Human Security and Environmental Change, MA

Engage in some of the most significant issues confronting society today with this unique and innovative course. What will I study?

This course allows you to explore in depth the relationship between environmental change and human security, and how risk and change management may be addressed. The pace of recent change emphasises the need to analyse environmental change within the wider context of the economic, social, institutional, cultural, technological and particularly political changes taking place within the world today. By re-framing environmental change as an issue of human security, you will be addressing questions about equity, justice, vulnerability, and power relations. You will consider whose security may actually be threatened by environmental change and furthermore what options exist for managing issues of change.

The aim of the course is to produce postgraduates who will be able to help to sustainably change society. You will gain a detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the concepts and techniques involved in (global and local) environmental change and human security, and the application of these to specific forms of analysis, practice and problem solving.

Special features

The teaching on the course is drawn directly from the extensive research and expertise of the teaching staff. It reflects leading-edge, current developments in such areas as human security, environmental change, risk, sustainable development, governance, peace, terrorism, and technology. To support you our academics are available for one-to-one tutorials and there is 24-hour access to computing facilities and online learning resources.

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Course content

Approaching and Doing Research

• This includes a focus on issues such as social inquiry interpretation, ethnography, ethics, positionality, research questions and design, literature reviews and presenting research.

Globalisation

• World society and governance
• Globalisation and culture
• Global capitalism
• Alternative globalisations
• Global media

Human Security

• Critical security studies
• Risk, resilience and vulnerability
• Power and critical development studies
• Internal conflict
• Indigenous politics
• Rogue states and security

Environmental Change

• Theoretical contexts to environmental change
• Environmental politics and policy agendas
• Biodiversity, food security and responding to change
• Sustainability indicators
• Adapting to climate change
• Carbon management
• Emergency responses to environmental change

Professional Development

• Working relations and value issues
• Placement preparation
• Professional placement

Dissertation

Assessment

Assessment on the course involves coursework, report writing, presentations and group work. There are also class tests, critical reviews and management plans to prepare. The core of the course is structured with no formal examinations.

All candidates for the MA write a dissertation, and prepare work on research methods including an assessed dissertation proposal as part of the research training element of the degree. This varied pattern of assessment reflects the main aim of the course in preparing students for work either in academic, research, analysis or practical policy management fields.