Applications for the 2025-27 cohort are now open. Applications will close on Wednesday 30th April 2025.

Overview

The Masters in Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy programme has a modular design and is delivered part-time over two academic years, through a combination of distance learning, e-learning through a Virtual Learning Environment [VLE] and attendance at five intensive residential blocks over the duration of the course.

The Masters in Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy has three ‘Core Modules’, a ‘Methods and Methodologies’ module, and three optional ‘Applied Modules’ (out of which students will have to select one, as their specialisation stream).

The seven interdisciplinary modules are taught through a combination of: 

  • Taught sessions, lectures, interactive sessions by leading academics and practitioners
  • Group work including: working through case studies, dialogue, debate and presentations throughout the taught modules
  • Individual work including:  working through course materials on the VLE, course reading, preparation of written work (primarily between the residential sessions)
  • Residential sessions
  • Supervisions and support from the Land Economy faculty, tutors and supervisors from within the university

The course aim is to equip senior, mid-career and high-potential early-career professionals with a 360-degree view of climate, environmental and urban policy.

Information

Q&A with Professor Jorge Viñuales

Read a Q&A with Professor Jorge Viñuales, where he offers some insight into what students can expect from the Department's new MSt in Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy.

Aims of the course

  • Developing a 360-degree strategic view of climate, environmental and urban policy and their relevance for the sustainability transformation
  • Developing the ability to connect the short, medium and long-term drivers of sustainability transformations.
  • Understanding the complex factors surrounding the low-carbon transition, including technology innovation, market dynamics, policy interventions, geopolitical drivers and environmental constraints.
  • Understanding the different dimensions of the global challenges around degrading ecosystems and loss of biodiversity.
  • Understanding the main drivers of demographic and urbanisation trends, and their implications at different levels, from global to local.
  • Applying the 360-degree view developed in the course to analyse the complex links between climate change, biodiversity loss, public policy and sustainable cities and shape the decision-making processes of organisations in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

Course themes and modules

The course consists of seven interdisciplinary modules

  • Compulsory modules

    The three mandatory modules are:

    CEUP 1

    Understanding sustainability transformations

    • Analytical frames (including collective action problems, theory of externalities, systems analysis, theory of tipping points, sustainability/socio-technical transitions theory, Anthropocene).
    • Sources (survey of the most authoritative sources of data, regular reports, key institutions and processes, e.g. IPCC, IPBES, UNFCCC, CBD, and state of knowledge to enable an informed opinion on climate, environmental and urban policy issues).
    • Selected issues of particular relevance relating to climate change, environmental governance and urbanisation (case study-based)

     

    CEUP 2

    Economics and Public Policy of Sustainability

    • This module introduces students to the field of environmental economics and its policy challenges. It explores the question: Why do people pollute or overuse natural resources?
    • This includes a discussion of the complex interaction between the economic system, specifically markets, and the natural environment. The module also looks into the design and assessment of environmental regulation and policies.
    • It covers both the microeconomic and macroeconomic perspectives on regulation in a variety of policy settings, each characterised by specific constraints.

     

    CEUP 3

    Law and Governance of Sustainability

    • This module studies the different dimensions of environmental geopolitics, with a particular focus on the context of international legal frameworks for energy, investment, trade and environmental law. The module includes an historical component, explaining the role of law in driving or hindering the main energy transitions. Students are introduced to more complex issues such as natural resource distributions and energy security, non-conventional energy sources and their geopolitical impact, energy diversification and international conflict and cooperation.
  • Applied modules

    Complementing the ‘Core Modules’, there will be three optional ‘Applied Modules’, out of which students have to select only one as their specialisation stream:

    CEUP 4 

    Climate change and the energy transformation

    • This module will provide an introduction to climate change, from a scientific, economic and legal perspective. Students will have an overview of the most relevant reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), with a particular focus on global energy systems. Building on the tools introduced in the ‘Core Modules’, students will be able to analyse case studies based on regional decarbonisation policies and global economic trends.

     

    CEUP 5 

    Ecosystems and biodiversity

    • This module will address the measurement, valuation and governance of ecosystem services, and how that connects with the global biodiversity threats we are facing today. The students will look at ecosystems and biodiversity in the context of broader environmental and economic challenges, with a particular focus on ‘planetary boundaries’ and sustainable development. Regional case studies, with a particular focus on developing regions, will be analysed by the students in this module.


