Overview
The MA in Environmental Law and Sustainable Development provides a unique specialisation in a rapidly evolving area of law that covers a range of issues at the heart of major contemporary developments and debates. This programme offers a wide range of distinctive modules that combine a focus on core subjects in the field alongside a critical inquiry into the theory and practice of environmental law, particularly as they relate to the global South.
Why SOAS?
The SOAS degree offers a distinct and unique mix of modules that covers the main areas of environmental law in their international and national dimensions, with a focus on the global South.
At SOAS, we understand environmental law as deeply connected with human and social issues. This is why our compulsory introductory course is a course on Law Environment and Social Justice. This also explains why human rights dimensions find repeated place in our courses.
Our international environmental law focused courses (International Environmental Law, Climate Change Law and Policy, and Law and Global Commons) will offer you a strong bases in some of the main challenges arising at the international and global level and provide you particular insights in the global South-global North aspects of relevant regimes that are on the whole structured around a North-South dichotomy.
We also offer courses focusing more specifically on the resource dimension of environmental law. At SOAS, we take a broad view of the subject matter and our Law and Natural Resources course addresses a broad variety of natural resources beyond the traditional focus on oil and gas and does so in particular in terms of the livelihoods and human rights consequences of natural resource use. Our water courses (Water Justice: Rights, Access and Movements and Water and Development: Commodification, Ecology and Globalisation) address the increasingly crucial and under-studied field of water and do so from an inter-disciplinary perspective in collaboration with the department of Development Studies.
The programme is anchored in the research carried out at SOAS on environmental law whose institutional home is the Law, Environment and Development Centre (LEDC). The LEDC is the focal point for environment-related research activities in the School of Law, including a vibrant PhD cohort, an annual seminar series, the publication of the Law, Environment and Development Journal (LEAD Journal), and other activities linked to ongoing research. As students on the LLM in environmental law, you will be invited to become student members of the LEDC, providing you an opportunity to become involved and engage with the SOAS research community and actors in the field, which includes many scholars in different departments and inter-disciplinary centres, such as the Centre for Development, Environment and Policy and the Centre for Water and Development.
Why you?
This programme is ideal for graduates or professionals with no law background but an interest in the theory and practice of environmental law and related fields, particularly as they relate to the global South.
After you graduate, you will join alumni from the MA at SOAS, many of whom are now working in environmental NGOs and consultancies, in government, in policy work at the national or international level (UN or other) or in academia (please also see the ‘employment’ tab on this page).
Please note that the MA is tailored to applicants who do not hold a LLB. If you do hold a LLB and are interested in pursuing a master’s degree in environmental law at SOAS see details of the LLM here.
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings
Start of programme: September intake only
Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time
Entry requirements
- We will consider all applications with 2:ii (or international equivalent) or higher. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application including supporting statement and references.
- duration:
- One year (full-time);
Two or three years (part-time, daytime only).
Fees 2021/22
- UK fees:
- £16,400
- Overseas fees:
- £23,680
Fees for 2021/22 entrants. This is a Band 7 fee. The fees are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. Further details can be found in the Fees and Funding tab on this page or in the Registry Postgraduate Tuition Fees page
Q&A
Introducing Postgraduate Studies in Environmental Law and Sustainable Development
Professor of International and Environmental Law, Philippe Cullet, outlines the features of the SOAS programme in this rapidly expanding area of both domestic and international law.
What does the course involve?
Environmental challenges abound and are increasingly shaping our lives and our future. These include the ubiquitous issue of climate change, and the ongoing sixth mass extinction of species and pollution, caused by items of everyday use such as plastics. MA in Environmental Law and Sustainable Development explores all the most important environmental issues of our time at the international level, with a particular focus on North-South issues, particularly looking at countries of the Global South. The study of environmental law at SOAS goes far beyond the traditional aspects of environmental law. Indeed, we focus as much on environmental conservation as on the use of environmental or natural resources. This reflects the broader notion of sustainable development that reflects the links between the environment, social equity and economic growth. The courses we offer reflect these broad categories and include overviews of international environmental law, climate change, natural resources, and water.
What kind of students will the course appeal to?
This course will appeal to anyone who wants to better understand the implications of the anthropocene (referring to the current geological age during which human activity has been the dominant influence on the planet) for the environment; students interested in the human rights dimensions of environmental protection; students interested in understanding the links between conservation and the use of natural resources; and anyone concerned by our future survival as a species, as well as our individual place on the planet.
What facilities are available?
SOAS offers strong support for environmental law in the School of Law through the Law, Environment and Development Centre (LEDC), which brings together the different law-related activities in the department, including seminars, PhD scholars and the Law, Environment and Development Journal (LEAD Journal) co-published by the LEDC. SOAS also offers a strong interdisciplinary framework for environmental studies with a number of lecturers in departments as varied as development studies, economics, and politics.
What is special about the programme at SOAS?
SOAS offers a unique programme that combines a strong focus on traditional environmental law issues, a combination of courses interrogating international and national law and policy with a distinct focus on the North-South dimension of environmental law, unparalleled expertise in jurisdictions of the Global South, and courses that are novel in their approach, such as natural resources law that address cutting-edge policy areas, such as water.
