MSc Environmental Policy and Management
- MSc
Overview
The MSc in Environmental Policy and Management welcomes a diverse array of students with a variety of backgrounds seeking to enhance their expertise and develop skills relevant to the fields of environmental policy, management and protection. Taught by world-class experts at the Top 15 Geography department globally (QS World University Subject Ranking 2026), you will gain practical and conceptual skills across the natural and social sciences needed to tackle key environmental issues such as climate change and conservation.
Benefits of studying this programme:
- Interdisciplinary training across social, physical and natural sciences.
- Learning practical skills in policy analysis and management.
- Hands-on experience via practical projects with external partners.
What makes this programme unique?
- A combination of theory and practice focused on environmental policy and management.
- It is taught by experts engaged in local, national and high-level international policy processes, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
- You will have an opportunity to gain practical experience by working on a project with external partners from international, national and local corporations, charities and NGOs.
What you will gain from this programme:
- An ability to design, evaluate and implement environmental policy interventions.
- Practical project experience and development of a professional portfolio of applied work.
- Improved quantitative and qualitative research skills for evidence-based decision-making.
- Readiness for roles in government agencies, NGOs, consultancies, industry sustainability teams, and international organisations.
Relevance in the real world:
- It addresses policy needs for key topics including climate change, biodiversity, water and air quality management.
- It prepares graduates for regulatory, advisory and corporate sustainability roles where evidence-based policy is required.
- Graduates will have the skills to translate science into actionable policy and management plans.
Programme structure
The programme consists of six taught units and a dissertation research project. Some units are taught by policy experts and social scientists, focusing on areas like environmental governance and policy analysis. Others are delivered by natural scientists, covering subjects like climate science and the analysis of remotely sensed data.
There are also research and data analysis methods units, covering topics including Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis. A policy consultancy-focused unit provides an opportunity to develop practical experience through the completion of an extended team-based project that responds directly to the needs of one of our partner organisations, providing highly career-relevant experience and opportunities to form professional connections.
The final third of the programme involves the completion of an independent research dissertation on an environmental topic of your choice, enabling you to further develop your research skills and make your own contribution to academic and policy debates about ongoing environmental controversies.
Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our MSc in Environmental Policy and Management.
Entry requirements
You will typically need an upper second-class honours degree or international equivalent in any subject.
We will consider your application if your interim grades are currently slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements and may make you an aspirational offer. This offer would be at the standard level, so you would need to achieve the standard entry requirements by the end of your degree.
We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirement.
If your achieved grade is lower than our entry requirements, your application may be more likely to receive an offer if you have additional relevant work experience or qualifications. If you have at least one of the following, please include your CV (curriculum vitae/résumé) when you apply, showing:
- evidence of six months relevant work experience in a policy facing role, a government department or agency (especially working in roles focused on environment, climate change or energy), environmental consultancy, corporate social responsibility or sustainability, environmental, social and governance roles in the private sector, or in an NGO in a senior position
- a relevant postgraduate qualification.
See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
If English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level E.
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.
Fees and funding
- Home: full-time
- £15,000 per year
- Home: part-time (two years)
- £7,500 per year
- Overseas: full-time
- £33,200 per year
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.
Alumni discount
University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.
Funding and scholarships
Depending on eligibility, you may be able to apply for various scholarships, awards and bursaries including the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme.
Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.
Career prospects
In addition to the University's wide range of career services, the School of Geographical Sciences offers dedicated coaching sessions and workshops to support students' future careers. The School also regularly organises alumni events to help bridge the current students with past graduates working in various sectors.
Graduates of MSc in Environmental Policy and Management go on to work for a range of employers in the UK and around the world, in government and in the charitable and corporate sectors. Career destinations have included the World Bank, the World Food Programme, Friends of the Earth, consultancies such as Ricardo, national government departments and policy advisers like Natural England. In these organisations, graduates move to a diverse range of jobs, including environmental consulting and management, corporate sustainability, marketing and communications, and public policy. Some students also go on to undertake further study in a PhD.
Graduates praise the MSc Environmental Policy and Management:
"The opportunity to work with a real client is invaluable. You learn so many skills such as survey distribution, interview organising, and report writing" - Marley, 2023.
"Whether debating challenging ideas in seminars or canoeing down the River Wye, it was eye-opening, enriching and fun" - Nick, 2024.
Contact us
- Contact
- Enquiries Team
- Phone
- +44 (0) 117 394 1649
- choosebristol-pg@bristol.ac.uk