Whatever be anyone’s stance on issues revolving around environment, most accept that there is a clear link between environment and development and the debates have given rise to a new subject of academic study. Many universities the world over offer Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in this area. Some emphasise the local environment although setting it against a global perspective while others focus directly on the global environment. As we keep saying in all the blogs appearing on this site, this is an indicative list and you must search further to find a course that satisfies your needs.

The Bartlett’s Development Planning Unit at UCL offers an MSc Environment & Sustainable Development, which “reflects the increasing recognition that environmental concerns are closely linked to the way development theory and practice are conceived and applied”.

(http://www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/dpu/programmes/postgraduate/msc-environment-sustainable-development)

The London School of Economics also offers an MSc Environment and Development. LSE explains: “Air pollution, climate change, tropical deforestation: there is little doubt that the world is experiencing rapid and unprecedented changes to its natural environment at local, regional, and global scales. At the same time, human societies and economies are undergoing profound changes, for example, through the processes of globalisation and urbanisation. But how does economic development affect, and is it affected by, natural resource exploitation and management? What is the role of policy in influencing possible linkages between environment and development?”

(http://www.lse.ac.uk/study/graduate/taughtProgrammes2016/mscenvironmentanddevelopment.aspx)

The School of Oriental and African Studies, London, offers an MSc in Sustainable Development, as a Distance Learning Programme, which students can complete over a five year period.

(https://www.soas.ac.uk/cedep/programmes/sustainable/msc/)

For Masters in Sustainable development (and related areas) in Europe look at (http://www.mastersportal.eu/disciplines/127/sustainable-development.html). For a similar list in the UK, look at http://www.surrey.ac.uk/postgraduate/sustainable-development.

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences offers an integrated B.A & M.A in Ecology, Environment and Sustainable Development (http://campus.tiss.edu/guwahati/programs/master-degree-programmes/ma-ecology-environment-and-sustainable-development).

You may also consider the Master of Environment Management and Development offered by the Australian National University

(http://programsandcourses.anu.edu.au/program/MEMDV).

Long Island University offers an M.S. in Environmental Sustainability, which “centers on issues specific to the Long Island/New York metropolitan region while also considering the global context” (http://www.liu.edu/environmental). The School of International Service, American University, Washington DC offers an M.A. program in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development. This “is a dual-degree program. Students study at American University, where they earn an M.A. in International Affairs, and the United Nations-affiliated University for Peace in Costa Rica, where they earn an M.A. in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development. It is the first graduate degree program in which students can learn about environmental and development policies from the perspectives of both the South and North” (http://www.american.edu/sis/sisabroad/graddual/UPeace.cfm).