The University of Edinburgh MA Sustainable Development

1st and 2nd Year Programme Handbook

2016/17

School of Social and Political Science MA Sustainable Development Handbook 2016-2017

Welcome to the Sustainable Development MA Honours Degree

Welcome to the University of Edinburgh and to the MA in Sustainable Development! I’m delighted you’ve chosen to join us. The Sustainable Development students are a pleasure to teach because of their energy, passion, enthusiasm, and active engagement in everything that the degree, and Edinburgh, has to offer. I hope you feel similarly able to make the very most of your time here. There are a wide variety of courses available from which Sustainable Development students can chose; and a range of sustainability-related teaching, research and events available at the University. The ‘Sustainable Development Association’ (EUSDA), for students on this degree, is very active and full of ideas, and is just one way in which you can begin to put sustainability into practice. This Handbook should give you a general idea of what to expect from this degree but also where to go to find out more information. I look forward to meeting and getting to know you all, and I wish you the very best indeed for time here at Edinburgh. With best wishes, Dr Claire Haggett, Programme Director Welcome to Edinburgh! Some of you may have chosen (or will choose) a Geography pathway to your Sustainable Development degree. I am the Geography Liaison. I will meet with those of you who will be taking the Geography pathway and help you with problems you might have. Feel free to contact me if you have any queries. Dr Anthony Newton, Geography Liaison, Sustainable Development MA

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Contents 1. Introducing Sustainable Development

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2. Pre-honours course choices and pathways through the degree

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3. Entry into Honours

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4. Writing and Referencing

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5. Coursework, Exams and Assessment

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6. Marking and Feedback

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7. The Learning Experience and Community- Building

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8. Advice and Support

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9. Careers

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10. Communication and Contacts

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Appendix 1 - Main Subject Pathways

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Appendix 2: Suggested Outside Options

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Appendix 3: Common Marking Scheme

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Appendix 4: Degree Classification and Examining Boards

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Appendix 5: Student participation 45

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Using this Handbook This Handbook has been prepared for students undertaking the MA Honours

programme in Sustainable Development. The following pages include information on the aims, structure and requirements of the degree, the general rules governing assessment and examinations, useful information about the many extracurricular activities and facilities available to Sustainable Development students, and contact information for students seeking advice, support, or seeking information on postgraduate study and other careers.

Sustainable Development is an interdisciplinary degree, but is offered through the School of Social and Political Science (SSPS).

• This booklet is not intended as replacements for the official publications of the University such as the University Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study, which can be found: http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/16-17/dpt/drps_sps.htm

Comments or queries regarding this handbook should be addressed to the

Programme Director: Dr Claire Haggett (Claire.Haggett@ed.ac.uk) If you require this document or any of the internal University Of Edinburgh online

resources mentioned in this document in an alternative format please email Sue Renton

Email is the official method of communication for all students. When you join the University you are given a University of Edinburgh email account and address. Students must access and manage this account regularly as it is assumed that students have opened and acted on these communications. Failure by students to do so will not be considered an acceptable excuse for student actions or inactions or as a grounds for appeal. Students can set up an auto-forward on their University email account to ensure that all official University communications are received. Guidance on how to do this can be viewed at http://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/contacting_students_by_email.pdf

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1. Introducing Sustainable Development Sustainable development is about the long-term relationships between people and the environment. Studying sustainable development means trying to understand differing conceptions of progress, and the effectiveness of efforts to bring it about. It involves an examination of environmental and resource management, but also issues of economic growth (consumption, trade, poverty) and social development (democracy, participation, human well-being). Long-term, effective management of material resources and species requires an understanding of human-nature relationships, but also social relationships and institutions. This degree thus focuses not just on the material requirements for sustainability, but on the social, political, cultural and economic dynamics shaping it. Analysis from these diverse perspectives is essential to understand sustainable development and its implications. For instance, can we achieve growth, and meet the essential needs of present and future generations without endangering the earth’s ecosystem? Is a complete transformation in governance, social interaction, and economy necessary? Who should decide? These types of questions require broad knowledge and a multi-perspective understanding. The Sustainable Development degree programme enables the study of these issues through the prisms of several complementary disciplines including geography, politics, international relations, social anthropology and sociology. As a student here, you will focus on social scientific and humanities subjects, but will also receive a non-specialist natural scientific introduction to the topic. That interdisciplinary, critical, questioning approach is a key feature of the University’s Sustainable Development degree.

The teaching aims of the degree are:

to deliver a broad based curriculum incorporating sustainability across different fields of study;

to equip students with substantive knowledge of a range of economic, environmental and social systems, institutions, processes and ideas;

to provide a curriculum supported and informed by a rich and active research culture;

to enable students to develop and apply their knowledge and skills to the understanding and evaluation of sustainability issues and problems in the contemporary world;

to enable students to develop key generic skills in critical thinking, conceptual analysis, research, oral and written articulation of information and argument;

to equip students for progression into a wide variety of careers or further academic study.

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2. Pre-honours course choices and pathways through the degree 2.1 Overview of the Degree

This is an inter-disciplinary degree with a coherent structure. Throughout the degree, you will study a combination of: a. compulsory (or ‘core’) interdisciplinary sustainable development courses; b. courses in one of the following main subject areas (or ‘pathways’): Geography, Politics, International Relations, Sociology or Social Anthropology (See section 2.3 below, and Appendix 1); c. ‘outside courses’ from a wide range of social science, natural science, arts or humanities subjects including Languages, Business Studies, Divinity, Education, History, Archaeology, Law, Philosophy, Psychology, Economics, GeoSciences, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Biomedical Sciences. Years 1 and 2 (pre-honours) will feature broad and introductory courses in sustainable development, your pathway, and outside options. In years 3 and 4 (‘honours’ years) you will take more specialised, practical and demanding courses in sustainable development and in your chosen pathway. You will also undertake a 40-credit independent (though supervised) dissertation on a sustainable development issue.

2.2 Pre Honours courses

Year 1: Information on selecting your courses is included in your welcome pack. ‘Path’ is a simple and effective way to view the course options for your degree programme. You can access path at https://path.is.ed.ac.uk/ and login using your EASE login details. All of this advice will be discussed with you in the Welcome to Sustainable Development workshop during Welcome Week.

Using the information on Path you can complete your pre-selection form (also included in your welcome pack). You will take your completed pre-selection form to the Undergraduate Teaching Office, who will sign you up to your courses. Course sign-up for incoming first year students will take place in the Undergraduate Reading Room, Lower Ground Floor, Chrystal MacMillan Building, and information on selecting your courses will be included in your welcome pack and can also be found on our webpages here.

Sign-up opening and closing times are listed below. To ensure you get your first choice of courses, we strongly advise you attend course sign-up as early as possible. If you want to take the Geography pathway need to sign up as soon as possible (or let your Personal Tutor know). You are very welcome to discuss your course choices with your Personal Tutor before signing up).

Tuesday 13th September 15.00-16.00

Wednesday 14th September 10.00-12.00 and 14.00-16.00

Thursday 15th September 10.00-12.00 and 14.00-16.00

Friday 16th September 10.00-12.00 and 14.00-16.00

You should meet with your Personal Tutor who will confirm your attendence and complete your matriculation.

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Year 2¨ Course pre-selection will open at the end of the semester 2 exam period. At this time, returning students will receive an email inviting them to pre-select their courses to allow for allocations over the summer period. The link below will take you to the pre-selection section of our website, where you will find the relevant information closer to the time. We strongly advise you submit your pre-selection choices by the deadline stated to ensure you have the best chance of receiving your preferred choice of course. http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/returning_student_information/course_pre-selection

In each semester, students are expected to take 60 credits worth of courses, making 120 credits across the two semesters. Most courses are 20 credits, so you would take three courses in each semester.

a. Core courses for Sustainable Development students: There are four pre-honours core courses, one in each semester of the first two years. They are each 20 credit courses. In Year One, Semester One, you will study ‘Introducing Sustainable Development’ (SD1A), which will introduce the concept of sustainable development, focusing on the definitions, principles, and economic, social and political dynamics shaping sustainability. In Year One, Semester Two, you will study ‘Science and Society: Nature and Environment’, which examines and critically evaluates the scientific basis for sustainability. In Year Two, Semester 1, you will study ‘International Development and Humanitarian Aid’, taught by colleagues in the Centre for African Studies, which introduces students to foundational issues in development studies and critically examines the legacies of international development policies. In Semester Two you will study ‘Perspectives in Sustainable Development’ (SD2a), which equips you to analyse a variety of sustainability issues (energy, water, food, waste, etc.) from contrasting perspectives.

b. Main subject pathway courses In your first year, you will take 40 credits of courses offered by your pathway subject (Geography, Politics, International Relations, Social Anthropology or Sociology; see below and Appendix 1). In your second year, you will take another 40 credits of required year 2 courses from your pathway. In addition, in all but the Geography pathway, you will take a compulsory, non-credit bearing ‘Fundamentals’ course (see following page and Appendix 1). In Politics and International Relations, these classes are built into the first semester core course, Introduction to Politics and International Relations. Geography, there is no Fundamentals course in year 1, but there is a 20 credits compulsory course in year 2.

c. Outside options You are allowed and encouraged to take 40 outside credits from a wide range of Schools within Colleges of Humanities and Social Science, and Science and Engineering (20 credits for Geography 2nd year students). In Appendix 2 we provide a list of suggested outside options from across the School of Social and Political Science, and across the Colleges.

