MSc in Environmental Change and Policy
About the course
This MSc equips future environmental leaders with the critical thinking, research expertise, and analytical tools needed to design and evaluate policies for addressing the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
The MSc in Environmental Change and Policy (ECP) places strong emphasis on both environmental change and the policy and practice needed to respond to it, aligning with emerging demands in the field for graduates who can both understand and act upon environmental science.
Within the University, the course offers a unique blend of policy and environmental change studies. While it complements other environmental-related courses – such as those in environmental law, economics, and sustainability – it is distinctive in its focus on actionable policy design in the environmental sphere, a critically important area for addressing the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
The MSc ECP fills a gap in existing environmental courses by offering integrated, interdisciplinary training that not only connects global environmental changes with practical policy responses, but also explicitly links environmental research to policy-making – a feature that is not typically emphasised in both undergraduate and graduate environmental courses. Its focus on leadership development and research-based evidence for policy aligns with the needs of future employers in government, international agencies, and NGOs.
The course aims to:
- Examine the nature, causes and impacts of major types of global environmental changes, and how these changes operate and interact across space and time and in relation to physical, ecological, social and cultural systems.
- Engage the economic, legal, cultural, and ethical underpinnings of environmental responsibility and systemic policy solutions, including mitigation, adaptation, remediation, enhanced resource stewardship and other sustainable responses to environmental change across space and time.
- Empower environmental policy and decision makers with the analytical and practical skills, integrity, and a critical understanding of physical, ecological, social, and cultural systems in relation to environmental change, necessary to address the world’s most pressing environmental problems.
- Integrate students into the world-leading research taking place in the Environmental Change Institute and the wider School of Geography and the Environment.
- Enhance students personal and professional development, embedding the knowledge and skills needed to go on to further advanced research, policy, academic business, NGO or other environmental leadership work in the Environmental Change Institute and elsewhere.
By the end of the course you will be able to design and evaluate actionable policies responding to environmental change. This will be achieved through the following key supporting outcomes:
- Understand and critically appraise the key drivers, dimensions, theories and debates related to environmental changes, their inter-connections, and to policy and action.
- Analyse, select, and apply key research skills, methods and techniques for understanding and responding to environmental change.
- Communicate and collaborate with diverse audiences to support environmental leadership and empowerment.
Course structure
An overview of the course structure is provided below. Details of the compulsory and optional elements of the course are provided in the Course components section of this page.
The course is organised around three themes:
- Understanding environmental change
- Policy responses to environmental change
- Methods and techniques for evidence-based decision-making
The MSc is organised into six core modules and other elective modules. You will take three core modules in Michaelmas term, under the theme of understanding of environmental change and three core modules in Hilary term, under the theme of policy responses to environmental change.
You will take two elective modules, one in Michaelmas term and one in Hilary term.
Field-based learning is a key component of the course. There will be day trips in Michaelmas and Hilary, and two core residential field trips – a scene-setting pre-course induction trip to the Lake District National Park (Michaelmas) around the understanding environmental change theme of the course, and a policy-focused trip to Brussels (Hilary Term) around the policy responses to environmental change theme of the course.
In addition to classroom and field-based learning, you will work on a research paper project, supported by a dedicated supervisor. You will develop your research topic during Michaelmas and Hilary, with most of the research and writing taking place in Trinity Term and over the summer months.
An independent and original dissertation is an integral component of the course. In order to equip you with the necessary skills to undertake high quality research, a suite of training activities is offered to develop key transferable skills in order for you to be able to execute high quality independent and original research. The dissertation will expose you to applied research methods used widely in academic and professional research.
The department has several research clusters, in biodiversity, ecosystems and conservation; climate systems and policy; landscape dynamics; technological life; economy and society; environmental interactions; and political worlds, which hold seminars throughout term-time. Graduate students are encouraged to attend these seminars.
Attendance
The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.
During term time in Michaelmas and Hilary, a typical week will include core module and elective sessions, alongside a weekly 1-hour class meeting. Teaching styles may vary across the core and elective modules to reflect different learning objectives and instructor approaches. Core modules involve three hours of weekly teaching while elective modules offer eight hours of teaching spread across the term.
Resources to support your study
As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.
The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.
The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students to support with learning and research, as well as guidance on what technology to bring with you as a new student at Oxford.
The University of Oxford has an extensive library system and the Radcliffe Science Library is the main lending service within the University for the material required for the course. The Social Sciences Library also holds collections which are valuable for students pursuing geography programmes.
There is a dedicated social space for MSc students where you can meet and discuss your studies. Where appropriate, you will be able to use the departmental laboratories for your dissertation research.
Supervision
The course has an Academic Director and a Course Director who looks after the day to day running of the course.
The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Environmental Change Institute and School of Geography and the Environment and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the School of Geography and the Environment. Typically, students have eight hours of research supervision.
