Course summary

The world’s biggest challenges can only be tackled with innovative, inclusive, and system-wide solutions. Our 100% online Masters will equip you with the interdisciplinary skills and insights you need to develop these solutions, and lead sustainable transformation in your business, sector and society at large. On this action-focused course, you will: explore urgent threats to humanity including issues of conflict, security, health, climate and environmental change unearth the root causes of these complex global sustainability challenges and the interconnected nature of environmental, social, political, and cultural issues critically assess the international development sector and scrutinise current systems and solutions like net zero, the circular economy, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the biodiversity protocols proposed at COP26, for example gain practical skills and apply academic concepts to real-world challenges, empowering you to make a tangible impact at a local or global level. Ranking 1st in the world for Development Studies (QS World University Ranking 2017-2023), the University of Sussex is renowned for its research and teaching in sustainability. As a Masters student, you’ll benefit from this unrivalled expertise, learning from academics across Sussex’s Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), School of Global Studies and Institute of Development Studies (IDS). The course curriculum evolves to reflect the findings and insights from these research centres, so you’ll graduate with an awareness of the very latest developments in the sector. Our online Sustainable Development Masters is a flexible, part-time course that can be completed in as little as two years, with the option to extend this to four if you need to pause your studies. We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.