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2.3 Pathways through the degree

Whilst studying this degree, you will choose courses from a main subject area, or ‘pathway’ in addition to your sustainable development courses. You choose this pathway at the start of Year One. You may choose to follow two different pathways, to give yourself the option of choosing between them later: this is recommended unless you have a very clear profile and strategy for your studies. The pathways have been chosen because they include material relevant for sustainable development, particularly in honours years. In order to be able to take honours level courses, most disciplines require that you take pre-honours courses (‘pre-requisites’). Taking pre-honours courses allows you to take relevant honours level courses in your chosen pathway. More information about all courses can be found at: http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/16-17/dpt/drps_sps.htm and by typing the name of the course into the tab visible on the right hand side of the page ‘Search DPTs and Courses’. These are the five pathways from which you can choose: Geography, Politics, International Relations, Social Anthropology or Sociology. Your degree will therefore look like this:

Year Core SD Courses Pathway Courses

(for details of courses for each pathway, see Appendices 1 and 2)

Outside Options courses Credits total

1

Sustainable Development 1a: Introducing Sustainable Development (20 credits) (semester 1)

Science & Society 1b: Nature & Environment (20 credits) (semester 2)

Pathway course first semester (20 credits)

Pathway course second semester (20 credits)

+ Fundamentals (0 credits), except in Geography pathway

40 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

2

International Development, Aid and Humanitarianism (20 credits) (semester 1)

Sustainable Development 2a: Perspectives (20 credits) (semester 2)

Pathway course first semester (20 credits)

Pathway course second semester (20 credits)

+ Fundamentals (0 credits generally; 20 credits in Geography pathway)

40 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2), for all pathways except Geography. Geography pathway: 20 credits of such courses only

120

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Responding to sustainability challenges: critical debates (20 credits) (semester 1) Cases in Sustainable Development (20 credits) (semester 2)

Pathway core and option courses for a total of 60 credits across both semesters

20 credits from any subject area provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to a sustainable development theme. (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

4 Sustainable Development Dissertation (40 credits)

Pathway course first semester (20 credits)

Pathway course second semester (20 credits)

40 credits from any subject area provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to a sustainable development theme (see recommended list, Appendix 2).

120

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In addition to these courses, students also take non-credit bearing ‘Fundamentals’ courses, which are compulsory for the Politics, IR, Sociology, and Social Anthropology pathways in first and second year, and Geography in second year. These are courses which have been devised in response to student demand, and provide you with the skills to be able to study more effectively. FIRST YEAR students are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to read Appendix 1 before choosing their pathway, which outlines each pathway; Appendix 2, which lists possible options; and PATH for descriptions of courses: https://path.is.ed.ac.uk/ 2.4 Pre-honours course structure

For most courses at pre-honours, you will be taught in a combination of lectures and tutorials. Lectures are given in large teaching rooms, and students are encouraged to take notes. Tutorials are small groups of students, working interactively with a tutor. There are usually readings and/or tasks that students are expected to do to prepare for the tutorial. In some courses, tutorial participation is assessed, ie, you are given a mark for the contribution that you make in tutorials; please see individual course handbooks for details of the assessment for each course. For most courses, lectures are at a set time each week.

2.5 Guide to Using LEARN

All courses have a ‘LEARN’ page – this is a set of resources, such as the course handbook, lecture slides, readings, and key information that you access online

Accessing LEARN course pages Access to LEARN is through the MyEd Portal. You will be given a log-in and password during Welcome Week. Once you are logged into MyEd, you should see a tab called ‘Courses’ which will list the active LEARN pages for your courses under ‘myLEARN’. Welcome to LEARN Once you have clicked on the relevant course from the list, you will see the Course Content page. There will be icons for the different resources available. 2.6 Degree transfers

Students thinking about changing their degree programme can find relevant information here: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/student_support_and_community/changing_degree_programme Please note that the standard deadline for degree transfer applications within the School is no later than the 2nd of May 2017. Transfers involving Resit results or special circumstances may be submitted after the deadline if necessary. For students wanting to transfer into the Sustainable Development degree from a different degree outside the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science need to apply to the College Office, who have an earlier deadline (usually the end of March/start of April) – more information is available on the College website: http://www.ed.ac.uk/arts-humanities-soc-sci/taught-students/changing-your-programme

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3. Entry into Honours 3.1 Preparation for Honours

To be admitted into Honours Sustainable Development, students must successfully complete the first two years of the curriculum, which includes achieving 240 credits, and being awarded at least 50% at the first attempt in the second year courses Sustainable Development courses, and the required pathway courses. Students who do not achieve these criteria will be asked to appeal in writing to the Degree Programme Director, setting out the case for their appeal (why they failed to achieve the requisite marks, and how they intend to address the issues which led to this in the future). This can be not later than the last week of August. Appeals are considered by the Honours Progression Committee. Appeals procedures for those failing to meet these criteria are laid out here: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/on_course_students/year_1_2/progression_to_honours Students who obtain fewer than 80 credits in Junior Honours (i.e. do not obtain passes in at least 4 of their 6 units of assessment) OR who do not achieve an overall mean mark of 40% or more across all units of assessment, will not be permitted to proceed to Senior Honours. They may be permitted to return to complete the requirements for a non-Honours qualification.

3.2 Student Exchange Schemes/Year Abroad

Study abroad occurs as an option in the third year of your Sustainable Development degree. To apply to study for a year abroad, students must have gained 120 credits in their first year and should have no marks lower than a C in any of their courses. Application takes place in Semester 1 of the second year, so only first year results will be taken into consideration. Full details of the selection criteria can be found at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/international-office/exchanges/application.

Students interested should also read the information at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/international-office/exchanges There are two different schemes:

The University-wide competition

This scheme places students primarily in North Central and South America, Australia and Asia. The competition is advertised early in the Autumn term of second year and generally closes in November.

ERASMUS exchanges

These are exchanges which take place with universities in Europe for all subject areas. SD students will in principle have access to Erasmus places through their pathway subject area. The degree also has its own exchange agreement for 2 places with the University of Leuphana in Lueneburg

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(Germany), which has one the most highly rated degrees in environmental sciences in Europe and a faculty of sustainability with a wealth of relevant courses taught in English. In addition to the subject-specific Erasmus exchanges, the University of Edinburgh also has ‘general’, University-wide exchange agreements with Lund University and Uppsala University in Sweden, the University of Amsterdam, and University College Dublin. These institutions offer many courses in English. You must keep the SD Exchange coordinator (Isabelle Darmon) and your personal tutor informed about your course choices whilst abroad and report any difficulties in finding equivalent courses immediately so that you can be properly advised about the appropriate course of action. Students who take their junior year abroad must successfully complete a full course load at the host university in order to progress into the subsequent year of their degree. A transcript of results will have to be returned to the International Office. Full details on this can be found at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/international-office/exchanges/on-exchange/your-transcript Students who spend their junior year abroad will have their degree classification calculated solely on the basis of their 4th year marks. For further details please see regulation 52 of the Taught assessment Regulations at http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Regulations/TaughtAssessmentRegulations.pdf

3.3 Engagement and Attendance Monitoring

The University expects all students to attend all their University classes, lectures and tutorials etc., whether or not these are described as “compulsory” by the School. Students are expected to participate fully in the requirements of all courses, including submitting assignments, contributing to tutorials and workshops or laboratories, attending meetings with Personal Tutors and sitting examinations.

Attendance will be monitored by the School as part of our more general monitoring of student progress. Keeping attendance helps alert staff to any additional pastoral or academic support needs students might require. Staff can then provide advice, guidance or support in a timely and useful manner.

UK legislation relating to Points-Based Immigration requires all universities to monitor the attendance and engagement of their international students. Students on a Tier 4 visa must read Appendix 1 of this document.

4. Writing and Referencing

4.1 Format and presentation conventions

Please make sure that you read the specific guidelines in each of your course handbooks on how to present and reference your work. Below are general guidelines that it is also useful to follow.

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All your essays and project reports on this degree must be word-processed. There are strict word limits, and most courses penalise students who go beyond these – check the course handbook. Choose a font size and line spacing so that your work is easily legible. Size 11 or 12 font, and double or 1.5 line spacing are generally fine. Make sure there are page numbers on all your pages, except the title sheet. However you tackle your work, you must obey certain writing conventions and you must spend time editing your work before submitting it. It is normal to rewrite in order to improve on first drafts (see example on next page), so remember to leave time for this and for shortening to keep within word limits. Nearly all pieces of writing are improved by the shortening needed to meet word limits. Most published work has gone through several drafts before reaching the printed page. When editing, pay attention to the following considerations:

Introduction: Your work should have an Introduction outlining the topic of what follows, specifying the aims, and indicating and justifying the scope of literature to be covered.

Relevance and Ordering Material: In the main body of the work, ensure that you are addressing the topic at hand and not going off at tangents. The content should follow a logical order that is made clear to the reader.

Sections/Subsections: It is helpful to the reader to divide your work into clearly labelled sections and subsections. This is particularly true for the Dissertation, since this is a long piece of work, but is useful in long-essays too. Within the sections, remember to break your work up into paragraphs.

Conclusion: There should always be a conclusion which will normally summarise the main points without introducing new material.

Page numbers: Be sure to get your word processing package to add page numbers.

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar: Check that your spelling and punctuation are correct and consistent, that your sentences are grammatically correct, and that your meaning is unambiguous and comprehensible. If you feel your written English is letting you down, the Institute for Academic Development has a range of services, resources and support that it can offer you: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/undergraduate

Plain English: Good academic writing may need to use technical terms, but should not include long words for their own sake. Your sentences should not be long and contorted. Don't overuse the passive voice: write "reflects", not "is reflective of". Use of the first person is perfectly permissible: you can write "I conclude that…", not "It is concluded here that…". Cutting out waffle and long-windedness when you edit your draft work will also help you meet word limits.

