Learn for a sustainable future
Education is key to solving sustainability challenges worldwide. We are committed to ensuring all our students are equipped to become leaders of change, able to take action on the most pressing global issues, including sustainability and climate change.
Why study sustainability?
Our sustainability courses are designed to help students gain practical skills, engage in hands-on projects, and understand how to implement solutions to real problems. Students on these programmes, courses and modules will gain the knowledge and tools needed to address complex challenges facing our planet to create a more resilient and harmonious future. There are lots of benefits to including sustainability in your studies:
- Develop your sustainability skills, knowledge and experience.
- Think about a career in sustainability. Many industries value sustainability knowledge, opening more career opportunities.
- Go beyond your degree programme and try something different with our sustainability elective modules.
- Work collaboratively in student teams to solve local, regional and global sustainability challenges.
A module for all: Sustainability Clinic
The award-winning Sustainability Clinic is part of our suite of York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs) that brings together students and our local community to tackle pressing sustainability issues. Working in teams, students are given a project brief that has been co-produced with an organisation, business or charity, focusing on a sustainability challenge. All projects are designed to develop students’ employability skills while helping local organisations find solutions to a real-life sustainability problem that matters to them.
The Sustainability Clinic is available for undergraduate or postgraduate students from all Departments and Schools to take as an elective module in 2024/25 (subject to timetabling constraints/department availability).
York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs)
Our sustainability-related York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs) are elective modules that allow students to work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary teams to solve local, regional and global sustainability challenges. There are four undergraduate modules and one postgraduate module to explore. Students are taught by academics from different departments and work in groups with students from across the University, allowing them to apply their expertise to these challenges and learn from students and staff from other disciplines.
Future of Food
Develop an understanding of the food system and work in multi-disciplinary student groups to create a solution to a food system related challenge.
Climate Crisis Action Lab
Working in multi-disciplinary teams, find out what it takes as an environmental rights investigator or campaigner to tackle a climate-related government policy or failure to act.
Sustainability and Policy
Learn how policy engagement is used to tackle environmental and social challenges. Work in multi-disciplinary student groups and use engagement to solve challenges faced in developed and developing countries.
Sustainability Clinic
As part of a multi-disciplinary team, work on “live” real-world sustainability problems for a range of organisations including charities, businesses and NGOs, helping them to achieve their sustainability goals.
Undergraduate programmes
The University of York offers a wide range of sustainability-related undergraduate programmes, empowering students to address the most pressing environmental challenges of our time through innovative and interdisciplinary approaches.
Postgraduate programmes
Our taught Masters programmes in sustainability are designed to equip students with advanced knowledge and skills, preparing them to lead and innovate in the critical field of environmental stewardship and sustainable development.
- MSc Environmental Sustainability Education and Communication
- MSc Renewable Energy Technologies
- MA Sustainability Studies
- MSc Sustainability Science
- MSc Sustainable Business, Environment and Society
- MSc Green Chemistry and Sustainable Industrial Technology
- MA Sustainable Built Heritage
- MSc Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Management
- MSc Environmental Economics and Environmental Management
Interdisciplinary postgraduate programmes
The University of York offers a number of new interdisciplinary postgraduate programmes that provide students with an opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of sustainability issues from a range of disciplines.
MSc Environmental Sustainability Education and Communication
This interdisciplinary MSc aims to empower students to lead, educate and communicate on the most important environmental issues of our times. The programme is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Departments of Education and Environment and Geography, with modules co-taught by staff from both departments.
MSc Renewable Energy Technologies
Offered by the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, this exciting new MSc provides students with an interdisciplinary understanding of renewable energy in the fields of science and technology, industrial applications, and policy and equips them for a role in various fields within the renewable energy sector.
Informal learning and training
The University offers a number of sustainability-related accreditation programmes that can be completed alongside your studies. Find out how we can help expand your knowledge and build a career in sustainability.
Climate Fresk workshops
Climate Fresk is a 3-hour interactive workshop based on the IPCC reports. This collaborative session will teach you the fundamental science behind climate change and empower you to take action through small group discussion, reflection on emotions and collaborative action planning.
Carbon Literacy Training
Get Carbon literate with our free training, open to both students and staff. Attend workshops and complete an individual action plan to receive the Carbon Literacy accreditation from the Carbon Literacy Project.
Green Impact
Green Impact is a sustainability accreditation programme that recognises and rewards sustainable actions within colleges and departments. Get involved by working as a Green Impact Auditor or a Green Impact Project Assistant.
Lifelong learning courses
The University offers regular sustainability-related short courses in partnership with the Centre for Lifelong Learning, such as Climate Conversations, and Climate Questions.