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 four week-long residential workshops in Cambridge (broadly every six months) and remote learning coordinated through a virtual learning environment. In addition to attending the residential workshops, it is estimated that to complete the programme successfully students will need to spend the equivalent of 1 day per week (8 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 1 day per week.
Our 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, online learning, and remote working:
• Residential workshops explore course modules through face-to-face learning opportunities
• A programme of online learning between the residential workshops to support the face-to-face learning
• Assignments centre around work and developing strong research skills
• Individual work-based assignments
• A group project around an area of mutual relevance
• An extended piece of research based on a topic of personal interest.
| One to one supervision |
9 - 12 hours per year. |
|---|---|
| Seminars & classes |
50 hours per year. |
| Lectures |
35 hours per year. |
| Practicals |
None. |
| Small group teaching |
26 hours per year. |
| Literature Reviews |
Some assignments and the dissertation require literature reviews. |
| Posters and Presentations |
Oral dissertation presentation in the second year. |
| 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. First-year supervisors provide termly reports during Year 1 and dissertation supervisors provide termly reports during Year 2.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
In Year 2 of the programme students undertake a dissertation of not more than 15,000 words, including footnotes and appendices, but excluding bibliography, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee. The assessment of the dissertation will include an oral presentation of the project work on which the dissertation is based.
Examples of previous dissertation topics and Supervisors are available on the CISL website.
Essays
In Year 1 of the programme, there are three written assignments:
- A 3,000-word Analysis Paper which takes the form of a detailed, critical analysis of a sustainability challenge or opportunity for a specific organisation, culminating in clear strategic recommendations.
- A 3,000-word Strategic Action Plan, building on the Analysis Paper, developing a practical implementation plan for taking forward one or more of the recommendations, supported by a sound rationale and existing literature and cases.
- A 7,000-word Group Project (undertaken with five to seven other students) on an issue relevant to sustainability, business and leadership, producing an original piece of research that draws upon the group’s collective interest and experience.