Programme Specification – MSc Environmental Economics and Climate Change
1. Awarding Body
LSE
2. Details of accreditation by a
professional/statutory body, e.g. ESRC;
BPS etc
3. Name of final award
4. Programme Title
5. Duration of the course
6. Based in the Department/Institute:
7. Relevant QAA subject benchmark
statements
8. UCAS Code
9. First written/last amended
It is envisaged that the new programme will form
part of a 1+3 PhD training pathway consistent with
the new ESRC training framework
MSc
Environmental Economics and Climate Change
Full-time 12 months; part-time 24 months
Geography and Environment
N/A
L7UD
December 2010
10. The programme aims to:
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Provide research-focused education at the cutting edge of contemporary debates on
environmental, natural resource and climate change economics and policy, to
outstanding students from the UK and overseas;
Develop students’ critical understanding of economic principles and their application to
the analysis of a wide range of environmental and natural resource policy issues, in both
developed and developing country contexts;
Develop students’ awareness of the importance of context, both from an institutional and
policy perspective, when applying the concepts and tools of environmental economics;
Develop students’ critical understanding of the problem of climate change, including its
scientific, economic and political dimensions;
Provide a rigorous exposition of the relevant analytical skills and quantitative tools used
in environmental and resource economics and policy;
Enable students to progress to higher degrees or to follow successful careers in the
environmental and climate change sector, for both public and private organisations, in
the UK and overseas.
11. Programme outcomes: knowledge and understanding; skills and other attributes
Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the programme students will have a thorough and critical understanding of:
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Environmental and resource economics, its conceptual foundations and tools of
analysis;
The fundamentals of climate change science, economics and policy;
Market based-instruments for environmental policy;
The range of applied welfare economics analysis methods and techniquest;
The policy and institutional context in which environmental economic solutions might
be applied, in developed and developing countries;
An excellent understanding of a wide range of environmental issues, including air and
water pollution, deforestation and biodiversity loss;
Data collection and survey methods;
Applied quantitative methods.
Skills and other attributes
At the end of the programme, students will be able to:
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Apply economic concepts, methods and instruments to the analysis of a wide range of
environmental and natural resource problems, policies and markets (in both
developed and developing country contexts), as appropriate for subsequent
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employment as a professional environmental economist;
Apply economic concepts, methods and instruments to the analysis of climate
change, as appropriate for subsequent employment in the climate change sector;
Be proficient in a range of applied welfare economics evaluation methods to assess
environmental policy interventions, including cost benefit analysis, applied general
equilibrium modelling and a wide range of economic valuation methods;
Apply a range of regression-based econometric methods of policy evaluation;
Apply appropriate research methods to a wide range of environmental issues (this
includes an ability to design and apply on-line and off-line surveys and basic
qualitative research tools);
Have a critical understanding of environmental, natural resource and climate change
policy and institutions;
Be proficient in all of the following:
 skills in IT for general and academic purposes;
 library and Internet research;
 use of econometric software;
 team work;
 oral presentation;
 research-report writing.
12. Teaching, learning and assessment strategies to enable outcomes to be achieved
and demonstrated
1. Teaching and Learning Strategies
1.1 Course design
The MSc programme is designed primarily for students with a background in economic
analysis and good quantitative skills wishing to gain an advanced understanding in
environment, natural resource and climate change economics and in their use as a tool in
policy-making.
It encompasses three key elements:
1. The conceptual principles of environmental and resource economics , and of climate
change economics ;
2. Its main tools of analysis, including applied welfare economics analysis techniques
and also some basic qualitative;
3. And has a strong applied focus, covering a wide range of policy applications and
case-studies drawn from the forefront of environmental economics research . Case
study material covers both developed and developing country applications.
The programme comprises:
(i) three compulsory courses (Environmental and Resource Economics, GY426, full unit;
Applied Quantitative Methods GY428, half unit MT; Climate Change: Science, Economics and
Policy GY427, half unit MT)
(ii) two half units or a single unit of optional course(s) to be chosen by the students, subject to
approval of the programme director; and
(iii) a 10,000 word dissertation, the topic of which students are also free to choose. A wide
range of environmental, climate change and related applications (for example from health and
transport), from both developed and developing countries, are covered within the programme.