Avoiding Sexist, Anglocentric and Racist Language

The language we use must fairly reflect what we are writing about, and it is not good practice in academic writing unreflectingly to use terms or expressions that can give offence. The point is not that we wish to enforce ‘political correctness’ but that you use language accurately and are aware of the connotations it may have. If, for example, you write “the doctor’s attitude to his patients”, readers may assume you are referring only to male doctors. We suggest that you consider the following guidelines:

Sexist Language

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When reference is to either or both sexes, but not specifically to the male sex, the words 'man' and 'men' should be avoided. There are plenty of alternatives, such as 'person', 'people', 'human beings', 'men and women'. It is unacceptable to use 'man' to mean humanity in general - women constitute over half the world's population. Avoiding 'he', 'his' and 'him' can be more difficult, since the repeated use of 'he and she', 'his or hers', 'him or her', can be clumsy. But in most cases the plural 'they', 'their', or 'them' can be used instead, as can the convention's/he'

Anglocentric Language

Many of the academic sources available to you are culpable of assuming that the United Kingdom is homogeneous. Please note carefully whether your sources deal with the United Kingdom as a whole, or Great Britain excluding Northern Ireland, or England and Wales, or Scotland. Racist Language

It is possible that students may not always be aware of any racism implied in their work or their use of language, either because they are not familiar with the current debates or because the use of terms varies over time and according to context. The issues are not always clear cut. A general point is that it would be helpful would be to make explicit where possible the ethnicity of the groups to whom you are referring in your research. For more discussion and examples, please refer to the British Sociological Association’s Equality and Diversity Document, ‘Language and the BSA: Ethnicity and Race’ which can be downloaded at: https://www.britsoc.co.uk/Equality-Diversity/ 4.2 Referencing

You must properly reference all your work. Proper referencing is the method of attributing the sources of the comments and ideas that you are presenting, if they are not your own. If you do not reference properly, you may be plagiarising other people’s work, and will be penalised severely: see the section below on Avoiding Plagiarism. Full references are not required in exam answers, but you should at least mention the names of the authors upon whom you are drawing. References in the Text:

The preferred style entails using the author's name, date of publication and page references like this: '.... MacDougal (1999: 106) reports the same practice in the Hebrides……..'

References in the Bibliography:

All sources referred to in the text must be listed ALPHABETICALLY and CONSISTENTLY in the bibliography, in a SEPARATE section at the end of your work. The following specimens indicate the mode of citation for journal articles, books and papers in edited books: Gavin, N. T. (2010) ‘Pressure Group Direct Action on Climate Change: The Role of the Media

and the Web in Britain: A Case Study’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 12, 3, 459-475

Dresner, S. (2002) The Principles of Sustainability, London: Earthscan

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Miller, M. M. and Riechart, B.P. (2005) ‘Interest group strategies and journalistic norms: news media framing of environmental issues’, Chapter 2 in Allan, S., Adam, B., and Carter, C. (eds) Environmental Risks and The Media, London: Routledge, pp45-54

References from Web:

Increasingly, you may be citing material from the web for references in the text:

If the author of the piece is stated, give their name as usual e.g. (Brown, 2000).

If not, give the name of the organization e.g. (The Vegetarian Society, 2000)

• The date for the reference in the text is not the date you accessed the site but the date the piece appeared on the website. If this is not stated say “n.d.” (no date) as in (The Vegetarian Society, n.d.)

For web references in the Bibliography:

• List the author of organization first

• Then give the year of publication (or put n.d.)

• Give the title of the piece in quotation marks

• Then say ‘Available at ‘:’ and give the website

• Finally, say ‘[Accessed]’ and give the date accessed within the square bracket, e.g. [Accessed 20 May 2011]

• Example: McCartney, P. (2008) ‘Why the Beatles were Better than the Stones’. Available at https://www.beatlesaregreat.com [Accessed 10 April 2010]

4.3 Academic misconduct and plagiarism

Material you submit for assessment, such as essays, must be your own work. You can, and should, draw upon published work, ideas from lectures and class discussions, and (if appropriate) even upon discussions with other students, but you must always make clear that you are doing so. Passing off anyone else’s work (including another student’s work or material from the Web or a published author) as your own is plagiarism and will be punished severely. When you upload your work to ELMA you will be asked to check a box to confirm the work is your own. All submissions will be run through ‘Turnitin’, our plagiarism detection software. Turnitin compares every essay to a constantly-updated database which highlights all plagiarised work. Assessed work that contains plagiarised material will be awarded a mark of zero, and serious cases of plagiarism will also be reported to the College Academic Misconduct officer.

All forms of academic misconduct are regarded as an offence and are punishable under the University’s Code of Student Conduct. The University has a network of School and College Academic Misconduct Officers (SAMOS/CAMOS) who are responsible for investigating suspected cases at School or College level, and for determining appropriate penalties. Students should ensure they read and understand the academic misconduct procedures and these can be viewed at http://www.ed.ac.uk/academicservices/staff/discipline/academic-misconduct

Electronic submission of coursework and its processing through Turnitin (plagiarism detection software) means that instances of plagiarism and self-duplication will be easily identified.

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Also see the School’s guidance on plagiarism and how to avoid it: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/on_course_students/on_being_a_student/what_is_plagiarism

5. Coursework, Exams and Assessment 5.1 Assessed Coursework

Courses are assessed by a variety (and often a combination) of assessment methods, including essays, policy briefs, projects, presentations and exams. A growing number of courses build in tutorial participation as one of the criteria for assessment, usually contributing 10 to 15 percent of the course mark, in addition to coursework and exams. Feedback (individual and generalized) is provided for each of these methods. Several courses provide opportunities for non-assessed formative assessment via group presentation projects, tutorial summary points, essay plans and practice essays. The proportion of assessment based on coursework varies between courses; some courses are assessed by coursework only. The assessment of the (Year 4) Dissertations is based on the dissertation alone. See Appendix 3 for description or our Common Marking Scheme (including mark descriptors) In all cases, see individual course descriptions for further details and requirements. These are available from the Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study website: http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/16-17/dpt/cx_s_su809.htm

The specific topic, word length, submission deadline and other requirements of coursework will be specified in the individual course guide provided at the start of each course. Note especially information on penalties for late coursework or work over the stipulated word length. See individual course guides for further details and requirements.

5.2 Submission of Work

For courses in School of Social and Political Science, follow the procedures below. But note that courses taken in Geography or elsewhere outside of SPS may have different requirements. See individual course handbooks for further details and requirements. Course work for courses in the School of Social and Political Science is submitted online using our electronic submission system, ELMA. You will not be required to submit a paper copy of your work. Marked coursework, grades and feedback will be returned to you via ELMA. You will not receive a paper copy of your marked course work or feedback. For details of how to submit your course work to ELMA, please see our webpages here. There is a 5 mark incorrect submission penalty, so read the guidance carefully and follow it to avoid receiving this. Incorrect submission Penalty

When a piece of coursework is submitted to our Electronic Submission System (ELMA) that does not comply with our submission guidance (wrong format, incorrect document, no cover sheet etc.) a penalty of 5 marks will be applied to students work.

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Information about this penalty as well as all other penalties that may be applied to your coursework can be must read at: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/teaching_and_learning/assessment_and_regulations/coursework_penalties When you submit your work electronically, you will be asked to tick a box confirming that your work complies with university regulations on plagiarism. This confirms that the work you have submitted is your own. We undertake to return all coursework within 15 working days of submission. This time is needed for marking, moderation, second marking and input of results. If there are any unanticipated delays, it is the course organiser’s responsibility to inform you of the reasons. Please note that this mark is provisional, since coursework may be seen also by the External Examiners and the mark may sometimes then be amended. All our coursework is assessed anonymously to ensure fairness: to facilitate this process put your Examination number (on your student card), not your name or student number, on your coursework or cover sheet.

5.3 Late Submission of Assessed Coursework

Managing deadlines is a basic life-skill. Timely submission of all assessed items (coursework, essays, project reports, etc.) is a vitally important responsibility at all stages in your university career. Unexcused lateness can put at risk your prospects of progressing to the next stage of your degree and in your honours years, can damage your final degree grade.

If you miss the submission deadline for any piece of assessed work 5 marks will be deducted for each calendar day that work is late, up to a maximum of seven calendar days (35 marks). Thereafter, a mark of zero will be recorded. There is no grace period for lateness and penalties begin to apply immediately following the deadline. For example, if the deadline is Tuesday at 12 noon, work submitted any time after 12 noon will be marked as one day late, work submitted any time after 12 noon on Wednesday will be marked as two days late, and so on.

Failure to submit an item of assessed work will result in a mark of zero, with potentially very serious consequences for your overall degree class, or no degree at all. It is therefore always in your interest to submit work, even if very late.

Extension Policy: If you have good reason for not meeting a coursework deadline, you may request an extension. Before you request an extension, make sure you read all the guidance on our webpages and take note of the key points below. You will also be able to access the online extension request form through our webpages.

* Extensions are granted for 7 calendar days.

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* Extension requests must be submitted no later than 24 hours before the coursework deadline.

* If you miss the deadline for requesting an extension for a valid reason, you should submit your coursework as soon as you are able, and apply for Special Circumstances to disregard penalties. You should also contact your Student Support Officer or Personal Tutor and make them aware of your situation.

* If you have a valid reason and require more than 7 days, then you should submit your coursework as soon as you are able, and apply for Special Circumstances to disregard penalties for late submission. You should also contact your Student Support Officer or Personal Tutor and make them aware of your situation.

* If you have a Learning Profile from the Disability Service allowing you potential for flexibility over deadlines, you must still make an extension request for this to be taken into account.

Word count penalties: The penalty for excessive word length in coursework is one mark deducted for each additional 20 words over the limit. If the limit is 1500 words then anything between 1501 and 1520 words will lose one point, and so on.

Students should check each individual course guide carefully for guidance on what is and what is not included in the word count.

5.4 Examinations

If your course features a centrally arranged exam, the exam times will be scheduled by Student Administration services. You can view the dates of the examination diets for 16/17 at http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-administration/exams/exam-diets

Closer to the exam diet, Student Administration services will announce the precise dates and times of individual course examinations. Students are responsible for checking the dates and times of their exams and this can be done through the examinations web pages at http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-administration/exams

Copies of past examination papers are available through the University Library (http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/library-museum-gallery/exam-papers ). Normally, examinations are two hours long, and require two questions to be answered (but, again, check with course conveners for exact details). Examination scripts are anonymised and each candidate is identified by their examination number only (which is found on matriculation cards). Examination papers are marked anonymously and marks moderated and agreed internally. Marks and, where appropriate, scripts and coursework are then sent to the External Examiner. The External Examiner checks, approves and, sometimes, amends these marks. The External Examiner for the degree is Dr Kate Burningham, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and the Centre for Environmental Strategy, at the University of Surrey.