During the Michaelmas and Hilary terms, it is expected that the Course Director will act as your personal academic advisor.
For your dissertation, you will be assigned a supervisor with relevant expertise who is normally a member of the Environmental Change Institute's academic staff.
Assessment
The MSc ECP will be assessed by six summative assessments, which include a diverse range of assessment methods, including written assignments (such as a literature review, research proposal or policy brief), oral presentation, group-based assessment (such as a funding proposal), and a research paper (dissertation).
You will be supported for each of these assessments through a diverse range of formative assessments throughout the first two terms and across the various field trips.
Graduate destinations
Careers and employability data for MSc graduates from the Environmental Change Institute (since 1994) show that 40% work in the business sector, 20% in universities, research, or education, 13% in national or local government, 10% in NGOs or not-for-profits, 9% in intergovernmental organisations, and 6% are self-employed or in other roles. Among those in the university, research, or education sector, most focus on policy-oriented research related to environmental management.
Overall, the majority of our MSc graduates are involved in environmental change policy work. Many go on to work at organisations such as the United Nations, the UK Government, the World Bank, Acclimatise, the Australian and Canadian Governments, Boston Consulting Group, Carbon Trust, ClientEarth, EcoSecurities, Environmental Resources Management, the European Commission, Ernst & Young, GIZ, IUCN, McKinsey, PwC, the US Government, the World Resources Institute, and WWF.
Graduates pursue roles including advisors, regulators, consultants, researchers, campaigners, and social entrepreneurs, particularly in the energy and climate sectors.
Most ultimately enter careers in policy-making organisations or roles with a strong focus on environmental policy
Changes to this course
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Course components
Compulsory study
Core modules
The MSc is organised into six core modules:
1. Dimensions of Environmental Change
This module is designed to explore the multi-dimensions of environmental change, focusing on the science, governance, economic, social, and international perspectives.
2. Framings of Environmental Change and Policy
This module employs the concept of ‘framing’, using diverse disciplinary lenses, to examine core theories and debates related to environmental change and policy. Current concepts such as the “Anthropocene”, “Sustainable Development”, “Natural Capital”, among others will be critically examined from multiple theoretical and socio-political perspectives.
3. Methods for Research
This module is designed to equip you with interdisciplinary methods (quantitative, qualitative, and geospatial) to inform research design and applications relevant to understanding environmental change, which are critical for informing policies to address key environmental challenges.
4. Systems Thinking for Environmental Change and Policy
This module is designed to explore how natural and social science dimensions of environmental change can be integrated in research and practice by recognising their dynamic interactions, trade-offs, synergies, and emergent phenomena within social, cultural, political, and power-laden contexts. It reflects how environmental issues arise and are governed in the real world.
5. Transformative Policy and Practice
This module is designed to engage you with key debates on transformative change, exploring diverse approaches across contexts such as food, energy, and land use. It fosters critical analysis, collaborative learning, and communication skills that support leadership and community empowerment in driving transformation.
6. Methods for Policy Analysis
This module is designed to equip you with interdisciplinary methods to inform decision-making about management of the environment. Examples will be drawn widely from environmental management, but with a particular emphasis upon decisions about adaptation and mitigation.
Field Trips
You will attend two core residential field trips. A scene-setting pre-course induction trip to the Lake District National Park (Michaelmas) around the understanding environmental change theme of the course, and a policy-focused trip to Brussels (Hilary Term) around the policy responses to environmental change theme of the course.
Dissertation
You will also submit a final dissertation.
Options
You will take two elective modules. The elective modules are shared with the other MSc courses in the School of Geography and the Environment and, therefore, encourage interdisciplinary thinking. These modules offer a teaching and discussion environment within smaller groups and are designed to provide formative support for the summative assessments. The elective modules available may vary from year to year.
Recent options have included:
- Decolonising Conservation
- A Global South perspective on climate change and climate justice
- Economics of Innovation and New Technologies
- Extractive compromises in the Ecuadorian Amazon
- Animal Geographies
- Climate Change, Communication and the Media
- Energy and the Environment
- Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence: Theory and Practice.
The above list is an example of recent options, please note that available options may vary each year.
Entry requirements for entry in 2026-27
Proven and potential academic excellence
The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our guidance to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying.
Degree-level qualifications
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in a subject within environmental and natural sciences, geography, social sciences, or other relevant discipline.
For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.6 out of 4.0. However, selection of candidates also depends on other factors in your application and most successful applicants have achieved higher GPA scores.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
- Additionally, you should demonstrate relevant environmental experience and/or a deep interest in the environment in your application, particularly in areas that align with the core themes, aims and objectives of the course. Assessors will be interested in what you can bring to the course in terms of relevant skills and experience.
- A foundational understanding of both quantitative and qualitative data analysis is desirable.
