalent, if you have substantial, related professional experience.

Please provide information on any relevant experience in your personal statement when you apply.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Deposit

If you receive an offer of admission you will need to pay a deposit to secure your place.

• £1,500 (this contributes towards your tuition fees)

Find out more about tuition fee deposits:

• Tuition fee deposits

Field trips and field courses

We do not charge extra fees for compulsory field trips or field courses. The programme fees will cover costs of travel, accommodation and subsistence on compulsory field trips. However, you must pay for incidental or personal expenses.

Living costs

You will be responsible for covering living costs for the duration of your studies.

Tuition fees

Featured funding

• ScottishPower Masters Scholarships

School of GeoSciences scholarships

• See potential funding for GeoSciences students

Scholarships and student funding

You can find funding opportunities, tuition fees and costs of living for prospective UK and international postgraduate students on the University website.

• Postgraduate scholarships and student funding

You are also encouraged to undertake your own research into the range of potential scholarships and other funding outside the University for which you may be eligible.

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding