MLA College

MSc Global Sustainable Development

Duration

1 year
Course type

Full-time, Part-time route available Distance learning
Study location MLA College (Plymouth)
MLA College is a specialist in global education, earning acclaim as an award-winning Higher Education provider. Specialising in UK distance learning degrees, which can be studied from anywhere in the world, our focus extends beyond boundaries, particularly within the dynamic maritime and sustainability sectors.
We have a robust collaboration with the United Nations Institute for training and Research (UNITAR), a partnership that amplifies our commitment to delivering cutting-edge sustainability programmes. These initiatives are designed to resonate across all sectors of industry, making a lasting impact on global education.

Key features
The course aims to:
  • Provide a sound, and critical, understanding of sustainable development, particularly with reference to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • Show how sustainability is conceived and practiced differently across the globe.
  • Show how sustainability is conceived and practiced differently across different sectors, and to critically evaluate how the UN SDGs interact with these sectors.
  • Enable students to evaluate the role of individuals, communities, and institutions in delivering sustainable development.
  • Foster debate and enable students to express reasoned, evidence-based arguments.
The programme starts with a period of gaining a shared vocabulary and set of ideas around sustainability, as well as investigating the various ways in which we might interrogate and analyse sustainability projects through a range of research methodologies and their associated techniques.
Options focus upon sectors, so, the MSc examines, in greater detail, the sectoral responses to the sustainability challenge. It shows that SDGs interact with a range of social and economic activities in a number of complicated and interconnected ways. This will allow you to evaluate projects and progress against sustainability goals more critically.
The programme finishes with a significant piece of individual research, on a topic of your choice.
This programme has been jointly developed and implemented with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). On successful completion of the programme, in addition to your degree certificate, graduates will be awarded a UNITAR certificate of completion.

Course details

  • Year 1

  • Core modules

    MLA719
    Debating Sustainability

    This module grounds students in the fundamental and critical debates around sustainability, at scales both small and large. By exploring and debating the various viewpoints on a range of sustainability issues, students will hone their academic skills, preparing them for modules ahead, whilst growing in their understanding of the expectations of Masters’ level study in the UK.

    MLA720
    Researching Sustainability

    This module enables learners to evaluate and explore quantitative and qualitative methods in sustainability research, notably survey, ethnographic and participatory action research, introductory GIS, and rudimentary statistics, foregrounding UN SDGs 11 and 17. It achieves this through lectures, the analysis of existing research case studies and application of research methods to a proposed community-based case study.

    MLA727
    Research Project

    This module is research driven, focussing upon the analysis of data to answer a unique and specific research question. Students will be able to develop ideas and methods practiced elsewhere in the course. They will report their findings as if writing for an academic journal.

    Optional modules

    MLA721
    Moving with the times: Using sport to address development goals

    This module enables learners to examine how sport can be used to address development goals such as gender equality, environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation and conflict resolution, foregrounding the UN SDGs and the field of Sport for Development (SDP). It achieves this through lectures, the analysis of fieldwork case studies, and students’ development of a proposal for a community-based project in small groups.

    MLA722
    A Cultural Lens on Sustainability

    This module enables learners to explore the role of culture in sustainability, focusing on UN SDG 11 and the interaction between globalised and local cultural products. A range of artforms, including visual art, music and dance, are explored in diverse contexts. Students will engage with lectures and analyse fieldwork case studies.

    MLA723
    Hungry for Change - Food and sustainability

    Food lies at the heart of many of the UN SDGs. Whether it is the patterns of food resources, shifting due to climate change, or the ways in which societies express themselves through food and drink, food taps into the fundamental need to survive. This module will focus on how the natural world has been shaped to meet human needs, and how it continues to drive change to a sustainable future.

