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Postgraduate

MSc, Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate in Applied Environmental Economics

Syllabus

C02
Economic principles

A rigorous introduction to microeconomic theory covering theories and applications of individual and market demand, as well as production economics. The final part focuses on welfare economics and its application to imperfect competition and factor markets.

C121
Economics of environmental policy

Provides a theoretically rigorous coverage of the economic concepts and principles of environmental policy. It provides the knowledge and analytical tools needed to design and evaluate public policies towards the environment. It covers externalities such as pollution and public goods, exploitation of natural resources, trade and sustainable development.

C22
Environmental valuation

Develops the theory and techniques of the valuation of non-market goods. The course focuses on the techniques and methods for putting monetary values on the environment and shows how these can be incorporated in economic decision making at both the macro and project level.

C105
Natural resource economics

Examines a number of economic models of natural resource allocation and demonstrates their application to policy making and natural resource management to provide useful insights to both policy makers and managers. The second part considers the economic dimension of sustainable economic growth and development.

C05
Applied econometrics

Teaches the essential skills required for undertaking empirical work in agricultural economics. It covers the estimation, inference and diagnostic testing of linear regression models, with applications of theory using software supplied with the module.

C124 Climate change and development

Provides a multi-disciplinary understanding of climate change processes and of their direct and indirect interactions with development. It describes the main climate change processes, scenarios and vulnerabilities, and international and national policy responses. Different sectors’ contributions and sensitivities to climate change (and to mitigation and adaptation responses) are identified, with their implications for policies and outcomes for different economies and for people’s livelihoods within them.

C200 Environmental science and management

Provides an overview of the Earth system and its main subsystems and processes. It focuses on the science underlying the most prominent global environmental issues. Major approaches to, and principles of, environmental management are also examined.

C100 Ecological science and management

This module provides a comprehensive understanding of temporal and spatial dynamics of interacting components of natural and semi-natural environments for their management. It deals with the theoretical and mechanistic framework for understanding ecology, and the study of interactions of organisms with each other and with their environments. It introduces key concepts in ecological theory and the functioning of natural environments, referring to the dynamics of populations and communities and the interaction of organisms with their environment at local, landscape and regional/global scales. It examines ecological theory underlying models of sustainability and conservation and explains spatial and temporal patterns observed in natural and perturbed environments. It goes on to explore ecological processes occurring over regional and global scales, as these are essential to the functioning of both natural and human-dominated ecosystems, focusing specifically on the practice of ecology in applied contexts through issues such as biodiversity conservation, human demography, land degradation and agriculture: four interrelated topics that are central to human culture and welfare and are the focus of much debate and controversy.

Please note: this module will be supplied as electronic courseware on CD Rom

C163 Ethics and Environmental Practice

Considers environmental values in relation to ethical principles and cultural traditions. Outlines the development of an environmentalist movement, the interface of science and the environment and the political impact of environmental concern.

C168 Sustainable land management

Covers the physical and biological processes essential to understanding soil science and processes of land degradation. It explores the causes of land degradation and measures for mitigation and conservation in a range of agro-climatic zones. Emphasis is placed on the interaction of physical, economic, social, political and institutional factors in determining land management practices.

C208 Environmental auditing and environmental management systems

Provides an understanding of how to identify and evaluate the environmental impacts of an organisation or product/service. It explains how the environmental impacts of an organisation can be managed within the context of an environmental management system. It also explains the practical application of environmental auditing and environmental management systems, and it examines the range of available environmental management tools and techniques. It also considers ways in which corporate environmental management may respond to the challenge of sustainable development requirements.

C207
Environmental assessment

Provides an understanding of the processes and techniques for assessing the impacts of proposed actions on the environment, across a range of decision levels. It demonstrates the types of information required for assessing the impacts of a proposal on specific environmental parameters. It provides a basis for the practical application of environmental assessment skills; it also gives examples and case studies illustrating key aspects of professional practice for environmental managers.

C114
International environmental law

Covers the principles and rules of international law which have as their primary objective the protection of the environment. It addresses how the international community has recognised and sought to deal with the interdependence of the global environment through regional and international agreements.

C134
Project planning and management

Considers the planning and management of public and private investment in the rural sector in the context of sectoral and national level programme support. Concepts of project identification, preparation, appraisal, and monitoring and evaluation are explored. Methods such as logical framework, financial and economic cost benefit analysis, and social and environmental assessment are presented.

C126
Water resource management

Explains the key themes, concepts, and tools associated with water management. The module covers determinants of availability and scarcity, assessment and management from basin to user, economics and governance, the management and sustainability of irrigated agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, and environmental, social and political dimensions of water use.

C185 Sustainable forest management

Forests are important sources of products and environmental services, and yet are disappearing or threatened in most tropical and many temperate regions. Well managed forests with appropriate conservation measures can deliver society’s needs in a sustainable way. Understanding how and why is central to this module. Beginning with an introduction to key concepts, issues and protocols and an overview of the global forest estate, the module builds an understanding of sustainable forest management from its foundation in ecological principles, markets for forest products and environmental services and local to global forest and environmental policies. A solid knowledge of the principles and practice of forest management planning, implementation and monitoring is developed and related to the requirements of sustainable forest management certification.

C117 Introduction to biodiversity and conservation management

This course provides a broad introduction to the conservation of biological diversity with an emphasis on conservation within ecosystems. It provides an outline of the major elements of global biodiversity: evolution and distribution, and examines the threats to biodiversity and the imperative to conserve. It explains some of the fundamental principles of genetic, species and ecosystem diversity, providing an overview of the techniques available to conserve biodiversity both in situ and ex situ. A further theme is the role of protected areas for conservation and management of biodiversity and the issue of conservation outside protected areas. Social, ethical and policy issues surrounding biodiversity conservation are reviewed at appropriate points in the course.

C106 Research Methods

Begins with a discussion of the nature and role of research and then seeks to provide a foundation of basic skills in research. The course covers sampling, data collection methods, basic statistical tests, an introduction to SPSS®, and procedures for qualitative data analysis.

Research report - MSc students only

The research report involves desk-based and/or field-based research. The report is assessed by submission of a research proposal (10%) and a 10,000 word written report (90% of final module mark). Students are individually assigned a research supervisor for support and advice. All research topics are subject to approval by the Senior Teaching Fellow.