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5.5 Student disability and learning adjustments

Students with a disability (including those with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia), should get in touch with the Student Disability Service as soon as possible. Details as well as information on what support the Student Disability Service can offer can be found at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-disability-service

An advisor will be happy to meet with you. The advisor can discuss possible learning support which may include adjustments and specific examination arrangements. The Student Disability Advisor can assist you with an application for Disabled Students' Allowance, give you information about available technology and personal assistance such as note takers, proof readers or dyslexia tutors, and prepare a Learning Profile for your School which outlines recommended adjustments.

Students will be expected to provide the Student Disability Office Service with evidence of their disability - either a letter from a GP or specialist, or evidence of specific learning difficulty. Details of what is acceptable evidence can be found on the SDS web pages: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-disability-service/new-students/evidence

For dyslexia or dyspraxia this evidence must be a recent Chartered Educational Psychologist's assessment. If you do not have this evidence, the Disability Office can put you in touch with an independent Educational Psychologist.

The School welcomes students with disabilities and is working to make all its courses as accessible as possible. If you have a disability which means that you may require adjustments to be made to ensure access to lectures, tutorials or exams, or any other aspect of your studies, you can discuss these with the Disability Service, your Student Support Officer or Personal Tutor who will advise on the appropriate procedures.

In 2013, the University implemented an Accessible and Inclusive Learning Policy, which states that the adjustments in the section below will be "mainstreamed". This means that the following provisions should be available to ALL students, regardless of whether or not they have a schedule of adjustments/learning profile.

• Course outlines and reading lists shall be made available at least 4 weeks before the start of the course.

• Reading lists shall indicate priority and/or relevance. • Lecture outlines or PowerPoint presentation slides for lectures/seminars shall be

made available to students at least 24 hours in advance of the class. (Note for many courses a brief lecture outline is already provided in the course guide.)

• Key technical words and/or formulae shall be provided to students at least 24 hours in advance of the class.

• Students shall be notified by email of changes to arrangements/ announcements such as changes to courses/room changes/cancellations.

• Students shall be permitted to audio record lectures, tutorials and supervision sessions using their own equipment for their own personal learning*

• All teaching staff shall ensure that microphones are worn and used in all lectures regardless of the perceived need to wear them.

* Teaching staff have the right to insist that recording stops if sensitive or confidential information is discussed. In these cases reasons should be made clear to students.

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Full details on the Mainstreaming learning adjustments can be found at http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-disability-service/staff/mainstreaming-learning-adjustments

Each School has a Coordinator of Adjustments. In SPS the Coordinator of Adjustments is the Student Experience Officer, Sue Renton. With your agreement, your Learning Profile will be electronically circulated to the Coordinator of Adjustments, who then approves some or all of its recommendations and produces an Adjustment Schedule. This is then electronically circulated to those concerned with the administration of your courses (Course Organisers and Course Secretaries), your Personal Tutor, and yourself.

Note: Learning adjustments referring to the need for some students to occasionally submit coursework late does not, according to the Student Disability Service’s guidelines, ‘guarantee’ an extension or waiver. Students should not assume an automatic right to extra time and should instead follow the extension or LPW procedures listed below.

If a student is allowed extra time on an exam, this adjustment is coordinated between the Student Disability Service and the University’s central Student Administration.

Further information on examination adjustments can be found at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/student-administration/exams/adjustments

Any non-standard support adjustments not covered by routine procedures can be arranged through the intervention of the Coordinator of Adjustments, Sue.Renton@ed.ac.uk, with support from the Deputy Director of the Undergraduate School, Dr Steve Kirkwood - S.Kirkwood@ed.ac.uk

6. Marking and Feedback We are very keen to deliver the highest quality feedback, assessment and learning environment to our students. One important aspiration is to ensure that all of our staff and students are fully informed of our procedures. We thus have compiled this summary (below) of measures in place in SPS. The marking procedures in Geography, where they differ from below, can be found in the Geography degree handbooks, on-line and through the Geography Liaison Dr Anthony Newton.

6.1 Marking

• Exams and essays are double marked or moderated internally if they place a student on the border between one degree class and another; samples of each degree class are also double marked as well as all fails.

• All marks for examinations and assessed coursework are provisional until confirmed by the Board of Examiners. Results will be communicated to students via the EUCLID student view. An automated email will be sent to your University email account when your course result is available.

6.2 Feedback

Sustainable Development has had extensive discussions within the subject group, as well as within the School of Social and Political Science (SSPS), about how we can meet our aspirations to deliver the highest quality feedback, assessment and learning environment to our students.

One important step is to ensure that all of our staff and students are fully informed of our procedures. We thus provide below a summary of measures in place.

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Feedback takes many forms including:

* detailed feedback sheets for coursework

* written or verbal feedback on tutorial presentations and performance

* general and individualised feedback on exams, including opportunities to view and discuss exam performance

* ongoing opportunities for informal feedback and discussion with teaching staff during Guidance and Feedback hours

Our online information on feedback and assessment has been vastly expanded and centralized. It contains guidance on ‘writing essays’, ‘making the most of feedback’ ‘study involvement and representation’, special circumstances, etc. The same web-page provides information on the latest developments in assessment and feedback. You can view these pages at: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/teaching_and_learning/on_being_a_student/feedback

Students can always discuss their marks and receive extra feedback if they wish. In the first instance, you should do so with the particular marker first (i.e. the tutor or course convenor). Your Personal Tutor is also available to help provide extra feedback on your work, and can look at a range of your work. You can ask to see your exam scripts, and can ask for feedback on your exam marks.

Return of assessed coursework: Coursework feedback is marked, monitored and returned to students within 15 working days.

Assessed Coursework: Essays (or similar) will be returned electronically through ELMA within 15 working days of their deadlines with a mark and written feedback outlining the strengths and weaknesses of the work and also highlighting how students can improve their next piece of assessment (Note dissertations or projects, which are significantly longer and are all double-marked, will take longer than 15 days to mark, and return)

General feedback on the exam (noting overall strengths and weaknesses) will be provided on LEARN for all courses with an examination. General feedback will be uploaded to the relevant course LEARN page within 24 hours of the date that marks for the course are returned to students.

Students will also receive individual feedback on their exam. The relevant Course Secretary will contact you with details of how and when you can view your individual exam feedback.

7. The Learning Experience and Community- Building 7.1 Community-Building

We are very keen to continue to build a community of active learners in sustainable development. We do this in a number of ways:

We begin by offering an orientation meeting and a social gathering to Sustainable Development students during Welcome Week.

By holding events throughout the year, including academic issues and social events

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By distributing a weekly ‘SD Brief’ to keep you all updated with news and events

We have a dedicated Personal Tutor for all Sustainable development students who will meet individually with each student (all years) in week 0 or week 1.

Non-native English Speakers can take advantage of Edinburgh University Students’ Association peer proof reading scheme which opens in October. Guidelines can be found at https://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/support_and_advice/the_advice_place/academic/peerproofreading/

Through Staff-Student Liaison Committee (more below)

By having a society set for Sustainable Development students – the Edinburgh University Sustainable Development Association (EUSDA) :

The Edinburgh University Sustainable Development Association (EUSDA)

This is run by Sustainable Development students for others on the degree course, and organises a range of events and initiatives. EUSDA offers the opportunity for undergraduates, postgraduates, staff and others to share their passion for sustainable development: EUSDA represents the aims and aspirations of the Sustainable Development degree as well as anyone with an interest in this important topic. We offer a wide range of events from academic events to our beloved socials! It is guaranteed that there will be something to keep you coming back! Being linked to the Sustainable Development staff on campus we offer networking opportunities and a chance to bring people of all levels within the University together to collaborate and learn from one another. We hope you will take an interest in this diverse association as we are always seeking new skills, ideas and faces! More details about the society and how to join will be available at the events held by the Society in Welcome Week, and is available here: http://eusda.org.uk/index.html Peer Supported Learning Scheme (PALS) for 1st year Students

SDPALS is a peer assisted learning scheme for first and second year sustainable development students. Higher year student leaders run weekly sessions where you can discuss course content and practice essential study skills (such as article reading and essay writing) in an informal and fun environment. The sessions are run by students for students, so each session will be tailored to key themes of the lectures you attend as well as covering any other subjects you wish to discuss. SDPALS provides a space to ask questions which you may have felt uncomfortable asking in a lecture, or did not wish to bring forward to your lecturers or tutors.

SDPALS is open to everyone, whether you are feeling a little behind and need a little help, or wish to make new friends to socialise and revise with. Key benefits of SDPALS

• Deepening understanding of core themes of the course through interactive activities

• Strengthening study skills such as note taking, essay writing and reading/scanning • Meeting peers and more experienced Sustainable Development students for

advice, friendship, and feeling connected to the broader school community.

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SDPALS runs from Week 2 to Week 11. Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Time 1 – 2pm 10 – 11am 1 – 2pm Location Meeting room 4

4th Floor Chrystal Macmillan Building

Meeting room 4 4th Floor Chrystal Macmillan Building

Meeting room 4 4th Floor Chrystal Macmillan Building

*Special Essay and Exam sessions will be announced closer to the time.* No sign up is required for SDPALS, so feel free to come along! 7.2 Student representation

Staff members at the University of Edinburgh work closely with student representatives. Edinburgh University Students' Association coordinates student representation and provides training and support for student representatives across the University.

The role of student representatives (‘Reps’) is to listen to you to identify areas for improvement, suggest solutions, and ensure that your views inform strategic decisions within the subject area, School and University. The aim is to build a stronger academic community and improve your student life.