1.2 Staff expertise
With one of the largest international groupings of environmental economists and strong
expertise in environmental policy, the Department of Geography & Environment is in an
almost unrivalled position in terms of research and teaching expertise in the area of
environmental economics and policy. In addition, the Department has very close links with
LSE’s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and LSE’s
ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy offering considerable strength in
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research and experience in policy work in the field of climate change economics which are
deployed to good advantage in the MSc programme, giving it a distinctive flavour. The new
programme will also fulfil the teaching remit of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate
Change and the Environment.
Lectures are taught by LSE faculty or visiting faculty. Classes are taught by faculty and by
experienced tutorial fellows.
1.3 Learning
Students acquire their detailed knowledge, skills and understanding of the programme through
lectures, classes/seminars/workshops, independent study and the writing of an end-ofprogramme dissertation.
Classes and seminars are delivered in all courses, in order to:
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deepen and broaden student understanding of core material taught in formal lectures;
enable application of principles as appropriate;
strengthen the training in research methods and data analysis;
allow students to learn in an interactive environment, through lecturer-guided
discussions amongst students and role playing exercises;
stimulate independent learning by the advance completion of assigned exercises;
develop oral communication skills with teachers promoting active student
engagement in the discussion of subject material.
Students will normally produce at least one piece of written work and give at least one
presentation in the full-unit course classes. In addition, for the Applied Quantitative Methods
classes and seminars, students are expected to complete problem sets and to undertake
quantitative exercises using econometric software packages applying the theory they have
learnt to actual data (in the classes), and to critically discuss applied papers in the area (in the
seminars).
In terms of dissertation preparation, students will be offered (as part of GY499) three
dissertation supervision sessions. The dissertation itself draws together a number of their
intellectual and technical/analytical skills as well as checking their understanding of
fundamental issues. The dissertation may be based on original analysis and/or original
fieldwork and is expected to directly relate to an area of environmental, natural resources or
climate change research.
Many of those involved in programme delivery are at the forefront of research in the field –
and as such, students have direct insight into current thinking in the field. In addition, the
Environmental Cluster of the Department of Geography & Environment together with the
Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment run a joint seminar
series, involving presentations by leading environment and climate change practitioners,
which students will be strongly encouraged to attend. This aspect of provision is further
enhanced through the array of LSE public lectures, which include senior national and
international policy makers, politicians and researchers in the environment, climate change
and related fields.
In addition to textbooks, all course reading lists include references to current research, and
other primary sources including official documents and web references, as well as original
academic works. Students are strongly encouraged to make use of electronic information
sources, where appropriate.
1.4. Support
Students are allocated one faculty member to act as their personal tutor and another that
supervises their end-of-programme dissertation. All teachers hold regular office hours for
student consultations. As notes, dissertation supervisors have three one-to-one meetings with
supervisees. The Programme Director is also available to advise students on any programmerelated issues.
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Information on study skills, IT training, library resources and language support is given to
students during induction and is available on the LSE website. The Department is represented
on the Library and Information Services Committee. The Methodology Institute also offers a
number of quantitative and qualitative methods research training courses.
Comprehensive course packs, including reading lists, lecture notes, articles and other
readings are provided for each of the courses. Extensive use will be made of on-line
resources such as Moodle. Students are also expected and encouraged to read widely during
the programme.
2. Assessment Strategies
2.1 Formative assessment and feedback
Formative assessment and feedback from tutors take place primarily during class/seminar
teaching and is central to student development. Feedback is given through the discussion of
class work (including quantitative exercises as in the Applied Quantitative Methods course)
completed by the students, through student seminar presentations and discussion of papers
and through the general discussion of teaching material. Formative assessment is tailored to
the level and content of particular modules. For the core environmental economics full-unit
course it will involve at least one item of written work which is marked and returned to
students. For the quantitative methods course students will also complete one un-assessed
outline project assignment for which they will receive feedback.
Students can sit a mock exam at the start of the summer term.
In terms of dissertation, skills are also developed through the guidance and feedback received
during the one-to-one dissertation supervision sessions.
