Contemporary Environmental Challenges

This course is assessed online.

You’ll be assessed via:

• an individual policy brief, 1500 words (worth 50% of your final course grade)
• a 48-hour take-home essay exam, 1500 words (also worth 50%).

Recorded lectures

All lectures are recorded and accessible 24/7 so you can watch them at a time that suits you, and you can pause and re-wind to ensure understanding and take notes. You can access and work through the course at your convenience.

Live online sessions

This course features two live interactive sessions. Each session is scheduled to last one hour. Session dates and times will be organised at the start of the course. Your course coordinator will consider everyone’s circumstances and time zones before setting up live session times that best suit the class.

Discussion boards

Each lecture topic will have an associated discussion board where you will be welcomed to share your comments and views and respond to fellow students’ comments in writing. It is estimated that participation in each discussion board will take one hour per person in total.

Study hours

This course totals approximately 150 hours of study and assessment time. That’s around 10 – 15 hours per week.

This is an indicative guide to the time required for a typical student at this level to achieve the learning outcomes. This includes time for independent study, as well as teaching and assessments.

You can largely set your own study hours each week to cover the materials. MyAberdeen is available 24/7, so you can log in and study when it suits you.

Our first-class support structure will ensure that you aren’t alone in your studies. You’ll have contact with your coordinator via email, MyAberdeen and Microsoft Teams. You can use social media and discussion boards to chat with your fellow students too.

We provide a wide range of services to support you in your studies and beyond:

• Careers and Employability Service
• Disability support
• IT support
• Library support
• Student Support Service – help with finances, stress, wellbeing and non-academic issues
• Student Learning Service – study support, with advice sessions available via phone or Skype
• Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA) – run by students for students
• Toolkit – clever apps and free training that can make your study life easier

Wherever you are in the world, you’ll feel part of our very special Aberdeen learning community.

Entry requirements

We welcome students from all over the world.

This course has no formal entry requirements. You do not need to provide proof of your qualifications.

But you do need to check the entry guidance above to understand the level of teaching delivered, to decide if this course is right for you.

If you do not have qualifications from the UK, check the equivalent teaching level for your country.

Visa requirements

You do not need a student visa to study online with us.

English language requirements

Teaching is delivered in English.

You do not have to provide proof of your English language skills to join this course. But we want to make sure that you can use English well enough to study successfully.

Recommended level of English

For this course, we recommend the following level of English language proficiency.

These are our Postgraduate Standard requirements, and these are minimum scores.

IELTS Academic, IELTS UKVI Academic, or IELTS Online (not IELTS Indicator or IELTS General Training)

• 6.5 overall
• 5.5 for listening, reading and speaking
• 6.0 for writing

TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition

• 90 overall
• 17 for listening
• 18 for reading
• 20 for speaking
• 21 for writing
• TOEFL DI code is 0818

Cambridge English: B2 First, C1 Advanced, or C2 Proficiency

• 176 overall
• 162 for listening, reading and speaking
• 169 for writing

LanguageCert Academic / LanguageCert Academic SELT

• 70 overall
• 60 for listening, reading and speaking
• 65 for writing

Oxford ELLT Digital – English Language Level Test Online

• 7.0 overall
• 5.0 for listening, reading and speaking
• 6.0 for writing

PTE Academic (online test not accepted)

• 62 overall
• 59 for listening, reading, speaking and writing

Skills for English: SELT

• B2 pass with merit

Duolingo – tests taken from 1 July 2024 onward

• 120 overall
• 95 for listening, reading and speaking
• 105 for writing

University of Aberdeen English Pre-sessional Programme (PSE)

• Pass
• Valid for one year. Refresher can be offered if out of date

Pre-sessional academic English preparation programmes undertaken at other UK universities

• Pass at an equivalent of 6.5 (C1)
• B2 in all four skills
• Certification must be within one year prior to the start of your course

For full information about language requirements, see our English Language Requirements page.

You will need access to:

A computer (PC, laptop or Mac) with an up-to-date operating system

Most teaching materials are smartphone- and tablet-friendly. But we recommend a proper laptop or desktop for completing assignments comfortably.

Reliable internet access

We recommend:

• a wired connection
• a minimum download speed of 2 Mbps so you can take part fully in live sessions.

Speakers or headphones

• We recommend a headset with built-in microphone and earphones if you’re likely to study in an environment with background noise.
• A webcam is optional, but you may like to use one for some interactive sessions.

Software

We’ll give you access to Office365 applications. This means you can use online versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneDrive and install these programs on up to five personal devices.

If your course requires specialist software, we’ll provide you with access to this and a licence that lasts throughout your studies.

See our detailed IT requirements for more information.

When you study with us, you can expect a first-class support structure so that you’re never alone in your studies.

But learning online does mean you have to motivate yourself and manage your own time.

Your most important commitment will be time – the time to work through, reflect on and understand your teaching materials.

Before you start a course that involves a high degree of independent study, we recommend looking at the time you will be able to devote to your studies each week:

• Be realistic
• Create a weekly schedule as a guide

If you have any questions about studying online, get in touch with our friendly team. We’re here to help.

Fee payment

Your course fee needs to be paid in full before you start your course.

We accept payment via Visa Debit, Visa Credit and Mastercard.

Ways to save

You may be able to get help funding this course via:

• discounts – if any discounts are available for this course, they’ll appear in the section below
• employer sponsorship – we accept full and partial fee payments from sponsors.

Find out more about funding options.

Student card

All our students are entitled to a University of Aberdeen student card. This gives you access to a range of student discounts around the city and online.

Learning resources

Access to all the books and resources you need are included in your tuition fee. They’ll be made available to you online and you do not have to buy your own copies.

Printing

You may wish to set aside a small budget for printing, depending on how you like to work.