English language proficiency
This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.
| Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| TOEFL iBT* including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490) | 110 | Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| C1 Advanced† | 191 | 185 |
| C2 Proficiency‡ | 191 | 185 |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 165 | 155 |
*Changes to the TOEFL iBT test are being introduced on 21 January 2026. The University will not accept TOEFL tests taken from that date to meet the English language condition until a review of the revised test has been completed. Our Application Guide provides full details of the tests we accept.
†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
‡Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
References
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Interviews may be held as part of the admissions process.
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions.
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Funding
For entry in the 2026-27 academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,100 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.
If you apply by the January deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships. For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application. There are further Oxford scholarships available which have additional eligibility criteria and where you are required to submit a separate application. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.
To ensure that you are considered for Oxford scholarships that require a separate application, for which you may be eligible, use our fees, funding and scholarship search tool to identify these opportunities and find out how to apply. Alongside Oxford scholarships, you should also consider other opportunities for which you may be eligible including a range of external funding, loan schemes for postgraduate study and any other scholarships which may also still be available after the January deadline as listed on our fees, funding and scholarship search tool.
Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:
Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.
For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.
Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the school's website.
Costs
Annual course fees
The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis.
Fees for the 2026-27 academic year at the University of Oxford
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £26,820 |
| Overseas | £36,170 |
What do course fees cover?
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional costs information below.
How long do I need to pay course fees?
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year fees will usually increase annually, as explained in the University’s Terms and Conditions.
Where can I find more information about fees?
Our fees and other charges pages provide further information, including details about:
- course fees and fee liability;
- how your fee status is determined; and
- changes to fees and other charges.
Information about how much fees and other costs will usually increase each academic year is set out in the University's Terms and Conditions.
Additional costs
In addition, as part of your course requirements, you will need to complete a dissertation as a compulsory part of the assessment for the course. Depending on your choice of topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses to a field location and research expenses for equipment. These costs will vary according to the type of research. Some dissertations will use online data sources and there may be no additional costs beyond fees and living costs. If you choose to undertake research in the field, you may incur expenses in the range of £300-£1,500 or more. You will need to meet these additional costs yourself, although you may be able to apply for small grants from the department. There are no other compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees and living costs.
Living costs
In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
Living costs for full-time study
For the 2026-27 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,405 and £2,105 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (if dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).
Further information about living costs
The current economic climate and periods of high national inflation in recent years make it harder to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2026-27 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation.
A breakdown of likely living costs for one month during the 2026-27 academic year are shown below. These costs are based on a single, full-time graduate student, with no dependants, living in Oxford.
| Lower range | Upper range | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | £315 | £545 |
| Accommodation | £825 | £990 |
| Personal items | £160 | £310 |
| Social activities | £50 | £130 |
| Study costs | £35 | £90 |
| Other | £20 | £40 |
| Total | £1,405 | £2,105 |
For information about how these figures have been calculated as well as tables showing the likely living costs for nine and twelve months, please refer to the living costs page of our website.
College preference
Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs).
If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference.
If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide.
The following colleges accept students on the MSc in Environmental Change and Policy:
Before you apply
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application, including advice to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £75 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
You do not need to contact the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.
For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application.
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Referees:
Three overall, of which at least two must be academic
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
Your references will support your academic achievements, interests, and personal motivation. In order to assist assessors in their consideration of applications references should be from experienced scholars and teachers of graduate students. In view of this, it is recommended that at least two of the three references are from academics.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
Statement of purpose:
A maximum of 900 words
Your statement must be written in English and explicitly address each of the following three questions.
Please write approximately 300 words for each question.
- Why do you believe you are a strong candidate for the MSc ECP?
- What are your expectations of the MSc ECP, and how does it align with your future academic or professional goals?
- What perspectives, experiences, or skills will you contribute to the MSc ECP and its learning community?
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
This will be assessed for:
- your reasons for applying
- your ability to present a coherent case in proficient English
- your commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course
- your preliminary knowledge of the subject area and research techniques
- reasoning ability.
Written work:
One essay a maximum of 1,500 words
You must complete the following written task as part of your application. This is a critical component of the admissions process. Written work must be submitted in English.
In no more than 1,500 words, discuss the extent to which mixed methods can provide usable insights for policy making on a specific environmental issue. In your answer, justify your choice of mixed methods and explain their design, implementation, and analysis.
Guidance:- You must draw on relevant academic literature to support your argument. References are required but are not included in the word count.
- Tables and figures and their captions are not included in the word count.
- Use empirical evidence (i.e., data) to support your claims.
- You are expected to demonstrate critical engagement with both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
- Justify your methodological choices clearly, and ensure your discussion is grounded in a specific environmental issue of your choice.
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
This will be assessed for evidence of a comprehensive understanding of the subject area, including problems and developments in the subject, your ability to construct and defend an argument, your aptitude for analysis and expression, and your ability to present a reasoned case in proficient academic English.
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice.
After you've submitted your application
Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.
Find out how to manage your application after submission, using our Applicant Self-Service tool.