Global Sustainable Development MA
BBB – CCC at A level; graduates earn a median £23,500 three years on.
62% of entrants came with A levels · 92% stay on after year 1 · Glasgow course page, Discover Uni
What do you need to get in?
Typical offer — the grades most applicants are asked for. A contextual offer can be lower for applicants from under-represented backgrounds; none is published for this course.
Glasgow course page, read 19 September 2026 · Discover Uni entry profile
UCAS tariff points — a points scale for grades: A* = 56, A = 48, so A*A*A = 160. Entrants’ totals include extra subjects.
Other qualifications2
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Scottish Highers | BBBB Higher | — |
| IB | 32 (5,5,5) | — |
What do you study?
Compulsory modules this year: green & sustainability 45% · transversal skills 18% · social & cultural skills 14% · natural sciences 13%.
Module — one course unit, usually a term or a year long; “core” means everyone takes it. One UK credit is about ten hours of study; a full year is 120 credits.
Glasgow course page · optional modules vary by year
- Introduction To Global Environmental Issues
What you learn (4)
- evaluate the historical development of environmental concern and sustainable development
- summarise key global environmental issues objectively
- describe the scientific basis of selected global environmental issues
- produce a scientific report based on primary data
- Energy, Waste and Pollution: Options for Sustainability
What you learn (7)
- identify key UN sustainable development goals linked to energy, waste and pollution issues
- explain major approaches to tackling energy, waste and pollution challenges sustainably
- describe key policy frameworks addressing energy, waste and pollution issues
- evaluate local, regional and global case studies of sustainability solutions
- communicate ideas clearly to different audiences
- collaborate effectively within a team setting
- reflect critically on personal learning and performance
- People, Power and Place
What you learn (7)
- apply anthropological and political theories to sustainable development issues
- explain how social, cultural, economic, political and environmental factors interconnect
- identify different ways inequality is conceptualised
- distinguish ideological responses linked to different forms of inequality
- critically read ethnographic texts
- synthesise material from multiple sources into a coherent summary
- construct a well-referenced academic argument
- Introduction to Sustainable Development
What you learn (7)
- trace the historical development of the concept of sustainable development
- outline the main competing theoretical perspectives on sustainable development
- evaluate how sustainable development principles are applied in real-world case studies
- identify interactions among social, environmental and economic systems
- explain how social, environmental and economic systems interact with each other
- reflect on personal practices in relation to sustainability
- formulate a personal position on sustainable development
Year 2 · 5 core · 60 credits ≈ 600 hours
- Politics and the Environment
What you learn (9)
- identify core concepts of environmental politics
- describe how environmental concepts are applied in political methods
- distinguish differences between rival forms of environmental politics
- identify commonalities among rival forms of environmental politics
- explain obstacles to effective environmental politics
- assess proposed solutions to environmental political challenges
- present findings through oral presentation and written report
- discuss similarities between environmental politics and other political movements
- evaluate differences between environmental politics and rival ideological movements
- Environmental Communication and Behaviour Change
What you learn (5)
- explain key concepts of communication theory
- describe psychological principles underlying behaviour change
- identify applications of communication principles to environmental behaviours
- evaluate the effectiveness of behaviour change strategies using case studies
- propose alternative approaches to improve behaviour change interventions
- Global Perspectives on Health and Human Development
What you learn (5)
- apply social science theories to global health issues
- identify key global health challenges
- analyse health challenges using social epidemiology concepts
- analyse a policy within global health governance context
- illustrate policy problems using different health system models
- Political Economy of Globalisation and Development
What you learn (7)
- explain the historical emergence of globalisation trends
- describe key institutions of global governance
- explain how global trends affect different regions differently
- combine diverse sources of evidence to address development issues
- evaluate strengths and weaknesses of definitions of sustainable development
- evaluate frameworks used to measure sustainable development
- apply core theories to analyse global sustainable development
Year 3 · 6 core · 240 credits ≈ 2,400 hours
- Dissertation 3
What you learn (12)
- identify a viable research topic contributing to the subject field
- outline a literature review establishing context and focus for a research topic
- apply a chosen research methodology to a dissertation project
- use digital tools and information sources to gather and manage research data
- structure research material into a clear and well-organised format
- apply recognised academic conventions for referencing, appendices and footnotes
- produce a completed dissertation incorporating extended literature and analysis
- draw conclusions from research findings
- relate a chosen research topic to existing work in the field
- present research progress orally covering practical and strategic aspects
- reflect on personal research practice during a presentation
- identify transferable skills developed through conducting research
- Placement
What you learn (6)
- negotiate scope and terms of a work-based project
- manage the planning and delivery of a project
- explain how workplace experience connects to broader societal contexts
