MSc in Environmental Change and Policy at University of Oxford

Programme overview

A full-time one-year master's combining environmental change studies with policy design, equipping students to design and evaluate actionable policies responding to major global environmental challenges. It links environmental research to policy-making and integrates students into research at the Environmental Change Institute.

What you will study

Six core modules (Dimensions of Environmental Change; Framings of Environmental Change and Policy; Methods for Research; Systems Thinking for Environmental Change and Policy; Transformative Policy and Practice; Methods for Policy Analysis), two option modules (recently including Energy and the Environment and Global Environmental Change and Food Systems), residential field trips to the Lake District and Brussels, and an independent research paper.

Career pathways

Environmental Change Institute MSc graduates work in business (40%), universities, research or education (20%), national or local government (13%), NGOs (10%) and intergovernmental organisations (9%), with employers including the United Nations, UK Government, World Bank, European Commission, McKinsey, PwC and WWF, in roles such as advisors, regulators, consultants, researchers and campaigners.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold or be predicted a first-class or strong upper second-class UK honours degree (or equivalent) in environmental and natural sciences, geography, social sciences or another relevant discipline; US bachelor's degrees normally need a minimum GPA of 3.6/4.0. Applicants should show relevant environmental experience and/or deep interest in the environment aligned with the course themes, and a foundational understanding of quantitative and qualitative data analysis is desirable. No GRE or GMAT scores are sought. English language (higher level, if first language is not English): IELTS Academic 7.5 overall with at least 7.0 in each component; TOEFL iBT 110 with minimum Listening 22, Reading 24, Speaking 25, Writing 24; C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 191 overall and 185 per component; Oxford Test of English Advanced 165 overall and 155 per component. Test must be taken no more than two years before the course start. Application deadlines for 2027-28 entry: 13 November 2026 (12:00 UK time; applications more likely to receive earlier decisions) and 26 January 2027 (final deadline).

Domestic applicants: GBP 28,420 a year (2027/28). Home fee, full-time, 2027-28 Source

International applicants: GBP 38,340 a year (2027/28). Overseas fee, full-time, 2027-28 Source

Intake: 28 September 2027

Duration: 12 months full-time

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