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MSc in Environmental Policy  (W269)

MSc (NFQ Level 9) · Academic Year 2025/2026
School
School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy
Attendance
Full Time
Level
Graduate Taught
NFQ Level
9
Award
Master of Science
Mode of Delivery
On Campus
Programme Director
Dr Cara Augustenborg
Overall Programme Credits:
90
Programme Credits:
Stage 1
Core/Option: 90 Electives: 0
Major/Minor Core & Option Credits:
Stage 1: 90

Curricular information is subject to change.

Societies, governments, and businesses across the globe are faced with increasingly complex environmental challenges, in areas such as climate change and adaptation and local environmental quality in our cities and regions. The UCD MSc in Environmental Policy arms graduates with the capacity to develop environmental policy choices, analyse them critically, and to provide guidance in regard to their implementation and evaluation. The programme introduces graduates to research-based economic and environmental tools and insights to enable graduates to be effective change management leaders and management leaders and environmental and sustainability experts in both the public and private sectors.

UCD Environmental Policy has an established international track record as a leading research centre in environmental policy and is in the Top 150 QS World University Rankings by subject area. Students may also chose to undertake either a thesis, an internship, or an academic research project during the Summer trimester. 

Also for professionals who want to balance their passion for the environment while advancing their career this programme is offered as a two-year part-time degree (W580). The part-time program is scheduled to be completed over two years with one or two modules (10 credits per module) per semester. Part-time students join the full-time students for the classes and hence can meet two cohorts of the full-time MSc programme.

Module Information:

Under the "What modules can I take?" section below you will see general module information, for a more detailed description including module selection rules click here.

The environment poses some of the most complex and pressing challenges facing individuals, societies and policy-makers across the globe. These challenges range from global to local scale as policy-makers grapple with building more sustainable and resilient societies, while balancing environmental goals with economic and social objectives.



The aim of the MSc Environmental Policy is to produce graduates with the professional knowledge, skills and tools necessary to address these pressing issues and to pursue careers in the environmental field where they will contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future. We want to create critical thinkers and evidence-based policy practitioners that are instilled with a strong theoretical understanding and research capability.



The interdisciplinary nature of the MSc Environmental Policy programme fosters these values. While having a core focus on environmental policy, it also includes a solid foundation in technical skills and an understanding of sustainable development. The program balances all of these branches of education including core skills (e.g. GIS and Environmental Assessment), core knowledge (e.g. Environmental Economics and European Environmental Policy) and sustainable development tools.



The programme fosters a learning environment that draws on the research and expertise of our academic staff, combined with insights from innovative practitioners in the environmental field. The primary teaching space for this programme is the existing facilities in the Planning and Environmental Policy Buildings in UCD Richview, including lecturing and studio facilities. The program provides a blended-learning experience, including traditional lectures but also interactive studio based learning. Assessment includes continuous assessment, unseen exams and evaluation of non-traditional student work (e.g. presentations).


1 - On successful completion of the programme students should be able to: Appreciate environmental policy research, develop skills as autonomous researchers, and recognize the value of research as an input into improved policy making and policy implementation.
2 - Understand how environmental policy is operationalised within the wider political, institutional and legal frameworks, and understand the social, economic and political context that informs approaches to achieve sustainable development.
3 - Apply their professional knowledge using tools and transferable skills to generate integrated and evidence-based responses to environmental challenges, including climate change, to achieve a more resilient and sustainable future.
4 - Demonstrate effective research, policy analysis tools and evaluation skills and the ability to develop evidence-based policy proposals.
5 - Communicate effectively verbally, graphically and through written documents and to communicate concepts, knowledge and conclusions to peers, specialist and non-specialist audiences within an interdisciplinary environment.
6 - Work effectively both on their own and as part of a team in an interdisciplinary context.
7 - Understand the challenges and responsibilities of assessing tradeoffs in their response to environmental challenges and be open to critically assessing, debating and reflecting on these, and acting in the interests of the common good.
8 - Acknowledge the spatial consequences of policy approaches, and recognize the importance of fairness in environmental policy processes and outcomes.

UCD is Ireland’s Global University and its largest university with a track record in empowering students to enter a diverse range of careers that reflects the most diverse curriculum on the Island of Ireland. Consistently, over 90% of graduates are employed or in further study or training 9 months following course completion. The QS World Ranking on Graduate Employability has placed UCD at number 1 in Ireland for Graduate Employability since 2018. On the global stage UCD leads the Irish higher education sector and is the only Irish university to be ranked inside the world’s top 80 for Graduate Employability.