- record reflections on workplace experience in a journal
- critique placement experiences using relevant academic concepts
- produce a project report in an appropriate professional format
- Placement (International)
What you learn (6)
- negotiate scope and terms of a work project
- manage the execution of a project or projects
- explain how a work placement connects to broader societal contexts
- record reflections on work experience in a journal
- critique placement experiences using relevant academic theories
- produce a professional report suited to a project's requirements
- Innovation and Enterprise for Sustainability
What you learn (7)
- analyse key components of environmental, social and governance frameworks
- apply esg frameworks to address a specific sustainability problem
- apply leadership style theories to team contexts
- apply teamworking theories to collaborative tasks
- identify characteristics of high-performance teams
- present findings from diverse sources in written reports
- present findings from diverse sources in oral presentations
- Research Methods for Social Science
What you learn (8)
- compare different social research methods
- evaluate the values and limitations underlying research methods
- formulate a research question based on background reading
- critically appraise sources to inform a research focus
- design an appropriate research study
- evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a research design
- explain ethical risks involved in social research
- describe researcher responsibilities towards participants
- Advanced Texts in Sustainable Development
What you learn (7)
- explain key concepts within advanced development theories
- describe the main features of contemporary sustainable development frameworks
- compare earlier and contemporary development theories
- evaluate differences between Global North and South perspectives on development
- analyse how economic, social and ecological factors interact in sustainable development
- evaluate opposing arguments on continuity and change in development thinking
- defend a personal theoretical position on development debates
Year 4 · 4 core · 80 credits ≈ 800 hours
- Environmental Field Course
What you learn (9)
- apply practical field techniques to meet land management objectives
- identify practical difficulties encountered in remote or difficult terrain
- record the practical and organisational skills needed for environmental fieldwork careers
- evaluate existing environmental management practices
- propose improvements to future environmental management strategies
- design a field-based research study
- collect and analyse environmental field data
- compose a structured scientific report
- collaborate with others to complete a shared project
- Honours Action Research Project II
What you learn (11)
- collect data relevant to an action-oriented health or social policy issue
- analyse collected data to address a social policy research question
- produce a written report of research findings
- present research findings to stakeholders in an accessible format
- adapt communication style to suit the applied practice audience
- explain the specific research area using knowledge from across the programme
- conduct independent research with minimal supervision
- pursue original lines of enquiry in applied research
- evaluate the ethical implications of applied research practice
- evaluate the organisational and political implications of research work
- reflect on personal involvement and responsibility in the research process
“What you learn” restates each module’s published learning outcomes in our own words, as short skill statements in the same form as the GCSE and A level curriculum, with the help of an AI model; fields of knowledge follow the twelve fields of the knowledge sphere. The university’s module page, linked from each title, is the authoritative description.
Where does it lead?
Median — the middle earner: half earned more, half less. Pay is for graduates of this subject at this university who finished in 2016-18, not adjusted for inflation; based on 115 graduates.
Discover Uni dataset (HESA and Office for Students, CC BY 4.0, contains HESA data); earnings from the Longitudinal Education Outcomes data (Department for Education) · aggregation level 12, 22
Half of graduates earned between £19,500 and £29,000. Five years on, the median is £29,000. 80% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing; 30% of those in work were in professional or managerial jobs.
All outcome figures7
| Measure | Value | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Continue after year 18% left | 92% | 125 |
| In work or study, 15 months on0% studying | 80% | 40 |
| Professional or managerial job | 30% | 30 |
| Pay 15 months on, median | £27,500 | 15 |
| Pay 3 years on, median | £23,500 | 115 |
| Pay 5 years on, median | £29,000 | 115 |
What do students say?
NSS — a yearly survey of final-year students at every UK university; 66% of this course’s final year answered. Small groups can swing a lot year to year.
National Student Survey, via Discover Uni · 115 students answered
Highest: 94% agreed on question 20; lowest: 57% on question 14.
All questions26
| Question | Agree |
|---|---|
| Question 1 | 93% |
| Question 2 | 91% |
| Question 3 | 91% |
| Question 4 | 85% |
| Question 5 | 82% |
| Question 6 | 81% |
| Question 7 | 86% |
| Question 8 | 76% |
| Question 9 | 74% |
| Question 10 | 72% |
| Question 11 | 82% |
| Question 12 | 75% |
| Question 13 | 81% |
| Question 14 | 57% |
| Question 15 | 92% |
| Question 16 | 89% |
| Question 17 | 83% |
| Question 18 | 85% |
| Question 19 | 84% |
| Question 20 | 94% |
| Question 21 | 89% |
| Question 22 | 89% |
| Question 23 | 86% |
| Question 24 | 61% |
| Question 25 | 74% |
| Question 26 | 74% |
Question texts are published by the Office for Students; the dataset carries only the question numbers.
Modules, entry requirements and fees are facts read from University of Glasgow’s course page on 2026-09-19 and may change; the university’s page is authoritative. Descriptions are not reproduced. Outcome figures are from the Discover Uni dataset. University of Glasgow is a trade mark of the university; sch.today is independent of it.