Schools share students’ emails with their student representatives as a matter of course; any student wishing to opt out from this should tell the School’s Teaching Office. Full details as well as the guidance the school follows regarding sharing student emails can be viewed at http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/student_support_and_community/student_involvement/student_email_data_sharing

Your School Representatives (Convenors) can be found at https://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/representation/your_school/socialpoliticalsci/ Throughout the year student class reps in years 1 and 2 will meet with their pre-honours course convenors. Student representatives from all four years sit on and chair the Staff-Student Liaison Committee (SSLC), which is dedicated to staff- student discussions. Student reps canvass views of those they represent and take those forward to student-staff meetings. They can then report back to their fellow students. In addition, an Edinburgh University Students’ Association School Rep sits on the SSPS Undergraduate Teaching Committee. In Years 1 and 2 each tutorial group is asked to identify a representative to attend course meetings, which take place at least once per semester. The role of tutorial representatives is to make sure that students' views are taken into account in the design, delivery and administration of the course. Time is made available during tutorials for students to discuss any matters of common concern. Undergraduate student representatives also attend School meetings, the Board of Studies and the Undergraduate Teaching Committee.

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If you would like to be a tutorial rep, you should let your course tutor know during your first tutorial. You might also want to be a rep for your year for the Student/Staff Liaison Committee: Sue Renton will invite you to volunteer around week 2. All students complete Course Evaluation Forms at the end of each course. Student comments are considered by course convenors and teaching staff in their annual course reports, which inform efforts to improve and refine each of our courses. The reports and evaluation questionnaires are passed on to the School Quality Assurance officer and feed into regular (external and internal) Teaching Quality Assessment Exercises.

7.3 Quality Assurance

As a University requirement, all programme handbooks now include information about changes that have been implemented as a result of student views about the programme, and the annual programme review. We are continually inviting feedback from students – about their experience, their courses, their learning, and how we can develop and support all of this better. We regularly meet with students through various forums (such as careers events, information events, social events, or just seeing our students around and welcoming contact from them), which provide the opportunity to receive feedback. We also have a series of formal mechanisms through which students can give feedback. We have course reps in every year; students who act as a conduit for information and feedback between staff and students. A tutorial rep meeting also takes place with SD and other students towards the middle of the courses and we have been able to take account of student feedback for the remainder of the courses. We all meet twice in a year in Staff-Student Liaison Committee meeting. Being in touch with students gives us the opportunity to be able to take action (and quickly) on the feedback we receive; and we are absolutely focused on making sure that we do. The points raised from our last two SSLCs and fourth year programme review meetings are given in Appendix 6 7.6 Seminars

A veritable plethora of sustainability-themed seminars take place across campus through the year. Information about seminars in SSPS and other departments in the University is posted on our noticeboards and on the SPSS websites. We circulate a weekly brief to our SD students with a selection of the most relevant activities: you are most welcome to contribute to it as well if you want to circulate information about SD relevant activities – in particular of the student association and other societies! Click here for further details of SPS upcoming seminars http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/ Other speakers and events relevant to Sustainable Development students are offered through the following SPS institutes: The Global Development Academy: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/global-development; The Just World Institute http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/jwi; and Innogen (Innovation in Genomics) Forum: http://www.genomicsnetwork.ac.uk/innogen/ ; and the Food Researchers in Edinburgh network (http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/research/research_centres/cross_school_research_clusters/food_researchers_in_edinburgh_fried)

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For relevant seminars held in Human Geography, see http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/geosciences/postgraduate/masters-programme/research-masters/human-geography. Details of other seminars within the School of GeoSciences can be found at http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/geosciences/news/events Within the wider university, a particularly relevant seminar series is the Our Changing World. Offered every Autumn, the series examines the global challenges facing society, and the role of academia in meeting these challenges. It features eight public Lectures given by eminent members of staff from across the University, and a special “Enlightenment Series” lecture in Week 10 by a guest speaker. For more information, please see: http://www.ed.ac.uk/about/video/lecture-series/changing-world

8. Advice and Support Advice and support is available from several sources within SSPS and beyond throughout your time on the degree: 8.1 Personal Tutor (PT)

Your personal Tutor will be a member of staff familiar with your general area of study and the expectations of academic work in your discipline. He/she is there to support your academic studies, or direct you to any other support you might need during your time at the university. In particular, your personal tutor will help you reflect on your academic progress and achievements. They can offer advice on how your courses fit together, how you might make the most of feedback you receive; how to make the most of your time at university by taking part in extracurricular academic activities; they can also offer advice on postgraduate study, internships, relevant activities and events and more. You will get the most out of your support by working in partnership with your Personal Tutor. It is a two-way process. Preparing and writing notes for your meeting with your Personal Tutor will help you get the most out of your discussions. You can use the notes facility in the Personal tutor channel on MyEd which is specifically designed for this. More detail on all aspects of the personal tutoring system, including each Schools Personal Tutoring Statement from across the university, Can be found at http://www.ed.ac.uk/academic-services/personal-tutor The Personal Tutors for Sustainable Development students in 2016-17 are:

Dr Claire Haggett, Room 5.07, CMB, tel: 650 3916; email: Claire.haggett@ed.ac.uk. Guidance and feedback hours Tuesdays 10.30-12.30 during semester time

Dr Isabelle Darmon, Room 6.27, CMB; tel: 651 1574; email: Isabelle.Darmon@ed.ac.uk. Guidance and feedback hours Tuesdays 3-5 pm during semester time

Dr Sarah Parry, Attic Room A.2, Chisholm House, Science, Technology and Innovation Studies (STIS), High School Yards; tel: 650 6395; email: sarah.parry@ed.ac.uk Guidance and feedback hours Fridays 10-11 am during semester time.

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Dr Rachel Howell, 6.25, Chrystal MacMillan Building, tel 0131 651 1384; email: Rachel.Howell@ed.ac.uk. Guidance and feedback hours Thursdays, 10.30-12.30 during semester time. Meeting your PT

Year 1 Undergraduate Students.

During Semester 1, Year 1 students will have an individual meeting with their personal tutor (PT) in week 0 (welcome week). It will be introductory and will ensure you are aware of the responsibilities and opportunities available under the PT system. You will have a second individual meeting in Semester 2, which will typically take place mid-way through the semester and will be used to review academic progress, and for preliminary discussions around course options for the following academic year. You will have at least two further opportunities to meet with your PT across the year, either individually or in a group setting.

Year 2 Undergraduate Students

Your personal Tutor will be a member of staff familiar with your general area of study and the expectations of academic work in your discipline. He/she will have a clear understanding of their role in supporting your studies and how to direct you to any other support you might need during your time at the university. As a continuing undergraduate student, you will have an individual meeting with your Personal Tutor in week 0 (welcome week) or week 1. In preparation for this meeting, you should reflect on your main achievements and challenges in your studies thus far. The meeting will be used to discuss those reflections, discuss coursework feedback and marks, and direct you to additional support and opportunities available. As a year 2 student, you should have at least two further meetings with your Personal Tutor over the course of the year, one of which may take place in a group. Hear Report: The Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) will provide a single comprehensive record of your achievements as a student at the University of Edinburgh. More information can be found at http://www.ed.ac.uk/student-administration/order-documents/hear or contact Sue Renton.

8.2 Student Support Officer (SSO)

Your Student Support Officer can act as a first point of contact if you wish to discuss an issue relating to your studies. Your Student Support Officer plays a major role in providing pastoral support and advice on procedures. Student Support Officers can also deal with routine issues, such as course changes in the first two weeks of a semester, and assisting with completing Special Circumstances forms, without you needing to arrange a meeting with your Personal Tutor. If there are any circumstances affecting your studies that you would like to discuss with someone other than your Personal Tutor, your Student Support Officer is there to help. It is important that you keep us informed of any issues you feel may impact your studies, so please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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The Sustainable Development SSO is Sue Renton, sue.renton@ed.ac.uk, tel 650 6958, CMB 1.04. 8.3 Geography Liaison

For Sustainable Development students pursuing a Geography pathway a special Geography Liaison has been provided to help with specific Geography related queries, including access to courses and academic advice specific to the Geography pathway. The Liaison in 2015-16 is Dr Anthony Newton - anthony.newton@ed.ac.uk - tel 650 2546, Room 3.15, Geography Building, Drummond Street. Dr Newton regularly organises very useful meetings to explain the organisation of the pathway, choices of courses, etc. You are strongly encouraged to attend these meetings, as the organisation of the School of Geosciences is quite different from that of Social and Political Science and it is important that you remain informed about any upcoming deadline or change. If you are confused or not sure of procedures, course choices or have any other issues with your pathway, do not hesitate to ask Dr Newton, your Programme Director or Personal Tutor.

8.4 University Advice and Support

There is a wide range of support, help and advice available to you across the University.

The University student services A-Z: This provides a list of services on offer. You can view the list at http://www.ed.ac.uk/staff-students/students/student-services

Health and Wellbeing: These webpages provide Information that will guide you to self-help and supportive services offered by the University and our associated partners. http://www.ed.ac.uk/staff-students/students/health

The Advice Place is Edinburgh University Students’ Association drop-in advice centre, offering free, confidential and independent advice on a range of issues including money issues, accommodation problems, and academic concerns. Further details can be found here.

Institute for Academic Development (IAD): The Institute for Academic Development can help you to develop effective learning techniques. They provide a series of workshops on study skills, exam preparation and essay writing (follow this link). They can also offer individual guidance on study skills. Their contact details can be found here.

The Study Development Team provides resources and workshops aimed at helping all students to enhance their learning skills and develop effective study techniques. Resources and workshops cover a range of topics, such as managing your own learning, reading, note making, essay and report writing, exam preparation and exam techniques. The study development resources are housed on 'LearnBetter' (undergraduate), part of Learn, the University's virtual learning environment. Follow the link from the IAD Study

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Development web page to enrol: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/undergraduate/learning-resource

You can access resources and guidance on, for example, how to study effectively, write assignments and revise for your exams.

You can also arrange to receive one-to-one study advice by making an appointment.

