MSc — 2025 entry Environmental Strategy with Industrial Practice
Our Environmental Strategy with Industrial Practice MSc degree delves into the intersection of environmental concerns and strategic planning within various sectors, such as business, government, and non-profit organisations. Graduates of this course are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to address complex environmental issues and drive positive change within organisations and society at large.
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Why choose
this course?
This course is run by our Centre for Environment and Sustainability (CES) and the Institute for Sustainability, and in partnership with the new Surrey CIFAL – a United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) training centre recently established at the University of Surrey.
This course will prepare you to join a new generation of environment and sustainability professionals ready to tackle the challenges ahead through the application of inter-disciplinary approaches, strategic thinking and analysis.
You'll also have the opportunity to undertake a postgraduate placement year, allowing you to gain crucial workplace experience. We’ll support you in finding a placement with a company most suited to your career goals.
Accreditation
What you will study
This MSc will provide you with both theoretical and practical knowledge for evaluating the technical, social, economic and organisational elements of environmental problems.
You’ll be taught how to apply life-cycle assessment thinking and other analytical methods to understand how resources are used, and how to manage materials and waste.
You’ll also learn about anticipating and responding to future policy developments and market pressures, enabling you to develop impressive problem-solving and decision-making skills.
The skills you’ll gain on our course are much sought after by environmental and consultancy employers. They can also provide you with a direct route to the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment graduate membership, and the Institution of Environmental Sciences student membership.
Guest lecturers
Several high-profile guest lecturers help teach on some of the modules. We make maximum use of guest lecturers, drawing on the practical skills and experience of major experts from government and industry to complement the theoretical components of the modules offered.
Recent guest speakers have come from leading organisations such as:
- Ardent Consulting Engineers
- Aviva Investors
- Climate Action
- Ikea
- Keller
- Modulaire Group
- Natural England
- NHS Property Services
- Sony Computer Entertainment
- Surrey Wildlife Trust
- United Nations Environment Programme
- WRAP.
The extensive expertise of CES academics and researchers is also drawn upon in modules.
Professor Tim Jackson, adviser to the government and international bodies and author of the seminal book, Prosperity without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet, lectures on some CES modules.
Students must complete five compulsory modules and four elective modules by the end of their MSc. The dissertation forms one of the compulsory modules. You can start this MSc at the beginning of either the first semester in September or the second semester in February.
The academic year begins with an induction week when students are introduced to the University and full-time students choose their elective modules.
You will work on your dissertation in Semester 2 and in the summer if you started your course in September, or during the summer and in Semester 1 if you started your course in February. You’re free to choose your own dissertation topic and a series of seminar events will be held to help you refine your ideas and make a start. Most students choose topics related to issues or ideas encountered in the taught modules, or in a professional context, which relates to environment or sustainability. You’ll be allocated a dissertation supervisor to help guide you through the dissertation process.
The structure of our programmes follows clear educational aims that are tailored to each programme. These are all outlined in the programme specifications which include further details such as the learning outcomes:
General course information
Contact hours
Contact hours can vary across our modules. Full details of the contact hours for each module are available from the University of Surrey's module catalogue. See the modules section for more information.
Timetable
Course timetables are normally available one month before the start of the semester.
Each module on this course is taught on an intensive modular basis. There is pre-reading to do for each module and, on occasion, a pre-module assessment, followed by an intensive teaching week. During this week, you will have several classes each day, from approximately 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Post-module coursework is to be completed over the four-week period after the intensive week.
View our code of practice for the scheduling of teaching and assessment (PDF).
Location
This course is based at Stag Hill campus. Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught.
We offer careers information, advice and guidance to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University.
Graduates of this masters course go on to pursue a diverse range of careers, developing and implementing environmental strategy in corporations, governments and charities.
Studying on this MSc could lead to roles such as:
- Energy efficiency officer for a local government
- Environmental officer in a multinational chemical company
- Environment consultant for an engineering consultancy
- Sustainability adviser for a multinational company
- Programme officer with a sustainability charity.