    CEUP 6 

    Cities and the future of urbanisation

    • This module will study the impact of urbanisation and global demographic changes in sustainability transformations. The module will focus on cities and how innovations in design, planning, and policy can improve the environmental footprint of cities as well as urban living and quality of life. The module will combine a global perspective with local case studies.
  • Methods and methodologies

    CEUP 7 

    Methods and Methodologies

    • The course also includes a mandatory ‘Methods and Methodologies’ module that will give the students access to quantitative and qualitative tools that they can use throughout the course, especially while working on their dissertation. The students will receive general support to prepare their essays and case studies in the ‘Methodological Module’, and more specific support in the supervision sessions.
  • Course director

    The Director for the MSt in Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy is Dr Aiora Zabala and the Deputy Director is Professor Harro van Asselt. They are available to discuss with students specific issues about the content of the MSt in Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy.

Fees and Funding

The fees for the course in 2025–27 will be £14,962 per annum and for the two-year MSt course a total of £29,924. This is the fee for both for Home/EU students and for overseas students and includes both the tuition and college membership fees.

Students are expected to cover their own costs of travel, accommodation, and subsistence during residential sessions in Cambridge. Costs for accommodation at Churchill College are estimated at £464* for each of the eight residential weeks.

*This is an estimated amount and costs may vary depending on room choices and availability.

Costs
Loans
Other Funding

Costs 
Combined Graduate Fee£29,924
(University and College membership fees)(£14,962 pa)
  
Accommodation£3,712*
(Accommodation at Churchill College for the eight residential weeks of the course)*These are estimated costs; actual figures may vary subject to availability of rooms.
  
Churchill College Membership Deposit£250 (refunded upon graduation)
  
Overall Course Total£33,636
(Plus travel and subsistence costs) 

Since the academic year 2016–17, the UK Government has provided a loan for Postgraduate Master’s study. For courses starting on or after 1 August 2024, students can receive up to £12,471 per course. Further information, including eligibility criteria for the loan, can be found on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/masters-loan.

A number of possible sources of funding for part-time study can be found on The University's Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) listings. Visit the ICE website to find out more.

The University of Cambridge has a variety of funding schemes administered by offices, departments, faculties, institutions and colleges. Find out more about potential funding from the University. Please note that many are not available to part-time students undertaking Master of Studies courses.

Further Information

  • Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

    The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) known as "Moodle" is a valuable teaching and learning resource and is the main means of communication between the course team and students throughout the two-years. 

    Assessment is completed via the VLE and supplementary materials, such as slides used by presenters and links to useful websites, articles, and other resources are also made available through the VLE.

    There are also forums for students to participate in discussions with each other and the course team, either generally or specifically about the assignments/dissertation.

  • Course Assessment

    The examining schemes are approved from year to year, and are therefore liable to variation. Approved schemes will be made available at the start of the academic year.

    The MSt is assessed through:

    • Three cases studies
    • Three critical essays
    • One Dissertation methodological outline
    • A dissertation of no more than 12,000 words in length.
  • College Membership

    All students who enrol on the Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy Masters Programme become full members of a Cambridge University College, which provides pastoral support within a collegial academic environment. Once a college member students remain a member of that college for life which includes some on-going opportunity to book accommodation, formal dinners and be invited to College and alumni events.

    The college provides accommodation and also offers meals, although students often prefer to sample the many different types of cuisine available from the wide variety of restaurants and cafes in Cambridge, along with their course colleagues.

    During the course both complimentary and optional formal dinners are held at the college and are again part of the Cambridge College experience and highly recommended.

    As members of a college students have access to all the resources and facilities of the college, including leisure facilities, library, IT resources and common rooms.

    General information about Cambridge colleges can be found here: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/colleges

    The MSt in Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy have arrangements for students at Churchill College, and students are fully inducted and matriculated into their college during the first residential session.

  • Selection Process

    Applications for our MSt programme are reviewed in batches. Candidates may be interviewed (via video call) and offered places after these reviews. Given the desire to get a diverse mix of skills and backgrounds, final decisions on most applications are not taken until after the closing date for all applications.