Can you recommend a good book to read on Environmental Law?
As an entry point to some of the main strands of study we undertake at SOAS, Louis Kotzé ed., Environmental Law and Governance for the Anthropocene (Hart Publishing, 2017) provides a good introduction to the broader challenges faced by the planet, and Elena Blanco and Jona Razzaque, Globalisation and Natural Resources Law: Challenges, Key Issues and Perspectives (Edward Elgar, 2011) is relevant on issues related to natural resources.
What do students do after graduating?
Students have gone on to take up a variety of exciting opportunities. Some graduates have decided to carry on with further academic studies and have undertaken a PhD in environmental law; some have gone on to practice environmental law in their own countries; some have worked for environmental consultancies, such as Milieu in Brussels or specific environmental law advisory organisations, such as ClientEarth and Climate Law and Policy; some have gone on to work on environmental issues in international organisations; and some have gone on to work more broadly on sustainable development in international NGOs and inter-governmental organisations. A postgraduate degree in environmental law and sustainable development thus opens up many doors, reflecting the broad scope of the course and the multiplicity of ways in which it can be applied in the workplace.
Structure
To facilitate the study of law, all MA students are required to attend a two-week Preliminary Law, Legal Reasoning and Legal Methods in the September before beginning the MA programme.
Students must take modules to a total value of 180, consisting of a dissertation (60 credits) and 120 credits of taught modules. Taught modules are worth either 15 or 30 credits.
Students who wish to graduate with a specialised MA are required to take at least 60 credits associated with his or her specialised MA, a further 30 credits within the School of Law (General Law Postgraduate Taught Module List), and a final 30 unit which can either be taken within the School of Law or from the Language Open Options or Non-Language Open Options pages with the MA Programme Convenor’s permission. The dissertation topic will be undertaken within the MA specialisation.
Please note: Not all modules listed will be available every year. Please see the individual module page for information.
Dissertation
Students must complete a Dissertation (12,000 words) in Law, which should be on a topic relating to their chosen MA specialism.
Taught Component
Students will take the core module Environmental Law and Social Justice (see below). In addition, students will take the pre-sessional module Prelminary Law, Legal Reasoning and Legal Methods
AND
Choose modules from the List A below to the value of 45 credits
AND
Choose a module(s) from the List A or General Law PGT list below to the value of 30 credits
AND
Choose a module(s) from the General Law PGT Options list below or from Postgraduate Open Options to the value of 30 credits
List of Modules (subject to availability)
List A
General Law Options
Module |
Code |
Credits | Term |
Availability |
Gender, Law and Society in The Middle East and North Africa |
15PLAH056 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Alternative Dispute Resolution |
15PLAC104 |
|
|
Gender, Sexuality and Law: Selected Topics |
15PLAH061 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Gender, Sexuality and Law: Theories and Methodologies |
15PLAH062 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Human Rights and Islamic Law |
15PLAC150 |
30 |
Full Year |
International Commercial Arbitration |
15PLAC153 |
30 |
Full Year |
International Human Rights Clinic |
15PLAC145 |
30 |
Full Year |
International Investment Law |
15PLAH063 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Islamic Law (MA/LLM) |
15PLAC121 |
30 |
Full Year |
Law and Development in Africa |
15PLAC160 |
30 |
Full Year |
Law and Society in Southeast Asia |
15PLAH049 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Law and Society in the Middle East and North Africa |
15PLAC130 |
30 |
|
Law, Rights & Social Change |
15PLAH064 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Preliminary Law, Legal Reasoning and Legal Methods |
15PLAC162 |
0 |
Term 1 |
International Migration Law |
15PLAH068 |
15 |
Term 2 |
International Refugee Law |
15PLAH069 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Law and Society in South Asia |
15PLAC129 |
30 |
Full Year |
Mapping International Law in London - International Legal Geography in the Capital of Empire |
15PLAH072 |
15 |
|
Law, Environment and Social Justice |
15PLAH067 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Law and Justice in Contemporary China |
15PLAH071 |
15 |
|
Climate Change Law and Policy |
15PLAC154 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Colonialism, Empire and International Law |
15PLAH025 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Comparative Constitutional Law |
15PLAH046 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Foundations of International Law |
15PLAH021 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Human Rights of Women |
15PLAC112 |
30 |
Full Year |
International Criminal Law |
15PLAH055 |
15 |
Term 1 |
International Protection of Human Rights |
15PLAC119 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Justice, Reconciliation and Reconstruction in Post Conflict Societies |
15PLAC123 |
30 |
Full Year |
Law and Natural Resources |
15PLAC126 |
30 |
Full Year |
Law and Policy of International Courts and Tribunal |
15PLAH026 |
|
|
Law and Postcolonial Theory |
15PLAH050 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Islamic Law in Global Financial Markets |
15PLAC159 |
30 |
Full Year |
Israel, Palestine, and International Law (30Cr) |
15PLAC133 |
30 |
Full Year |
Multinational Enterprises and the Law |
15PLAC140 |
|
|
The Law of Armed Conflict |
15PLAH022 |
15 |
Term 2 |
World Trade Organisation Law |
15PLAH038 |
|
|
Water Justice: Rights, Access and Movements (Law) |
15PLAH044 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Intellectual Property Law (PG) |
15PLAC182 |
30 |
Full Year |
Human Rights of Women |
15PLAH065 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Law and Global Commons |
15PLAH070 |
15 |
Term 2 |
International Environmental Law I: Principles, Institutions & Enforcement |
15PLAH073 |
15 |
Term 1 |
International Environmental Law II: Biodiversity, Wildlife & Habitats |
