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Become a World Changer

Sunflower with solar panels

Environment, sustainability and responsibility.

We live in a rapidly changing world. As a global population, we're facing global challenges brought about by issues we need to tackle together. Climate change, energy use, sustainable living and disease are just some of the many world-changing areas we must focus on today to help make a positive difference tomorrow.

More about sustainability at Durham
19th in the category of Sustainability (QS World Universities rankings 2025)
19th in the QS World University Rankings for Sustainability 2024
77th in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023
Top 40 in the People and Planet Green League Rankings 2022/23

 

 

Postgraduate programmes

We offer a range of exciting and innovative programmes covering many subject areas and disciplines to help you become a global leader of change. Take a look at our options below, and take you first step to extraordinary. 

MSc Plant Biotechnology and Enterprise

Plant a seed of change and learn the scientific and commercial skills to harness the power of plants, and really make a difference to the world we live in.
Man looking through microscope

MSc Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

Your opportunity to equip yourself with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a career in economics, coupled with strong environmental expertise
Businessman analysing virtual economic charts and graphs

MSc New and Renewable Energy

Providing the skills required to meet the growing challenge to achieve energy and environmental sustainability through the application of new technology
Solar panels in foreground with wind turbine behind

Master of Data Science: Earth and Environment

Providing skills and interdisciplinary knowledge to address the challenges of utilising the streams of data produced in industry, science and government
The main entrance to the Palatine Centre

Scientific Computing and Data Analysis: Earth and Environmental Sciences

This programme provides the advanced knowledge of how to use sophisticated datasets and tools to tackle cutting-edge and societally-relevant problems
view of earth from space with data overlaid

MSc Sustainability, Energy and Development

Delivering an understanding of the linked processes and practices that feed into climate change and inequality, and how the can be critically addressed
Two students sitting opposite each other on laptops

MSc Global and Planetary Health

Offering a unique opportunity to work at the interface between human health, environmental sustainability and social justice
Student creating samples in the laboratory

MSc Energy Engineering Management

Enabling students to become leaders in their field, supporting the move to Net Zero and making a real impact on the climate crisis.
An image of solar panels and wind turbines with a distant industrial landscape

MA Environmental Humanities

This exciting new interdisciplinary programme explores how humanities can contribute to developing a response to the environmental crisis.
Students on a field trip in a beautiful natural environment

LLM in International Environmental Law

Offering the skills and knowledge needed to tackle major global challenges such as environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change.
Climate change, COP26 and Environmentalism in Law

MA in Climate, Risk and Society

Explore the social dimensions of climate risk and resilience from multiple perspectives.
The blue Extinction Rebellion boat

MSc in Climate, Risk and Society

Focus on a natural science approach to risk that enables you to engage with the natural and social dimensions of climate change.
Group photo of geography postgraduate students

MA in Environmental Hazards and Risk

Focus on understanding the broader concepts of environmental hazards and risk in an interdisciplinary perspective.
Person looking at aftermath of earthquake

MSc in Environmental Hazards and Risk

Develop specific skills within the natural and social dimensions of environmental hazards including flooding, landslides and earthquakes.
Three people doing field research

 

 

University student
The faculty were an inspiration and the taught materials and delivery methods were easy to grasp, but at the same time made us challenge ourselves.
Raisa Bashar
MSc Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

 

 

BSc Climate Science

This undergraduate programme provides you with a solid background in diverse aspects of climate science that span geological time. The degree delivers opportunities to study the physical aspects of climate change, how past climates are reconstructed, the carbon cycle, geochemistry within a climate context, numerical modelling, physical geography (including glaciology), environmental geoscience, and the politics surrounding modern climate change.
Find out more
Orange-red sky with clouds

 

 

University student
While growing up, I realised that climate change is one of the most significant challenges of this century and that we humans are responsible for most of it. I knew that if I wanted to be an active part of the solution, I had to dedicate my studies and work towards this cause.
Ana Maria Villarreal-Vives
Student - MSc New and Renewable Energy

 

 

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MSc Plant Biotechnology and Enterprise

Take a look at our video to find out more about this exciting programme - brand new for 2022! 

Find out more and apply

 

 

University student
“Planetary health is a fast emerging area of research and practice, with rapidly growing opportunities in this specialist field in both academic and community contexts. There is also a rapidly increasing demand and opportunities for planetary health specialisation within a broad range of other fields in the commercial and not-for-profit sector. This programme builds upon the existing research and teaching strengths of Durham University”.
Prof. Corinne Reid
Senior Global Advisor - Australia

 

 

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Working with industry

At Durham, we work with a range of industry leading partners to make a positive impact around the globe, and more locally too.

With a £45,000 grant from EPSRC IAA (Impact Acceleration Account) we employed a post-doctoral academic to work with with our partner Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, developing prototype software which applies risk analysis techniques to the problems that the offshore wind industry face.

Learn more about Durham Energy Institute
Impact written in multicolour text

Business School: IMPACT Hub

Find out how we lead, impact and innovate across the business world through our research, business thinking and expert opinion.

Read more

Research Impact

Ancient landscape discovered beneath East Antarctic Ice Sheet

Graphic showing the Antarctic ice sheet lifted up to reveal the ancient landscape underneath

Explosive volcanic eruption led to record-breaking underwater flows

Members of Tonga Geological Services watch a volcanic eruption from a boat. Image credit Taniela Kula, Tonga Geological Services

New study finds European breeding birds respond slowly to recent climate change

European bird - white tailed eagle

Key climate temperature goals could be too high

A snow and icy landscape with a clear blue sky

European birds move to cooler areas but natural obstacles ‘control the traffic’

A barn owl flying through the sky

Researchers propose compulsory climate change teaching in core law curriculum

Climate change law
Research impact at Durham

Student enterprise tackling climate change

Two companies started by past students here at Durham have been accepted onto the Tech Nation Net Zero 2.0 programme, which is supporting the UK’s most promising climate tech companies drive down environmentally harmful emissions.
Read more
Representatives of Sphera and Tred