Course Summary
Societies, governments, and businesses across the globe are faced with increasingly complex environmental challenges, in areas such as climate change, adaptation and local environmental quality in our cities and regions. The UCD MSc Environmental Policy, Strategy & Leadership arms graduates with the capacity to develop environmental policy choices, analyse them critically, and provide guidance in regard to their implementation and evaluation.
College Link
Career Sectors
This course prepares you for working in the Career Sectors below. Follow the links to get a fuller understanding of the sectors you are preparing for.
Entry Requirements
This programme is intended for applicants with a degree in any discipline, such as social sciences and arts, environmental sciences, law, business studies or engineering.
An honours undergraduate degree (NFQ Level 8) with a minimum upper second class honours or international equivalence is required.
Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element), or equivalent.
Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/
You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage. https://www.ucd.ie/registry/prospectivestudents/admissions/rpl/
Application Details
Apply online
Who Should Apply?
Full Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EU) applicants: Yes
Part Time option suitable for:
Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants: No
T431 MSc in Environmental Policy, Strategy & Leadership (Master of Science) Full-Time
Commencing September 2026
Graduate Taught
T432 MSc in Environmental Policy, Strategy & Leadership (Master of Science) Part-Time
Commencing September 2026
Graduate Taught
The Student
Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.
Career Progression
To date, our graduates have been very successful in gaining employment in environment-related fields in a diverse range of public, private and NGO organisations. Past graduates are now working for a number of agencies both nationally and internationally including private (e.g. Samsung Electronics; Wisetek; Citi Bank; AWN Consulting; EnvEcon; Irish Water), public bodies (e.g. Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs) and NGO organisations (e.g. Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice; Plant life Economy Foundation; Amazon Environmental Research Institute Brazil; publicpolicy.ie; Global Action plan Ireland), in a range of environmental positions (e.g. environmental consultants; policy officers; researchers; climate officers; environmental justice officers). Our graduates have also gone on to pursue further study (PhDs).
Duration
2 years part-time.
Delivery: On Campus