15PLAH074 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Water and Development: Commodification, Ecology and Globalisation (Law) |
15PLAH076 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Multinational Enterprises and the Law I |
15PLAH077 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Multinational Enterprises and the Law II |
15PLAH078 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Business and Human Rights in the Global Economy |
15PLAH079 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Comparative Company Law |
15PLAH080 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Israel, Palestine and International Law |
15PLAH081 |
15 |
|
Palestine, Resistance, and the Law |
15PLAH082 |
15 |
|
Alternative Dispute Resolution I |
15PLAH083 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Alternative Dispute Resolution II |
15PLAH084 |
15 |
Term 2 |
International laws on the use of force |
15PLAH020 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Gender and the Law of War |
15PGNH005 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Non-Law Options
Other non-law options might also be available, for example:
Open Options Note
Open options from cross-Faculty list will need approval of deputy PG programme convenor (LLM or MA)
Programme Specification
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. If you are a current student you can find structure information on the previous year link at the top of the page or through your Department. Please read the important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching & Learning
Contact Hours
All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.
As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.
More information is on the page for each module.
Knowledge & Understanding
- Students will acquire specialist knowledge of environmental law in an international and comparative perspective.
- This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, knowledge and understanding of the following:
- the theoretical and practical underpinnings of environmental law internationally;
- the context in which law is made, interpreted, adjudicated, and amended;
- the role played by law, particularly environmental law in different situations internationally, particularly its role in promoting sustainable development in the global South;
- the role and function of legal institutions in managing the environment and natural resources;
- the weight and significance of different sources and methodologies.
- Students will develop knowledge of how to locate relevant materials and assess their relevance and/or importance.
Intellectual (thinking) Skills
- Students should develop rigour in analysis and assessment of legal arguments.
- Students should develop the ability to understand, summarise and critically assess differing perspectives on theoretical debates.
- Students should develop independence of thought and the confidence to challenge the accepted wisdom.
- Students should learn to identify issues and formulate questions for further research through independent work.
- Students will be encouraged to bring to bear their own previous experience and knowledge in addressing legal issues in an interdisciplinary manner.
Subject-based Practical Skills
The programme will help students develop the ability to:
- Write clear research essays and dissertations.
- Research in a variety of specialized research libraries and institutes and online, and retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources.
- Present seminar papers and defend the arguments therein.
- Discuss ideas introduced during seminars.
- Develop essay and dissertation research questions.
- Read legal source materials rapidly and critically.
- Present legal arguments in moots and debates.
Transferable Skills
The programme will enable students to:
- Communicate effectively in writing.
- Structure and communicate ideas and arguments effectively both orally and in writing.
- Read and comprehend significant quantities of reading rapidly and effectively and develop critical faculties.
- Find and use a variety of written and digital materials, especially legal materials, in libraries and research institutes.
- Present (non – assessed) material orally.
- Develop teamwork skills.
Fees and funding
Tuition Fees
Full details of postgraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Postgraduate Tuition Fees page.
This is a Band 7 tuition fee.
Fees for 2021/22 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Fees go up each year, therefore, your tuition fee in your second & subsequent years of study will be higher. Our continuing students, on the same degree programme, are protected from annual increases higher than 5%.
Full-time |
Part-time 2 Years |
Part-time 3 Years |
LLM only 4 Years |
UK Students |
Overseas Students |
UK Students |
Overseas Students |
UK Students |
Overseas Students |
UK Students |
Overseas Students |
£16,400 |
£23,680 |
£8,200 |
£11,840 |
£5,460 |
£7,890 |
£4,100 |
£5,640 |
Scholarships
Application Deadline: 2021-01-29 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-02-15 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-04-30 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-03-08 00:00
Application Deadline: 2020-06-05 15:00
For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section
Employment
Students have gone on to take up a variety of exciting opportunities. Some graduates have decided to carry on with further academic studies and have undertaken a PhD in environmental law; some have gone on to practice environmental law in their own countries; some have worked for environmental consultancies, such as Milieu in Brussels or specific environmental law advisory organisations, such as ClientEarth and Climate Law and Policy; some have gone on to work on environmental issues in international organisations; and some have gone on to work more broadly on sustainable development in international NGOs and inter-governmental organisations. A postgraduate degree in environmental law and sustainable development thus opens up many doors, reflecting the broad scope of the course and the multiplicity of ways in which it can be applied in the workplace.
A Student's Perspective
SOAS ticked all these boxes: it’s located in the heart of London, has a very international student body and it’s a relatively small and very friendly place. Most importantly, it offers a broad range of courses and a number of unique modules that really set it apart from other universities.
Friederike Stiller
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