    We advise that applications are made as early as possible, particularly non-standard applications which are likely to take longer to process.

  • Academic and Professional Requirements

    Applicants should normally have a relevant UK first or very good upper second class honours degree or overseas equivalent. In addition, students joining the MSt course will typically have significant experience in a relevant industry or in public service and, in some cases, a professional qualification, although such additional element would not be a pre-requisite.

    Those with alternative qualifications or experience will be evaluated on an individual basis. As applicants will be expected to have experience and successful track records in industry or public service, consideration may be given to candidates on the strength of their vocational experience in lieu of the normal standard entry requirements.

  • Language Requirements

    If you’re not from a majority English-speaking country, you may need to submit evidence that you meet the University’s English language requirement before you can be admitted to your course. The following language tests, with the stated minimum results, can satisfy this requirement:

    • IELTS Academic: Overall score of 7.5 (a minimum of 7.0 in each individual component)
       
    • TOEFL Internet: Overall score of 110 (a minimum of 25 in each individual component)
       
    • CAE: Grade A or B (with at least 193 in each individual element) plus a language centre assessment.
       
    • CPE: Grade A, B, or C (with at least 200 in each individual element).

    If you are not sure whether you will be required to supply evidence of fluency in English, please refer to the Competence in English tool on the Postgraduate Admissions Office website.

    Those applicants who are subject to a language requirement are strongly encouraged to submit their language results with their initial application as failure to do so may delay the processing of applications.

  • References

    You will need to provide the details of two referees who should be senior people acquainted with your work who are able to comment on your academic and/or professional suitability for the course. Ideally one reference should be academic and one professional; if this is not possible, two professional references may be accepted.

    You will be asked to provide email addresses for your referees so that they can submit their reference via the online referencing system. It is therefore important for you to check that your referees are willing and able to provide a reference for you before you submit your application form. Please ask your referees to submit their reference using a professional or institutional email address as failure to do so may delay the processing of your application.

    You should advise your referees to include the following information:

    • How long they have known you and in what capacity.
    • Their opinion of your experience, achievements, professional interests, and the capabilities which you will bring to the course.
    • Whether they believe you have the academic and analytic skills to successfully study at Master’s level.
    • Whether they believe you will fit well on a Master’s level course concerned with climate, environmental and urban policy, requiring both group work and individual research.
    • Whether they consider you to have the enthusiasm, commitment, and determination necessary to complete the course successfully.

    If your referees are unable to use the online referencing system, or do not have email addresses, please contact the Institute of Continuing Education MSt Admissions Office on mst.admissions@ice.cam.ac.uk for further assistance.

Residential Sessions in detail

The MSt in Climate, Environmental, and Urban Policy is delivered through a combination of distance learning and attendance at five in-person one- or two-week residentials spread over the two academic years of the course. There are eight weeks of residentials in total:

  • 3 x one-week residentials in Year 1 (2025–26)
  • 2 x one-week residentials in Year 2 (2026–27)

The residentials take place in Cambridge, with students having the option to stay on-site in one of the University’s famous Colleges. They are intense and stimulating periods of study, combining lectures and taught sessions focused on core course content with presentations given by external industry and academic speakers. The emphasis is on real-world case studies, practical applications, and collaborative working, along with the presentation of project and group work and one-to-one supervisions with academic faculty. Each residential offers opportunities for site visits and field trips, and these are an important aspect of the course.

These residentials foster a collaborative environment where students learn from one another, gain valuable insights from academic faculty and guest speakers, and expand their professional networks. Throughout, students are supported by a team of faculty, tutors, and supervisors from the University of Cambridge, ensuring a rich and rewarding educational experience.

The course is designed to be highly interactive and this naturally works better in a face-to-face setting.

Timetable

Residential     Duration     Start Date                    End Date
12 weeks21 September 20253 October 2025
22 weeks22 March 20262 April 2026
32 weeks5 July 202617 July 2026
41 week6 December 202611 December 2026
51 week28 June 20273 July 2027

FAQs

  • Who awards the MSt?

    The Masters in Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy is conferred by the University of Cambridge as the awarding body and students graduate from the University of Cambridge. Graduation is organised by the student's College. Students who successfully pass the course and graduate from the University are entitled to use the letters, ‘MSt (Cantab)’ after their name.