At University College Dublin we are aware that for many students, programme outcomes in terms of graduate jobs and career options is important. The purpose of this statement is to help you understand and appreciate the range of skills you may develop during your time at UCD and how you may develop your employability. Visit the UCD Careers Networks website and MyCareer, the UCD Career management Platform, to access career information, internships and graduate roles as well as information about the range of initiatives, supports and events available to you.

This programme provides opportunities for students to develop in areas such as:
  • Information & Communication Technology
  • Numeracy
  • Writing
  • Researching
  • Oral Communication
  • Written Communication
  • Presentations
  • Teamwork
  • Leadership
  • Networking
  • Project management
  • Creativity
  • Professionalism, e.g. internships, work experience
  • Global awareness
  • Social responsibility
  • Critical thinking
  • Self-awareness
  • Entrepreneurship

Our degree provides students with the skills to tackle environmental and sustainability challenges through economic principles, data analysis, research, leadership and communication skills, and geographic information systems. We focus not just on the problems we face, but the solutions we need through skills-based teaching, project-based learning, and real-world applications.

This programme supports students’ career development and employability through:
  • Career development initiatives with UCD Careers Network
  • Career and professional development e.g. internships and work placements
  • Enhancing digital literacy skills
  • Development of critical thinking, problem solving skills and decision-making e.g. through individual and group projects and assignments
  • Development of self-reflection skills

- Graduates work in national and local Governments, consultancies, industry and non-governmental organisations, and some continue on to PhD level.
- This programme includes opportunities for internships and work placements with leading organisations in the environmental sector internationally to allow students to gain hands-on experience, build professional networks, and apply their skills in real-world settings, giving them a competitive edge in the job market.
- 30 years of alumni connections in this programme allows strong networking opportunities through our structured careers events between current students and graduates.

To date, our graduates have been very successful in gaining employment in environment related fields in a diverse range of public, private and NGO  organisations. Past graduates are now working for a number of agencies both nationally and internationally including private (e.g. Samsung Electronics; Wisetek;  Citi Bank; AWN Consulting; EnvEcon; Irish Water), public bodies (e.g. Department  of Public Expenditure and Reform; Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs) and NGO organisations (e.g. Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice; Plant life Economy Foundation; Amazon Environmental Research Institute Brazil; publicpolicy.ie; Global Action plan Ireland), in a range of environmental positions (e.g. environmental consultants; policy officers; researchers; climate officers; environmental justice officers). Our graduates have also gone on to pursue further study (PhDs).

Stage 1

The MSc Environmental Policy FT is a one-year, 90-credit full-time Masters Programme comprising three 30-credit trimesters (Autumn, Spring and Summer) to ensure a balanced workload.

Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.

Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.

Module Type Module   Trimester Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
ENVP40100 Environmental & Behavioural Economics Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
ENVP40170 Evidence-based Decisions & Communication Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
ENVP40180 European Environmental Policy Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
ENVP40040 Sustainability Lab Spring  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
ENVP40190 Applications of Environmental Policy & Regulation Spring  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
ENVP40240 Sustainable Corporate Strategy Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - A)1 of:
ALL students MUST initially select the module ENVP40030 Environmental Policy Thesis. During the Autumn Trimester, those students interested in pursuing an Internship will be expected to prepare their CV and seek Professional Work Experience opportunities from prospective employers under the guidance of the Internship Module Coordinator and the Programme Director. In the event that a student is successful in securing a suitable Professional Work Experience placement, subject to gaining approval of the Internship Module Coordinator, the student will be re-registered to ENVP40160 Internship - Research Project by the Programme Office.
ENVP40030 Environmental Policy Thesis Summer  30
Stage 1 Options - A)1 of:
ALL students MUST initially select the module ENVP40030 Environmental Policy Thesis. During the Autumn Trimester, those students interested in pursuing an Internship will be expected to prepare their CV and seek Professional Work Experience opportunities from prospective employers under the guidance of the Internship Module Coordinator and the Programme Director. In the event that a student is successful in securing a suitable Professional Work Experience placement, subject to gaining approval of the Internship Module Coordinator, the student will be re-registered to ENVP40160 Internship - Research Project by the Programme Office.
ENVP40160 Internship - Research Project Summer  30

See the UCD Assessment website for further details, including worked examples of how degree award GPAs are calculated

Module Weighting Info
 
  Award GPA
Programme Module Weightings Rule Description Description >= <=
MTENA001 Stage 1 - 100.00%
Standard Honours Award First Class Honours

3.68

4.20

Second Class Honours, Grade 1

3.08

3.67

Second Class Honours, Grade 2

2.48

3.07

Pass

2.00

2.47

MTHSC006 Stage 1 - 100.00%
Standard Honours Award First Class Honours

3.68

4.20

Second Class Honours, Grade 1

3.08

3.67

Second Class Honours, Grade 2

2.48

3.07

Pass

2.00

2.47