Marine Systems and Policies MSc

Rapid climate change and the global expansion of human activities threaten the worlds oceans. <br/><br/>How do we realistically balance development with ocean conservation in a rapidly changing climate? And how do we do this in ways that are also equitable and fair to society? <br/><br/>Our MSc programme places you right at the forefront of the fast-paced interface between marine science and policy that deals with these sustainability challenges. As a student, the programme centres a lot with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water but our programme’s interdisciplinarity will help you find links to all SDGs. <br/><br/>This broad programme is built around the science and policies spanning tropical to polar ecosystems, from wetlands and estuaries to the deep-sea including the abyss. <br/><br/>You can learn how to apply marine science and knowledge to critically evaluate and enrich policies and influence how new policies can be created through science communication. <br/><br/>You will get to learn from real-world practitioners and people with lived experiences through global case studies as well as domestic and overseas field trips. These experiences will be under the guidance of a research-active team of highly supportive and motivated university scientists with decades of experience at the science-policy interface from grassroots to international levels. <br/><br/>The capstone of your programme is an independent marine research dissertation project. It will be designed by you and a supervisor or host on a topic of your choice. You can either conduct an internship or a placement for your dissertation, in either a desk-based, lab-based, or field-based setting. <br/><br/>By the end of your programme, you will be highly equipped with a portfolio of skills employers are looking for and that will support a future academic PhD career, including: <br/><br/><br/>* policy analysis <br/><br/><br/>* applied marine scientific survey and social science skills <br/><br/><br/>* science communication <br/><br/><br/>**Is this MSc for me?**<br/><br/>Rising up to the challenge of sustainable ocean development requires interdisciplinary solutions.<br/><br/>Interested in doing an MSc that truly respects and integrates interdisciplinarity into your degree program? Ours is for you.<br/><br/>From the outset, you will learn how marine ecosystems are structured and how they function from research-active marine ecologists and oceanographers. You will also learn from local people, social scientists, governments, industry, and experts in marine law how these ecosystems are used, valued, and managed.<br/><br/>Our MSc is also suited for you if you are eager to meet other like-minded people from all over the world with different backgrounds, training, and perspectives. Our students especially value that their peers come from a variety of academic and work backgrounds, for example:<br/><br/><br/>* marine biology<br/><br/><br/>* physical oceanography<br/><br/><br/>* international development<br/><br/><br/>* social and political science<br/><br/><br/>* geography<br/><br/><br/>* law<br/><br/><br/>* science communication<br/><br/><br/>**Edinburgh Climate Change Institute**<br/><br/>This degree is associated with the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI).<br/><br/>The ECCI brings together consultancy, law, business, social science, technology, and policy experts to help develop a low-carbon society.<br/><br/>Through ECCI, you will have the opportunity to work and network alongside professionals and potential employers within this high-demand field.<br/><br/>**St. Abbs Marine Station**<br/><br/>You will also benefit from the Universitys new collaborative partnership with St. Abbs Marine Station. <br/><br/>Situated in an active fishing and recreational scuba diving harbour, St. Abbs offers a complete socio-ecological microcosm from land to shore to the coastal zone. The area is also home to internationally important seabird colonies and protected offshore rocky reef habitats.<br/><br/>In addition to local trips run through our programme, our partnership with St. Abbs provides you with opportunities to undertake your dissertation research project.