    MLA724
    Water’s Sustainable Future

    Water is a key natural resource; it sustains us, is crucial to farming and manufacturing, and it is used to transport goods around the globe. Important cultural assets are created around water, and what lives within it. The module investigates the function and health of the hydrosphere, how that has been managed and altered by humans, and how, ultimately, its conservation is at the heart of sustainable resource management

    MLA725
    Developing Sustainable Energy

    The energy sector is one of the most contentious when it comes to issues of sustainability. Modern life relies on consistent and cheap energy, yet this comes at an environmental price, and arguably a societal gain. Balancing the needs of humans and the planet is most keenly felt in discussions of energy and it is these current interactions between the sector and the UN SDGs where this module focuses

    MLA726
    Managing Waste for a Sustainable Future

    This module concentrates upon the role of waste as a challenge to sustainable business practice. It critiques current waste management strategies and investigates a number of environmentally important waste streams. Concepts such as industrial ecology, systems thinking, and life cycle assessment will be introduced as potential solutions to these issues.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.

Entry requirements

UK/EU

A relevant degree with honours or an equivalent professional qualification. Other qualifications accompanied by substantial experience in an appropriate field may also be considered. Non-standard applications will be considered on a case by case basis.

International

Please view the country specific pages for further information regarding the equivalency of your degree. International applicants will be required to provide evidence of their English language ability, for example by achieving an IELTS score of 6.5 overall (with a minimum of 5.5 in each element) or equivalent, see our English language requirements. Pre-sessional English language courses are available if you do not meet these requirements.

We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available for postgraduate taught programmes. Tell me more about scholarships and bursaries.

Fees, costs and funding
For the latest information regarding programme fees please visit: https://www.mla.ac.uk/programmes/fees-finance/.
MLA offer a number of bursaries and discounts, including Women in Maritime Bursary Scheme and Professional Membership Discount. Check the MLA website for more details.

How to apply
To apply for the course please fill in the online application form on the Marine Learning Alliance website.
Admissions tutors for the MLA College will check all applications thoroughly, and may also arrange an interview (usually by telephone or Skype), in order to assess your suitability for study. Offers are based on the information provided in the application documents and interview (where appropriate).
If you have any further questions or would like to discuss any aspect of studying with MLA College, please contact the Marine Learning Alliance. 

Our partnership with MLA College
The University of Plymouth has developed partnerships with institutions around the world with the sole purpose of making higher education more accessible to those people who need something just a little different.

Our Academic Partnerships enable students to enrol for a degree at a partnership institution closer to home, or engage in distance learning – even when they’re in the middle of the ocean. They are there for those people looking to return to education, or enhance their professional development. Full- or part-time; foundation degree to masters-level – we cater for a huge variety of needs and aspirations.

Many of our partners offer specialist degrees, unique facilities, and smaller class sizes at a competitive price. And as a student of two institutions, you get the best of both worlds; a supportive learning environment as part of a close-knit community, and a university-level qualification awarded by the University of Plymouth. You’ll enjoy not only the facilities and services your partnership institution provides, but also all of the additional support and resources you need from us, and you’ll automatically become a member of our Students’ Union, too.

We are continuing to grow the number of partner institutions and expand our academic community to new locations around the UK and overseas. Why not visit the Academic Partnerships page on our website for a full list of partners and for more details on studying with us?

One of our partners delivers this particular course – so please visit their website for full course details, entry requirements, tuition fees and information on what student life is like there. 
Applications will be open soon.
Please contact admissions@plymouth.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)1752 585858 to register your interest in applying for this programme.
Please include your name, contact details, email and telephone number, the programme that you are interested in and the year you wish to start your studies.
You will be sent further details on how to apply as soon as possible.

Open days

Partner college open days

This course is run at one of our partner colleges. Open days are held at the college and more details of these can be found on the college website. You'll find contact details below, on this page.

University of Plymouth open days

You are also very welcome to attend a University of Plymouth open day, to get a flavour of the courses you can progress to from a partner college. There will however be limited information on this specific course and college.

MLA College

The MLA College has developed blended distance e-learning programmes that are perfectly suited to marine professionals seeking advancement of skills and qualifications without having to attend university full time.
We have developed a flexible syllabus that meets the growing market need for part time study that fits around your working patterns.