Generally, students are encouraged to consult their module teachers about specific queries
and feedback either during regular office hours or by e-mail. Teachers hold weekly office
hours throughout term. The Programme Director is also available to give general feedback to
students.
2.2 Summative assessment
Most courses are assessed by means of closed-book examinations in the Summer term,
lasting three-hours for full-unit courses and two-hours for half-unit courses. Exam papers are
usually a combination of short questions to check the precision of a student's analytical
capabilities, coupled with longer, more open-ended questions that allow the student more
scope to display the breadth of his knowledge.
In addition, the assessment of the full-unit course also includes a course work component in
the form of a written essay while the Applied Quantitative Methods course includes a
quantitative project.
The dissertation, which represents the equivalent of a full-unit course, is assessed through
one 10,000 word thesis on a research topic of the students’ choice (see GY499 course
regulations for details).
In order to maintain good practice in assessment, examinations, dissertations and other
summative work are double-blind marked according to outline solutions/mark frames supplied
by the module proprietor(s).
13. Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules and awards
See the MSc Environmental Economics and Climate Change programme structure
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Additional information
14. Criteria for admission to the programme
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For applicants who are graduates from British Universities, the normal entry
requirement is an upper-second class honours degree, preferably in economics or
otherwise with a background in economic analysis, and good analytical, quantitative
and technical skills;
Applicants with qualifications from other countries will be expected to have a similar
academic background. GRE/GMAT is not required, but recommended;
Exceptional applicants with strong quantitative (i.e. in calculus or statistics) and
analytical skills but without a background in economic analysis will be required to take
prior training in economics (via appropriate LSE Diploma or Summer School
economics courses or equivalent training elsewhere) before being considered for
admission;
Applications are also welcome from mature students with work experience in the
environmental/climate change field who wish to upgrade their technical skills and
analytical insight. Such applicants will still need to meet a threshold requirement with
respect to their economics and/or quantitative training;
Applicants must meet the school’s minimum English language requirement.
15. Indicators of quality
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RAE (2008): 70 per cent of the department's research was judged as either worldleading or internationally excellent;
The Department has 1+3 and +3 ESRC recognition;
Demand is high for other environment-related MSc programmes offered by the
Department:
o MSc Environment and Development (2008): intake 45, applications 371;
o MSc Environmental Policy and Regulation (2008): intake 37, applications
198.
LSE’s expertise in the economics and policy of environment and climate change has
recently been recognised by the establishment of LSE's Grantham Research Institute
on Climate Change and the Environment and the newly awarded ESRC Centre for
Climate Change Economics and Policy. These centres bring together experts from
several disciplines to examine how our political and economic systems can adapt to
climate change and what mechanisms might deliver acceptable and efficient
reductions in emissions. The Chair of the Institute is Lord Stern of Brentford, author of
the influential government report, The Economics of Climate Change. With these
awards, the LSE has been recognised as one of the – if not the – leading place in the
world to research and study the economics of the environment and climate change.
16. Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standard of teaching and
learning
The Department conducts regular MSc programme reviews that have lead to the update and
change of several aspects of existing programmes. There is a staff/student liaison committee
that meets once every term. A student survey is conducted every year and any problems
identified are discussed directly by the Head of Department with members of staff concerned.
For more information see School document on student feedback and consultative forums.
School mechanisms (*operate at departmental level):
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regular staff appraisal and review;
improvements in teaching technique are effected by the Teaching and Learning
Centre (TLC) through observations, advice and further training;
induction programme and mentoring scheme for new members of staff;
Staff/student liaison committee;
centrally administered student satisfaction questionnaires by the Teaching Quality
Assurance and Review Office;
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an improved system for ensuring that External Examiner’s
comments/recommendations are fed through to Departments and acted upon;
the School’s Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee (TLAC) which regulates
all aspects of teaching quality;
annual monitoring of courses and periodic reviews every 3-5 years. The outcomes of
the annual reviews are presented to TLAC;
the School’s Undergraduate Studies Sub Committee and Graduate Studies Sub
Committee which oversee all taught programmes and ensure that significant changes
to programmes and courses pass through a sequence of formal stages to ensure that
curricular changes are appropriate and compatible with other developments.
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