UK qualifications
A minimum of a 2:2 UK honours degree, or a recognised equivalent international qualification.
Relevant work experience may also be considered.
English language requirements
IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall with 6.0 in writing and 5.5 in each other element.
These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept.
If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
Recognition of prior learning
We recognise that many students enter their course with valuable knowledge and skills developed through a range of ways.
If this applies to you, the recognition of prior learning process may mean you can join a course without the formal entry requirements, or at a point appropriate to your previous learning and experience.
There are restrictions for some courses and fees may be payable for certain claims. Please contact the Admissions team with any queries.
Placements
This two-year MSc includes a placement year which enables you to gain invaluable professional experience working within an organisation.
After a year of full-time study at Surrey, you'll spend up to an additional 12 months on placement. You'll be responsible for securing your own placement, but we’ll support you in your search with a series of employability workshops and individual coaching.
We work closely with potential employers to help facilitate your successful placement. In addition to this, our award-winning Employability and Careers team are always ready to help, and they can provide you with a range of specialist resources and advice.
Our Environmental Strategy students have done their placements at companies including:
- Brodie Consulting Ltd
- Climate Bonds Initiative
- Derbyshire NHS
- Global Action Plan, London
- Guildford Environmental Forum
- Hammersmith & Fulham Council
- Hubbub
- Klimato, Sweden
- LC Energy Ltd
- Modulaire Group Holdings, Ltd, London
- Surrey County Council.
Study and work abroad
There may be opportunities to acquire valuable European experience by working or conducting research abroad during your degree or shortly afterwards.
Scholarships and bursaries
Discover what scholarships and bursaries are available to support your studies.
Fees per year
Explore UKCISA’s website for more information if you are unsure whether you are a UK or overseas student. View the list of fees for all postgraduate courses.
September 2025 - Full-time (with placement) - 2 years
- UK
- To be confirmed
- Overseas
- To be confirmed
- These fees apply to students commencing study in the academic year 2025-26 only. Fees for new starters are reviewed annually.
Payment schedule
- Students with Tuition Fee Loan: the Student Loans Company pay fees in line with their schedule (students on an unstructured self-paced part-time course are not eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan).
- Students without a Tuition Fee Loan: pay their fees either in full at the beginning of the programme or in two instalments as follows:
- 50% payable 10 days after the invoice date (expected to be October/November of each academic year)
- 50% in January of the same academic year.
- Students on part-time programmes where fees are paid on a modular basis: cannot pay fees by instalment.
- Sponsored students: must provide us with valid sponsorship information that covers the period of study.
The exact date(s) will be on invoices.
Additional costs
Commuting (local travel expenses): Unable to specify amount - Potential travel costs for the dissertation if the student’s topic requires travel to case study sites.
Funding
You may be able to borrow money to help pay your tuition fees and support you with your living costs. Find out more about postgraduate student finance.
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Our code of practice for postgraduate admissions policy explains how the Admissions team considers applications and admits students. Read our postgraduate applicant guidance for more information on applying.
About the University of Surrey
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Terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to follow our policies and procedures, student regulations, and terms and conditions.
We provide these terms and conditions at offer stage and are shown again at registration. You will be asked to accept these terms and conditions when you accept the offer made to you.
View our generic registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2025/26 academic year, as a guide on what to expect.
Disclaimer
This online prospectus has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies.
Whilst we have done everything possible to ensure this information is accurate, some changes may happen between publishing and the start of the course.
It is important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read our full disclaimer.
Subject to validation
This programme is subject to approval. This means that it has received initial agreement from the University and is currently undergoing a detailed final approval exercise, through the University’s quality assurance processes.
These processes are a requirement for all Higher Education Institutions within the UK, to ensure that programmes are of the highest standard. Occasionally there may be instances where the University may delay or not approve the introduction of the programme.