  • Will I matriculate at the University of Cambridge?

    Most certainly. All students are required to matriculate in order to become a member of the University, which involves signing a formal declaration agreeing to abide by the Statutes and Ordinances of the University and College. Only by signing these documents does the student become recognised as a full member of the University and College.

    The colleges administer the formal processes, including matriculation (formally joining the University and College) and all students then attend a formal dinner, ‘the Matriculation Dinner’ to celebrate the more formal admittance to the University and College.

  • Is it possible to live outside of the UK but fly into Cambridge for the residential sessions?

    Absolutely, the course is designed for those working and living away from the University. The programme is modular and delivered through a combination of distance learning, a VLE, and residential sessions. There are 8 residential weeks in 5 blocks (3 residentials of 2 weeks duration in year 1 and 2 residentials of 1 week in year 2).  We arrange college accommodation for the duration of the residentials, which are focussed more on taught sessions, collaborative work, project work, and supervisions. Self study, theoretical work and assignments can be done between the residential periods. 

  • When will I hear about my application?

    Applications for the MSt in Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy are reviewed in batches throughout the applications cycle. Whilst applications are open until around May each year, we may be able to offer places and possibly fill all the places before then – so early applications are encouraged and advised, especially if you require a language test score.

  • Is a full research proposal required for the application?

    You are required to complete a ‘Research Proposal’ as part of your application.  However, there is no need for a detailed proposal at this stage. There is no word limit, but just a couple of paragraphs (no more than a side of A4) is sufficient.

    We ideally would like to see an interesting research question with some idea of what literature already exists related to the question and how you would go about the research, e.g. what data you would need and where you might get it from and what methods you would use. However, at this stage, all we need is an indication of ideas (that could be shaped into a more detailed research proposal during the first year of the course) to illustrate your interest in doing research for this degree and that if invited for interview you can briefly talk about these ideas thoughtfully. The course is designed to ensure students gain the necessary research skills rather than expect them to arrive with them all in place.

  • After completing the MSt can I progress to PhD study?

    The MSt in Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy is a valid route to studying for a PhD Degree. Students wishing to apply for continuation to the PhD would normally be expected to attain a minimum overall mark of 67% and dissertation 70%. 

What's special about this course?

This course brings together concepts, expertise, and applications from different disciplines to provide a 360-degree view of the scientific and societal implications of sustainability transformations. Climate change, the risk of ecosystemic collapse, and the transformation of urban systems are all redefining the rules of social organisation in which governments, businesses, and civil society evolve. This profound transformation cannot be understood from a single perspective. It requires systems analysis of highly complex processes based on the tools of a range of disciplines and practice areas. The MSt in Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy provides a research-informed and practise-infused training in the scientific, regulatory, and economic dimensions of sustainability transitions, with a more topical focus on climate change and energy, biodiversity and ecosystems, and the transition of urban systems. It is unique in the range of disciplines it mobilises and the strategic focus on gaining a 360-degree view of the ongoing sustainability transformation.

Information

Information for candidates

Both core and optional MPhil and MSt modules are reviewed on an annual basis. This review may lead to either a change to the core and/or optional modules offered on a particular MPhil or MSt course. Modules may be rescinded permanently or withdrawn on a temporary basis at any time.

Any information provided on Land Economy modules offered and their content is therefore subject to change and provided as guidance only to assist applicants with their choice of course. Reading lists are also provided for information purposes only and do not constitute a final or definitive list.

In brief

Course Information

Course length: 21 months with the expectation of a September graduation

Course aims

The course is offered by the Department of Land Economy combining the strong interdisciplinary background of academics from the Department and the broader University of Cambridge with the practical expertise from the world-class Cambridge innovation cluster. The programme provides a unique perspective on the ongoing sustainability transformations, especially the low-carbon transition.

Who should consider this course

The Master of Studies in Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy is principally aimed at senior, mid-career and high-potential early-career professionals.

Practical information

The course will run from September 2025 to July 2027 with an expected graduation date in September 2027. This is part-time course is delivered through a combination of distance learning and attendance at residential sessions in Cambridge, and it enables students to continue with their professional career whilst studying for a Masters qualification.

View our online prospectus

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