Page last updated 4 November 2024
This course can count towards a postgraduate qualification in Sustainable Development in Practice
The School of Architecture and Environment offers a portfolio of short courses that focus on the urgent challenges faced by organisations, communities and government in effecting sustainable change in individual behaviour, business practice and wider society.
This course is suitable for professionals in an existing sustainability role who need to update their knowledge and skills, as well as career changers and recent graduates who are looking to differentiate their CV in the highly competitive sustainability sector.
This course focuses on organisations as the vehicles for attaining sustainability. There are two perspectives: contextual and strategic. The contextual perspective considers the pressures and opportunities facing the organisation, whether these are experienced through changing markets, through regulations or through aspirations. The strategic perspective reviews a range of frameworks and tools that organisations can use for guidance to contributing to a more sustainable future.
Participants are expected to have a first degree at 2.2 level or above (or equivalent), or alternatively have industrial experience.
If you are a non-UK student you will need to show your valid passport on entry to the UK. Please check your eligibility to visit and study in the UK here. If you are a non-Irish EU national currently resident in Ireland please contact us for further advice.
If English is not your country's first language, you will be required to provide evidence to show you meet the UK Border Agency and the University's minimum English Language requirements.
We strongly recommend that you speak to the course tutor prior to the course if you are unsure about your suitability to complete the assessment.
This course forms one module of the MSc Sustainable Development in Practice. They may be taken separately or combined to build towards a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or MSc Award if desired.
Please note that if your enrolment in this course is with the aim of completing a Sustainable Development in Practice Award, you will also need to complete the online booking form to be enrolled on the Sustainable Development in Practice Framework.
Key topics covered include:
On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
The courses are taught through a mixture of face-to-face and independent learning, comprising weekly lectures, workshops and group discussion.
The pattern of contact sessions (five continuous Fridays, all day) is highly accessible for those who wish to study part-time.
This is a highly participative course. Delivery methods are primarily experiential and participant centred, engaging you in practical exercises, personal study, and critical reflection upon the relationship between theory and practice.
The course is structured around five contact days, which take place on consecutive weeks.
Students undertake a significant amount of directed and independent study between and after the contact sessions. To complete the course and assessment (if taken), we recommend students allocate approximately 150 hours including taught sessions and personal study time. This is only a guideline and will depend on the participants' motivation and learning abilities.
Participants who wish to receive credit for their learning can undertake the assessed project at the end of the course. On successful completion, the course credits may then be used towards one of our postgraduate qualifications in Sustainable Development in Practice
You may also use the credit towards one of UWE's postgraduate qualifications in Integrated Professional Development.
To achieve accreditation for this module, you will need to successfully complete an assessed project in which you critically apply a range of theoretical perspectives, analytical techniques and tools relevant to sustainable organisations.
Formative assessment will be carried out throughout the module by setting regular tasks for students that will assess their grasp of the material covered. Tasks will be reviewed as part of the sessions.
UWE Bristol is superbly equipped with libraries and computer labs, and an excellent campus environment.
Find out more about the facilities and resources UWE Bristol has to offer.
Take a personalised virtual tour of the Geography and Environmental Management facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.
This course is planned to run again in 2024. Course dates, updated fees and online booking forms will be published here in the summer of 2024. Please complete our online enquiry form below to be notified once these details are made available.
| Cohort September 2024 - TBC | Time | Location |
| Five sessions scheduled over eight weeks, plus weekly reading group sessions | TBC | Frenchay Campus |
All prices are VAT exempt.
| Cohort | September 2024 |
| UK participants | £792* |
| International participants | £1,333* |
*Fees displayed are based on 2023/24 entry and are an indication only. Please note there might be a small increase for 2024/25. Please complete our online enquiry form below to be notified once these details are made available.
For information on fees, managing your money and determining your fee status, please go to our fees and funding pages.
Course location
UWE Bristol, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY.
This course is planned to run again in 2024. Course dates, updated fees and online booking forms will be published here in the summer of 2024. Please complete our online enquiry form below to be notified once these details are made available.
To make an enquiry: Enquire Now
To make a booking, please complete the online booking form below (when available). For all enquiries, please use the online Enquire Now link below
As this module carries university accreditation, please note that once you have submitted your booking form, you will be required to provide the following supporting information for the Programme Leader to review and formally accept your application as required by the university:
If you would like further information about this course or about the postgraduate qualifications in Sustainable Development in Practice, please contact the Programme Leader: Dr Georgina Gough /+44(0)117 32 87139.