Sustainable Development Degrees

A degree in sustainable development is perfect for those who want to combine politics and international relations with environmental sciences and social justice. It allows students to advocate for causes that matter to them and opens the doors to a career that will allow them to make real change for a more sustainable future. Read our guide to studying a degree in sustainable development, including an overview of common course topics, specialisations, and career options. 

Course content

Sustainable development considers the problems that the world currently faces, analyses the impact of the decisions being made for society and the environment, and finds practical solutions to create positive change. A sustainable development degree might cover topics such as: 

• Climate change 

• Social inequalities 

• Current global challenges 

• Current policy 

• Political intervention 

Entry requirements

While entry requirements will vary slightly from one university to another, many institutions will require students to have qualifications in maths and English or the national language equivalent. 

Other subjects that would be useful when applying to study sustainable development are the social sciences and humanities: sociology, history, economics, politics, and psychology. Subjects that touch on sustainability and the environment such as geography, geology and biology may also be useful. 

Course structure and assessment methods

Degrees in sustainable development will have both compulsory and elective modules which aim to teach students about the environmental and social sustainability issues in the world today. 

Some of the compulsory modules that students should expect to study are: 

•  Climate change 

• Reasearch methods 

• Social inequalities 

• Ethics 

• Current global challenges 

• The history of sustainability 

• Urban sustainability 

• Political influence 

• Interdisciplinary sustainability 

• Current interventions 

There are several ways that sustainable development students might be examined during their degree. Traditional, unseen paper examinations are common alongside extended research essays and presentations. 

Specialisations

There are many topics that students can choose to specialise in when choosing their elective modules. They include: 

• International relations – the study of rules that govern many countries to ensure that the planet is protected and that everyone is entitled to basic human rights. Studying the way that different nations work together to achieve sustainable development helps students to gain an understanding as to how real change is made. 

• Cultural influences – the study of cultural influence on sustainable development gives students an understanding of how culture can affect the pursuit of sustainability and think about how development can be achieved while respecting cultural traditions. 

• Colonisation and the changing landscape – looks at current and historical geopolitical debates. This includes topics such as ownership of land, nationalism, citizenship, and international spacial planning. 

• Ecological management – looks at principles of ecology such as ecosystems and biodiversity and considers the impact these have on the environment. Feild work and research is common in this specialisation to find how different environments can be best protected. 

• Race and social justice – studies the ideology of race and the impact that race and racism have on the landscape, societies, and individuals. It works towards understanding racial history, modern race dynamics and how we can look towards the future with the aim of implementing social sustainability. 

• Sustainable Cities – sociological and environmental problems are often exacerbated in large cities where there are larger populations, and the wealth gap is most noticeable. This specialisation might touch on topics such as the build environment, urban planning, sustainable systems and technology, inner city communities, poverty, and the impact of crime. 

• Gender inequalities – gender inequalities are still prevalent in societies all over the world. From the gender pay gap and the domestic workload to physical, sexual, and financial violence against women: this topic studies the history of feminism, considers how women can be better protected in the future and how societies can move towards fairer treatment of all genders. 

• The impact of war – war has many destructive consequences which affect many different facets of life. Studying this topic looks at destruction of the natural and build environment, civilian displacement, and lack of resources which all pose threats to sustainable development. 

• Activism and protests – environmentalism and social justice activism make up an important part of sustainable development studies as it allows students to identify the issues they are passionate about and collaborate to discover potential solutions. 

• Food security – in certain places, especially cities, food deserts mean that certain communities find it difficult to access fresh produce. There are several components to this problem: issues with modern farming as well as the rising prices and city planning which make shops selling fresh produce unavailable. 

Career options

Graduates with a degree in sustainable development can explore many career options, such as: 

• Sustainability consultant – someone who helps corporate clients become aware of their social and environmental impact and advises them on how they can improve to be more sustainable. 

• Civil servant - makes sure that government sustainability initiatives and public services are operating smoothly and serving the public while protecting marginalised communities or the environment, as needed. 

• Diplomat – a job within the foreign development office whose role includes advocating for their country and its citizens in an international political setting. This could include the discussion of several sustainable development topics such as climate change, human rights, terrorism threats, and conflict resolution in the face of war. 

• Environmental engineer – an engineer who specialises in protection of the environment by reducing pollution, using renewable energy options, ensuring air quality and clean water, and reducing waste. 

• Recycling officer – someone who analyses and improves recycling systems which encourages individuals and businesses to recycle more. They design new initiatives to make the process of recycling easier and more effective. 

• Surveyor - a chartered surveyor who specialises in analysing building plans and the impact that they will have on the natural environment. The role includes deciding whether a project is environmentally viable and brainstorming ways to make a project more sustainable. 

• Academic researcher – an academic researcher will generally work in a higher education institution and conduct their own research on social or environmental sustainability. Their research will often include field studies, writing reports and presenting their work at conferences. 

• Teacher – teaching roles are available for graduates of sustainable development at all levels, including schools and universities. The job will involve communicating concepts and ideas to students and implementing different ways to test their understanding.