You can view further details about this at http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development/undergraduate/overview

The Edinburgh University Students Association: All matriculated students automatically become members of the student association which is governed by the student body and run by students elected annually from the membership. Edinburgh University Students’ Association is comprised of two main bodies: the Edinburgh University Union which provides an extensive range of amenities and social gathering places for members; and the Students Representative Council, which not only presents the student view on dealings with the University and other bodies but also researches and disseminates a great deal of information of relevance to student academic and welfare issues. The Student Counselling Service provides confidential short term counselling available to matriculated Edinburgh University students. The counsellors are experienced and professionally trained and the service they provide is free of charge. They can offer counselling to anyone with personal problems which affects their well-being or ability to work. They can be found here. Note: the student counselling service website also provides links to other valuable advice sources such as the Nightline (an advice phone line). The Student Disability Service, (main Library in George Square, alongside the Student Counselling and Careers Services), tel: 650 6828; email: disability.service@ed.ac.uk offers help and advice to students with mobility, visual or hearing impairments, learning disabilities (including dyslexia), chronic or mental health problems. Further details can be found here. Chaplaincy: The Chaplaincy ( www.ed.ac.uk/chaplaincy ) is for students of all faiths and none. The Chaplaincy Centre in Bristo Square provides: a social drop-in, confidential support, sanctuary, discussion groups, study area and a Fair Trade Café. Student Administration: www.ed.ac.uk/registry provides a variety of support and advice for students, including:

• Student Administration Services are responsible for matriculation, graduations, examinations, the student centre (Old College), student record maintenance, transcripts and UK Border Agency requirements for international students.

• Scholarships and Student Funding Services: provides a single point of contact for finding the financial help and information you need in order to pursue your education. They promote and administer bursaries, scholarships and other funding opportunities including the Discretionary and Childcare Funds. www.ed.ac.uk/student-funding

The International Office: advises and supports all students from outside the UK before and after they arrive in Edinburgh. We welcome international visitors, run events throughout the year, including Global Horizons, international students’ festival, which includes a week of events celebrating culture and promoting a global outlook for all students

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www.ed.ac.uk/international-office. The International Office have asked us to include the following information for students on a Tier 4 Visa: As a Tier 4 student, the University of Edinburgh is the sponsor of your UK visa. The University has a number of legal responsibilities, including monitoring your attendance on your programme and reporting to the Home Office when:

• you suspend your studies, transfer or withdraw from a programme, or complete your studies significantly early;

• you fail to register/enrol at the start of your programme or at the two additional registration sessions each year with no explanation;

• You are repeatedly absent or are absent for an extended period and are excluded from the programme due to non-attendance. This includes missing Tier 4 census points without due reason. The University must maintain a record of your attendance and the Home Office can ask to see this or request information about it at any time;

As a student with a Tier 4 visa sponsored by the University of Edinburgh, the terms of your visa require you to, (amongst others):

• Ensure you have a correct and valid visa for studying at the University of Edinburgh,

which, if a Tier 4 visa, requires that it is a visa sponsored by the University of Edinburgh;

• Attend all of your University classes, lectures, tutorials, etc where required. This includes participating in the requirements of your course including submitting assignments, attending meetings with tutors and attending examinations. If you cannot attend due to illness, for example, you must inform your School. This includes attending Tier 4 Census sessions when required throughout the academic session.

• Make sure that your contact details, including your address and contact numbers are up to date in your student record.

• Make satisfactory progress on your chosen programme of study • Observe the general conditions of a Tier 4 General student visa in the UK, including

studying on the programme for which your visa was issued, not overstaying the validity of your visa and complying with the work restrictions of the visa.

Please note that any email relating to your Tier 4 sponsorship, including census dates and times will be sent to your University email address - you should therefore check this regularly. Further details on the terms and conditions of your Tier 4 visa can be found in the “Downloads” section at www.ed.ac.uk/immigration More information or advice about your Tier 4 immigration status can be obtained by contacting the International Student Advisory Service, located at the International Office, 33 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh EH8 9JS Email: immigration@ed.ac.uk 8.6 Special Circumstances

A student experiencing serious disruption to their studies, their coursework or exams due to medical or other unforeseen circumstances may submit a Special Circumstances form with supporting medical evidence, completed in consultation with their Student Support Officer.

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Students can also seek advice and support from Sue Renton who is the Student Support Officer for Sustainable Development

The full guidance on Special Circumstances can be found at http://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/special_circumstances1516_0.pdf

9. Careers

Throughout their academic studies students will wish to give serious thought to the question of their future careers. In different courses offered within SSPS, students are encouraged to develop transferable skills of analysis, preparation of papers and presentation of material. For students who do not wish to pursue postgraduate study, the University offers advice on different career options, and members of staff may provide advice and support and often act as referees for job applications. The interdisciplinary focus of the Sustainable Development programme, and the analytical and transferable skills this programme demands, will provide a solid foundation for dealing with a changing world. That breadth, flexibility, and skill set is sought by a wide range of employers. More specifically, graduates of this programme would be particularly equipped to work in the following range of careers: Public-sector, including civil service but also national and local government agencies engaged in environmental planning/ management, regulation and social inclusion; International agencies (UN, WHO, FAO) involved in development and sustainability; Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and charities involved in sustainability, development and environmental issues at local, national and international level; Private-sector companies, primarily sustainability consultancies, but also firms in the fields of sustainable business and corporate responsibility. The University Careers Service is located on the third floor of the Main Library Building (Tel 0131 650 4670) and is there to help and advise on all matters concerning careers.

The Careers Office provides a rich variety of opportunities, guidance and advice. Maybe you are already considering moving into employment, undertaking further study, finding an internship, travelling, volunteering, starting your own business or something else entirely. You might have some firm ideas at this point or no ideas whatsoever. Making informed decisions about your future takes time and effort but your Careers Service can support you through the process. Their activities cover:

• Full range of talks and workshops - look out for the range of careers fairs - from the ‘Third Day: More than Profit’ fair to graduate recruitment fairs, virtual fairs and post graduate fairs

• Campus visits from a wide range of employers • Information on 1000+ careers online and in our centre • Daily (during semester time) standard appointments for quick queries: book

through MyCareerHub • Quick careers coaching at Chrystal Macmillan Building: book through

MyCareerHub

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• Individual guidance interviews - impartial, confidential discussions which focus on you

• Feedback on CVs, applications and personal statements • Practice interviews - a chance to practise your skills and get feedback • MyCareerHub database of semester-time, vacation time, one-off, voluntary and

graduate vacancies in the UK and overseas • Talks on postgraduate study, • Information on the destinations of previous graduates

For more details see: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/careers and MyCareerHub or visit the centre on the third floor of the Main Library Building.

9.1 Postgraduate Studies Students taking Honours degrees in Sustainable Development may wish to consider going on to study for a postgraduate degree, either at Edinburgh University or elsewhere. Your Personal Tutor can provide general information and advice on this. Applications usually have to be made by around March to commence studies in the following September; and applications for funding usually have earlier deadlines. SSPS offers two kinds of postgraduate degrees: taught Master’s degrees (MSc) and research-based PhD or MSc degrees. Masters programmes are completed in 12 months (full time) or 24 months (part time) and are assessed by a combination of coursework and dissertation. Further information is available at: http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/gradschool

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10. Communication and Contacts KEY CONTACTS

Position

Name

Email

tel

office

Programme Director Dr Claire Haggett

claire.haggett@ed.ac.uk

650 3916

CMB 5.07

Student Support Officer (SSO)

Sue Renton sue.renton@ed.ac.uk

650 6958 CMB 1.04

Personal Tutors (PT) Dr Claire Haggett

Dr Isabelle Darmon Dr Sarah Parry Dr Rachel Howell

claire.haggett@ed.ac.uk isabelle.darmon@ed.ac.uk sarah.parry@ed.ac.uk rachel.howell@ed.ac.uk

650 3916 651 1574 650 6395 651 1384

CMB 5.07 CMB 6.27 High School Yards CMB 6.25

Erasmus and International Exchange coordinator

Dr Isabelle Darmon Isabelle.darmon@ed.ac.uk

651 1574

CMB 6.27

Geography Liaison Dr Anthony Newton anthony.newton@ed.ac.uk 650 2546 Drum 315 Note most staff normally list ‘guidance and feed-back hours’ for student consultation on their office doors and on their staff webpages. Students should endeavour to use these posted hours whenever possible.

10.1 Dignity and respect

As part of the University’s efforts to offer as supportive learning environment as possible, it is developing a framework on Dignity and Respect which will underline the University’s commitment to create a culture where all students and staff are treated with respect and feel safe and fulfilled within the university community. To view the full policy, go to http://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity/innovation-development 10.2 Email Protocol

Email is essential to our work at the University. We all rely on it – usually on a daily basis – to get the information we need, and to communicate with other members of the University community. Used properly, it makes us more efficient and better at what we do. Since email is so important, we have agreed (below) a short protocol on good practice. It applies to all of your email correspondence with us, whether with academic or administrative staff.

You can expect us to:

• TRY to respond to your email within 2-3 working days during the teaching semester. All full-time academic members of staff have periods of teaching/marking when they are away from the office and unable to access email. Many of us must travel to do research and/or attend conferences. We sometimes have only sporadic access to email while away. When we are away, you can expect to receive an ‘auto-reply’ explaining how and when we can be reached on any urgent matter, and (if appropriate) who can help you in our absence.

• address you by your name (where appropriate) in email.

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• communicate in a tone that connotes respect and professionalism.

• treat your email correspondence to us as confidential (and not to be forwarded to other colleagues) if you signal that as your preference.

We expect you to:

• check your University emails regularly (minimum 2-3 times per week). TRY to respond to our emails within 2-3 working days, and sooner than that if we are asking you to supply us with information.

• check available documentation (such as handbooks) and our web-site (to, say, find our guidance and feed-back hours) for answers to your query BEFORE you send us an email.

• address your email to the appropriate one of us (only), and to show diligence in determining who the appropriate member of staff is.

• address us by our names in email. You will find that some of us prefer to be addressed using our titles, and others prefer to be addressed more informally. To be safe, start formal and see where the correspondence takes you.

• communicate in email as if you were writing us a letter. Email at the University is not the same as text-messaging or blogging.

