Postgraduate Study
Come to CSEC and be part of an established centre of excellence for environmental research. As one of our postgraduates you will be part of a lively multidisciplinary intellectual community, engaged in the critical study of environmental issues and politics. CSEC offers taught masters and PHD programs.
MA in Environment, Culture and Society
Taught in collaboration with the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC).
This is an innovative interdisciplinary course aimed at those who want to engage critically, practically and creatively with global and local environmental problems. Human-induced environmental change has reached a level at which there is talk in both the physical and social sciences about a new geological epoch – referred to as the ‘Anthropocene’. While the scale of these changes may seem daunting, the growing recognition of the urgency and the magnitude of environmental challenges also provides opportunities for new kinds of understanding and engagement. In the face of mounting alarm around such issues as food security, climate change, emergent risks and energy futures, novel critical perspectives and forms of commitment are needed – and increasingly valued – in the academic, NGO, business and government sectors.
This course brings together insights from sociology, science and technology studies, geography, and the environmental sciences, bringing together social, cultural and environmental theories and approaches. The program gives new meanings to the notion of ‘sustainability’ in a fast-changing world, and recognises that finding new ways to lever societal transformation also requires an understanding the dynamics of environmental and earth processes.
The lecturers teaching this course have strong advisory and advocacy links with a range of scientific, policy, industrial and civic communities. This provides opportunities for research placements and practical engagement experience. The combination of critical theory, experimental natural science, and access to empirical real-world contexts creates a unique course for anyone seeking to add value to their academic and/or applied career trajectory.
For further details about the programme and how to apply see Department of Sociology’s postgraduate pages or contact the Sociology PG Admissions Team at spgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk
Find out what past MA students say about the course.
MPhil and PhD in Environment and Society
CSEC has a thriving and international social science postgraduate community, including visiting and resident doctoral students in areas such as:
- Environment and social theory
- Environment-society relations
- Environmental knowledge, policy and collective politics
- STS and the making and politics of environmental knowledge
- New technologies, innovation and governance
- Knowledge, practices and biodiversity
- Public participation in environmental decision-making
For further information and how to apply visit the Department PhD pages.
Postgraduate funding
There are a wide range of possible sources of studentships, scholarships and bursaries. Please visit the Department website funding pages listed below for further information.
Visits
We welcome postgraduate students from other institutions who wish to spend time as a visiting student here at Lancaster. See the Department visiting student website for further details.