Teaching
As an applied, practitioner-oriented Master's, the programme is designed to support personal and professional development.
The programme comprises a blended approach to learning, with three residential modules attended through workshops in Cambridge, supervisions and remote learning coordinated through a virtual learning environment. In addition to attending the residential workshops, it is estimated that to complete the MSt stage 3 successfully students will need to spend the equivalent of 0.5 days per week (4 hours) on directed learning, independent study, reading, accessing one-to-one support, and completing work for assessment. In addition, students admitted to the programme are also expected to be in a position to undertake personal reflection, apply the learning in practice and/or gain relevant practical experience related to the themes of the programme for at least 0.5 days per week.
CISL's applied, practitioner-oriented postgraduate programmes are designed to support personal and professional development. The following are key features that underpin CISL’s distinctive approach to learning:
Flexible: Programmes are designed for professionals working full time; hence the intensive workshops are blended with remote working on assignments and other course-related activities.
Thought leadership: The speakers, lecturers and facilitators are leading experts and practitioners from academia, business, government and civil society.
Practical relevance: Business case studies and hearing from leading industry figures are an integral part of the taught content, and assignments are focused on organisational contexts; thereby developing skills needed to translate cutting-edge insights into practice.
Topical: The content includes developing a robust ‘business case’ for sustainability, a focus on sustainability leadership aims and responses, and change management, covering both established and emergent experience.
Interactive: The learning approach is highly interactive, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and designed to encourage reflection and debate.
Diversity of perspectives: Students come from a wide range of functions, sectors, and geographies; hence provide a wide spectrum of insights and opportunities to benchmark against how other organisations are responding to sustainability.
Peer-learning: Shared learning and networking with between peers and the extensive range of contributors together provide a rich co-learning environment.
Support and mentorship: A dedicated CISL team and expert supervisors support the learning journey, including by providing feedback on assignments that are focused on organisational contexts.
Personal application: Students are encouraged to identify personal opportunities for leadership and engage in reflective practice throughout the programme, supported by peers and supervisors.
The programme is structured around modules, delivered through a combination of residential workshops and online learning. Stage 3 students must complete:
Three modules, each comprising attendance of 2.5 days of one of the available workshops, reading of pre-workshop preparatory material and completion of other online learning activities. Workshops are offered in both the first and second year of Stage 3, giving students the flexibility to choose when to complete a module. Workshops will be delivered to students on both the PG Diploma Stage 2 and the Masters in Sustainability Leadership (continuous and flexible routes).
Attend 1 day of teaching on leadership, through the attendance of two 0.5 day of workshops, adjacent to one of the residential modules.
Two cross-cutting modules through online self-paced e-learning and attendance of webinars and in-person masterclasses.
Online sessions to support face-to-face, group-based learning, introduction to assignment lectures, presentations of research essay conference.
An extended piece of research based on a topic of personal interest.
| One to one supervision |
7 hours over the two years. |
|---|---|
| Seminars & classes |
39 hours over the two years. |
| Lectures |
42 hours over the two years. |
| Small group teaching |
2 hours over the two years. |
| Literature Reviews |
Students will have completed a Literature Review in stage 2. This will typically form the research question posed in the Research Essay assignment in stage 3. |
| Posters and Presentations |
Students will deliver an oral presentation on the Research Essay in year 2. |
| Taught/Research Balance |
Equal Taught/Research
|
Feedback
Students are given formal feedback on their assignments and informal feedback throughout their course, during supervisions and/or from assessors.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
n/a
Essays
Students undertake a Research Essay of not more than 10,000 words, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee. The assessment of the Research Essay will include an oral presentation of the work.