Social Media: There have been many examples recently of students and graduates using social media to network and, in some cases, find employment. Social media allows easy exchange of information and ideas and can provide a powerful platform for discussion - all of which is within the control of the account owner. Do not be afraid to engage with debate BUT do remember that what goes on the internet stays on the internet - you need to remember that a future employer may discover things about you that you would prefer to keep private. We expect you to be courteous in your postings and to not make personal or hurtful comments about other students or staff. You should ensure your comments are lawful, ie are consistent with legislatively protected areas of equality and diversity, and do not constitute a disciplinary offence under the University’s code, which include offensive behaviour (in writing as well as actual) and bringing the University into disrepute.

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Appendix 1 - Main Subject Pathways

Sustainable Development MA, Geography Pathway

Year Core SD Courses Main Subject Area Courses Outside Options Courses Total Credits

1

Sustainable Development 1a: Introducing Sustainable Development (20 credits)

Science & Society 1b: Nature & Environment (20 credits)

Human Geography (20 credits)

Physical Geography (20 credits)

40 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

2

International Development, Aid and Humanitarianism (20 credits)

Sustainable Development 2a: Perspectives (20 credits)

Compulsory: Fundamental Methods in Geography (20 credits)*

40 credit choice from: Economic and Political Geography; (20 credits)

Environmental Sensitivity & Change; (20 credits)

Geomorphology; (20 credits)

Social and Cultural Geography (20 credits)

20 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

3

Responding to sustainability challenges: critical debates (20 credits) Cases in Sustainable Development (20 credits)

Quantitative Methods in Geography (10 credits)

Qualitative Methods in Geography (10 credits)

Research Design in Geography (10 credits)

Geography Honours Option (20 credits)

PLUS One of the following: Geography Fieldwork Foundations (Human); Geography Fieldwork Foundations (Physical) (10 credits)

20 credits of courses from any subject area other than Geography provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to a sustainable development theme (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

4 Sustainable Development Dissertation in Geography (40 credits)

40 credits from: Either Geography Research Elective (20 credits) and Geography Honours Option (20 credits) Or Two Geography Honours Courses (40 credits) – one per semester

40 credits of courses from any subject area other than Geography provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to an SD theme (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

(*) Students taking 2 pathways at the same time are allowed not to take the Fundamentals in Geography so as to have 40 credits in Geography and 40 credits in their other pathway. Though Fundamentals in Geography are an important preparation for the fieldtrips in year 3, taking 2 pathways has to remain possible in year 1 and year 2.

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Sustainable Development MA, Politics Pathway

Year Core SD Courses Main Subject area courses Outside Options courses Credits total

1

Sustainable Development 1a: Introducing Sustainable Development (20 credits)

Science & Society 1b: Nature & Environment (20 credits)

Introduction to Politics & International Relations (20 Credits)

Political Thinkers (20 credits)

40 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

2

International Development, Aid and Humanitarianism (20 credits)

Sustainable Development 2a: Perspectives (20 credits)

International Cooperation in Europe and Beyond (20 credits) Fundamentals 2: Politics & International Relations (0 credits) Then at least one of: Introduction to Political Data Analysis (20 credits) Comparative Politics in a Globalized World (20 credits) (you may take both of these courses if you wish)

40 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

3

Responding to sustainability challenges: critical debates (20 credits) Cases in Sustainable Development (20 credits)

Research Design in Politics and IR (20 credits)

Then an additional 40 credits in Honours Politics courses

NOTE: In either year 3 or 4 you must take Global Justice and Citizenship.

20 credits of courses from any subject area provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to a sustainable development theme*

120

4 Sustainable Development Dissertation in SPS (40 credits)

40 credits in Honours Politics courses

NOTE: In either year 3 or 4 you must take Global Justice and Citizenship.

40 credits of courses from any subject area provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to a sustainable development theme*

120

*Across Years 3&4 students must enrol in at least 40 credits outside Politics/IR

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Sustainable Development MA, International Relations Pathway

Year Core SD Courses Main Subject area courses Outside Options courses Credits total

1

Sustainable Development 1a: Introducing Sustainable Development (20 credits)

Science & Society 1b: Nature & Environment (20 credits)

Introduction to Politics & International Relations (20 credits)

Political Thinkers (20 credits)

40 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

2

International Development, Aid and Humanitarianism (20 credits)

Sustainable Development 2a: Perspectives (20 credits)

International Cooperation in Europe and Beyond (20 credits) Fundamentals 2: Politics & International Relations (0 credits) Then at least one of: Introduction to Political Data Analysis (20 credits) Comparative Politics in a Globalized World (20 credits)

(you may take both of these courses if you wish)

Some students also wish to take International Law (LAWS08114) in either first or second year

40 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

3

Responding to sustainability challenges: critical debates (20 credits) Cases in Sustainable Development (20 credits)

Research Design in Politics and IR (20 credits)

+ One out of the following (across third and fourth year):

• Global Justice and Citizenship

• International Political Economy

• Global Security

• Approaches to Politics and International Relations

• Theories of International Relations

Plus at least one more IR course (ie 60 credits of IR in Y3) (can be taken among the courses above)

20 credits of courses from any subject area provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to a sustainable development theme.*

120

4 Sustainable Development Dissertation in SPS (40 credits)

40 credits in Honours International Relations courses

NOTE: Across years 3 and 4 you must take at least one of the following courses: Global Justice and Citizenship; International Political Economy; Global Security; Theories of International Relations; Approaches to Politics and International Relations

40 credits of courses from any subject area provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to a sustainable development theme.*

120

*Across Years 3&4 students must enrol in at least 40 credits outside Politics/IR

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Sustainable Development MA, Social Anthropology Pathway

Year Core SD Courses Main Subject area courses Outside Options courses Credits total

1

Sustainable Development 1a: Introducing Sustainable Development (20 credits)

Science & Society 1b: Nature & Environment (20 credits)

Social Anthropology 1A: An Introduction (20 credits)

Social Anthropology 1B: The Practice of Social Anthropology (20 credits) Fundamentals: Studying Anthropology (0 credits)

Fundamentals: Reading and Writing Anthropology (0 credits)

40 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

2

International Development, Aid and Humanitarianism (20 credits)

Sustainable Development 2a: Perspectives (20 credits)

Social Anthropology 2: Key concepts (20 credits) Ethnography: Theory and Practice (20 credits) Fundamentals: Ethnographic Theory (0 credits) Fundamentals: Anthropological Practice (0 credits)

40 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

3

Responding to sustainability challenges: critical debates (20 credits) Cases in Sustainable Development (20 credits)

‘Imagining Anthropological Research’ (0 credits)

60 credits from Social Anthropology honours-level courses

20 credits from any subject area provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to a sustainable development theme.

120

4

Sustainable Development Dissertation in SPS (40 credits)

40 credits from Social Anthropology honours-level courses

40 credits from any subject area provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to a sustainable development theme.

120

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Sustainable Development MA, Sociology pathway

Year Core SD Courses Main Subject area courses Outside Options courses Credits total

1

Sustainable Development 1a: Introducing Sustainable Development (20 credits)

Science & Society 1b: Nature & Environment (20 credits)

Sociology 1A: The Sociological Imagination – Individuals and Society (20 credits)

Sociology 1B: The Sociological Imagination – Private Troubles, Public Problems (20 credits)

Fundamentals: Developing Sociological Imagination (0 credits)

40 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

2

International Development, Aid and Humanitarianism (20 credits)

Sustainable Development 2a: Perspectives (20 credits)

Sociology 2a: Thinking Sociologically (20 credits) Sociology 2b: Researching Social Life (20 credits) Fundamentals 2: Sociology (0 credits)

40 credits of courses from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, or the College of Science and Engineering (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

3

Responding to sustainability challenges: critical debates (20 credits) Cases in Sustainable Development (20 credits)

60 credits in Honours Sociology courses

NOTE: Across years 3 and 4 you must take at least two of the following courses: Social Theory (s1); Designing and Doing Social Research (s1); Doing Survey Research (s2)

20 credits from any subject area provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to a sustainable development theme. (see recommended list, Appendix 2)

120

4

Sustainable Development Dissertation in SPS (40 credits)

40 credits in Honours Sociology courses

NOTE: Across years 3 and 4 you must take at least two of the following: Social Theory (s1); Designing and Doing Social Research (s1); Doing Survey Research (s2)

40 credits from any subject area provided that a) pre-requisites for that course have been met and b) the course is linked to a sustainable development theme (see recommended list, Appendix 2).

120

Course pre-selection will open at the end of the semester 2 exam period. At this time, returning students will receive an email inviting them to pre-select their courses to allow for allocations over the summer period. The link below will take you to the pre-selection section of our website, where you will find the relevant information closer to the time. We strongly advise you submit your pre-selection choices by the deadline stated to ensure you have the best chance of receiving your preferred choice of course. http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/returning_student_information/course_pre-selection

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Appendix 2: Suggested Outside Options Sustainable development students take outside options along with their required courses. They may choose their outside options from: Art, Business, Divinity, Economics, Education, Geosciences, History, Classics, Archaeology, Law, Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Philosophy, Psychology, Social & Political Science; Astronomy, Biomedical Sciences or Physics Below we provide a list (organised by Schools) of suggested sustainability-related courses you may wish to take. You are not restricted to these but may find they fit well with the overall themes of the degree. Note not all these courses are offered every year. Note also that some of these courses may require permission of the course convenor to ensure pre-requisite courses or capacity. Check on index of courses (DRPS) http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/16-17/dpt/drpsindex.htm or directly with the convenor. Sociology honours courses are now offered every other year. YEARS 1 AND 2 All are 20 credits unless otherwise specified Biological Science Biology, Ecology and Environment Environmental and Community Biology 1 Origins and Diversity of Life Our Changing World (strongly recommended) Business Business Studies 1 (40 credits) Divinity Year one Christian Ethics: Sources Biblical Studies 1 Christian Theology 1 History of Christianity as a World Religion 1A and 1B; Religion 1A and Religion 1B Year two Biblical Studies Ecclesiastical History Religion 2A and Religion 2B Theology and Ethics Economics Year 1 Economics 1A (40 credits) Year two Economics 2 (40 credits) Issues in Global Economics

