Global Futures: Justice, Development and Sustainability MSc

The course

Interest in what the future holds for sustainable development and global justice has never been so intense: the UN climate change summits, the Sustainable Development Goals and the World Social Forum are just some of the arenas seeking to lead the way on future environmental and development agendas globally. An MSc in Global Futures: Justice, Development and Sustainability at Royal Holloway, University of London equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle these era-defining issues, learning from expert academics with experience in Latin America, the Caribbean, South, East and South-East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the polar regions.

Study the MSc in Global Futures: Justice, Development and Sustainability at Royal Holloway and you’ll learn to tackle issues that are high on the national and international agenda, graduating with excellent employability prospects in the UK and abroad. Whether you are still an undergraduate or someone already in a professional career, graduates of this course will gain a Masters of Science in a discipline offering excellent employability prospects. During the programme, you’ll benefit from networking and placement opportunities with leading organisations and institutions, and enjoy exciting field working opportunities.

In the Department of Geography you’ll join a vibrant research community (ranked 2nd in the UK for research excellence in the most recent REF2014 assessment) and contribute to our renowned research culture with your own independent dissertation project. In particular, you will work with the leading researchers based in our Department of Geography’s Geopolitics, Development, Security and Justice (GDSJ) research group, which currently consists of over 20 research-active staff and 35 PhD students committed to conducting collaborative research which seeks to understand and contribute to addressing problems of social inequality, environmental destruction and injustice.

Engage with some of the most profound challenges of our times in this exciting Masters degree.

Teaching & assessment

Assessment is by coursework only. Formative feedback and detailed ongoing discussion of work before final submission is a central part of the teaching ethos of the course. Students also have significant autonomy in the selection of topics for coursework and dissertation allowing them to develop particular interests and specialisms.

Your future career

Graduates of this course will possess in-depth social scientific research skills and critical knowledge of contemporary geographic issues. Also, there is the opportunity to develop important public engagement skills, as well as to undertake placements and volunteer work in external institutions. The department has excellent links with a range of national and international charities, business and NGOs. These are actively used during the teaching of the course (via external speakers and field visits), and so students gain first hand experience and invaluable networks with this broad range of specialist institutions.

As such this is ideal preparation for careers in a wide-range of sectors including consultancy, government research, charities, intelligence, think tanks and private businesses.

Students need to have 2:1 in Geography, Politics, International Relations, English, History and Classics, Sociology and Philosophy. Other disciplines may be considered. Normally we require a UK 2:1 (Honours) or equivalent in relevant subjects but we will consider high 2:2 or relevant work experience. Candidates with professional qualifications in an associated area may be considered. Where a ‘good 2:2’ is considered, we would normally define this as reflecting a profile of 57% or above.