Geography Year one Human Geography Physical Geography Year two Economic and Political Geography Environmental Sensitivity and Change Geomorphology Social and Cultural Geography Geosciences (non geography) Global Environmental Processes History of Life Soil, Water and Atmospheric Processes Natural Hazards Oceanography History/Economic and Social History Year one British Economic and Environmental History since 1900 British Society, 1650 - c.1880 British Society, 1650-2000 (40 credits) Year two Economic History 2: the Global Economy since 1500 (40 credits) Social History 2 (40 credits) Philosophy Year 1 Morality, Rationality and Value Greats: From Plato to the Enlightenment Year 2 Mind, Matter and Language Knowledge and Reality

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Social and Political Sciences Democracy in Comparative Perspective History of Science History of Technology 1 History of Medicine 1 Introduction to Politics and International Relations; Social Anthropology 1A: An Introduction Social Anthropology 1B: The Practice of Social Anthropology Social Policy 1a Social Policy 1b Sociology 1A: The Sociological Imagination: Individuals and Society Sociology 1B: The Sociological Imagination: Private Troubles, Public Problems International Cooperation in Europe and Beyond Scotland and Society Politics of the Welfare State Statistical Literacy Mapping Health and Illness Across Societies Economic and Environmental History Empires Swahili 1A and 1B ---- OPTIONS RECOMMENDED BY 2ND YEAR STUDENTS FOR 2ND YEAR STUDENTS • Sociology 2A (prerequisite: Soc1A OR Soc 1B) • Sociology 2B (prerequisite: Soc1A OR Soc 1B) • Ethnography: Theory and Practice (no

prerequisites) • Empires (no prerequisites) • Soil water and atmospheric processes (no

prerequisites) • Oceanography (no prerequisites) • Economic and Political Geography;

(prerequisite: Human geography) • Environmental Sensitivity & Change

(Prerequisite: Physical geography or Earth dynamics)

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YEARS 3 AND 4 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

• Globalization • Social Life of Food • Anthropology and Environment (not

running in 2016-17) • Social Development • Happiness: Cross-Cultural Perspectives • Consumption, Exchange and Technology • Environmental Politics in Europe (not

running in 2016-17) • Natural Resource Management • Sociology of the Environment and Risk

NEW COURSES OPENING IN 2016-2017:

• Anthropology of displacement and migration. Will run in semester 2, alternating with the Anthropology and Environment course

• Anthropology of Energy in the Global South

• Migration: social origins and social consequences

• Knowledge, expertise and policy

OTHER RECOMMENDED COURSES: SPS

• Africa in World Politics • International Indigenous Politics • Global Politics of Public Health • Southeast Asia • South Asia: Culture, Politics, and

Economy • Humans and Other Species • Human Rights and International

Relations • Geographies of Food • International Security • Population Health and Health Policy • Globalisation and public health • Global Politics of sex and gender • Global Justice and Citizenship • Global Security • Economic Sociology • Development and decolonization in Latin

America

Business* *requires Business Studies pre-requisites Business Ethics Green and Sustainable Entrepreneurship (prerequisites can be waived) Divinity* Ecology, Ethics and Religion Economics* *requires Economics pre-requisites Development Economics Globalisation, Trade and Development (not running in 2016-2017) Policy for Economic Development (not running in 2016-2017) Natural Resource and Environmental Economics Geography* Some have pre-requisites recommended Catchment Water Resources Ecosystem Processes, Biodiversity and Climate Change Encountering Cities Eroding Landscapes: Mountains, Hills and Rivers Geographies of Food Political Ecology Tropical Ecosystems, Climate, and Lost Civilisations Values and the Environment Volcanoes, Environment and People History/ Economic and Social History Energy, environment and security: energy policy in Britain, France and the United States 1945-1974 Energy, environment and security: energy policy in Britain, France and the United States since 1974 Philosophy* *requires Philosophy pre-requisites Applied Ethics Environmental Ethics (pre-requisites can be waived)

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Appendix 3: Common Marking Scheme

The marking criteria for coursework, exams and dissertations have been established to guide both staff and students about what is normally expected of work receiving a particular grade. This information can be viewed at

http://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/undergrad/current_students/teaching_and_learning/assessment_and_regulations/marking_descriptors

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Appendix 4: Degree Classification and Examining Boards

External Examiner

The External Examiner for the degree is Dr Kate Burningham, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and the Centre for Environmental Strategy, at the University of Surrey.

How Degrees are Classified

Honours degrees will be classified according to the mean mark, except where the mark falls on an 8 or a 9 (e.g. 58, 59), which will be regarded as 'borderline'. In such borderline cases, if 50% or more of the marks are in the class above, the student's degree will fall into that higher class. The mean mark is based on final overall grades (i.e. derived from all assessed work in each course) for all University of Edinburgh courses taken across your 3rd and 4th years. The mean takes account of different course weightings, so your dissertation grade will be counted twice, as this is a 40 credit course. The same will apply to any other 40 credit courses you take where one grade is given for the entire 40 credits. NOTE: Students who spend their junior year abroad have their degree calculated solely on the basis of 4th year marks although they are required to pass the courses that they study whilst abroad in order to proceed to Senior Honours. The overall mean mark is not rounded up or down. So, if your final mean grade is 57.9%, you will be awarded a 2:2. If, however, your mean grade is ‘borderline’ before rounding (e.g. 58.00%-59.99%) then the resolution described above is applied i.e. if at least half of your course grades fall into the category above the borderline, you will be awarded the higher class of degree. Again, 40 credit courses will be counted double. For example, if your mean mark is 59 but you have achieved a grade 60 or above in at least six 20 credit courses, you would be awarded a 2:1. Note that if the mean does not fall into the borderline category then the overall profile of your marks is not considered. All marks gained throughout 3rd and 4th years are subject to confirmation and amendment at the final board of examiners at which your final degree will be determined. The examination board may also take into consideration any adverse personal circumstances when determining your final degree. The final degree classification for each student is determined at meetings of the Boards of Examiners, which take place at the end of Semester 2. There is one Board for Honours students in Sustainable Development, composed of SD staff and an External Examiners. Their deliberations are confidential. The Board may take written evidence of medical or other special circumstances into account, where these are deemed likely to have affected a candidate’s performance. See the guidelines on Special Circumstances below. It is the responsibility of the individual student concerned to ensure that such evidence is available to the Examining Boards, by providing their Personal Tutor with the relevant information, medical certificates etc. It is extremely important that any such information is made known to the Boards prior to their meetings, which are usually held in late May. If this is not done, it may make it very difficult for a student to appeal successfully against the decision made by a Board of Examiners, since this would require the student to show that there had been ‘good reason’ why the relevant information had not been made available. ‘Not having thought it would matter’ is unlikely to count as a ‘good reason’. It should be noted that consideration of

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circumstances affecting students in their junior Honours year will take place only at the end of that year, and not at the end of senior Honours year. The classification of a degree is decided on an overall assessment of a candidate’s performance in the examinations and assessed coursework. The scale of marks (which is the same as that used in the assessment of coursework and the marking of examination scripts etc) is as follows: First Class 70-100 Upper Second Class 60-69 Lower Second Class 50-59 Third Class 40-49 Marginal Fail 35-39 Clear Fail 25-34 Bad Fail 0-24 Release of results

Final degree results will be appear on student MyEd pages after final exam boards have taken place.

Note for third year students: Marks for courses taken in third year will be confirmed as final.

Note for fourth year students: A final transcript with all marks will be sent to your home address by Registry. Appeals If you are considering lodging an appeal, it is important that you act promptly. Edinburgh University Students’ Association have some helpful information on the appeals process and you can read this at http://www.EUSA.ed.ac.uk/adviceplace/academic/appeals/

Students should note that the appeal process cannot be used to challenge academic judgment i.e. a judgment made about a matter where only the opinion of an academic expert will suffice. A student cannot submit an appeal simply because they believe that they deserve a better mark or different outcome.

There are specific and fairly narrow grounds under which an appeal may be submitted. These are set out in the relevant university Student Appeal Regulations which can be viewed at http://www.ed.ac.uk/academic-services/students/undergraduate/academic-appeals

Strict timescale apply with appeals so it is important that you act promptly.

Time Scales for Appeals against Academic Decisions for Undergraduate Students

Year of Study Appeal Timescale

Final Year within 30 working days of the result being issued

All other years within 10 working days of the result being issued

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Student complaint procedure

Students who have a complaint should view the complaint handling procedure. The complaint procedure is designed to ensure that complaints are properly investigated and are given careful and fair consideration.

http://www.ed.ac.uk/university-secretary-group/complaint-handling-procedure/procedure

Students can also view the University wide policies and regulations at http://www.ed.ac.uk/academic-services/policies-regulations

The Student Contract

Successful study at University stems from a partnership between students and staff, and the University is committed to providing you with a learning environment and student services which enable you to fulfil your potential.

The procedures underpinning this partnership, along with the Terms and Conditions of Admissions, form the contract between you and the University in relation to your studies at the University. Details of this contract can be viewed at: http://www.ed.ac.uk/staff-students/students/academic-life/contract

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Appendix 5: Student participation

Student representation and feed-back is a very important component of this degree, and contributes to shaping it. The following are the key points voiced in the various representative fora last year, and how they were followed up: Pre-honours:

o Sustainable Development 1A: Students found the course thought provoking but the diversity of themes introduced was also challenging. Tutorial participation was found to be essential. A new exam format was introduced last year, that worked well. The summing up and exam preparation session proved very important and has been maintained.

o Sustainable Development 2A: Students liked the course, its structure (pairing of perspectives and issues) and format of assessment (issue brief). In view of student/staff feedback, more framing has been introduced at the beginning of the course and guiding threads/signposting throughout the course, including through a review class session at mid-course.

o In light of the very positive feedback received about International Development, Aid and Humanitarianism, this has become the new first semester core course in year 2.

o SD Fundamentals: students asked whether there are any plans for SD-only Fundamentals. The SD Programme team are involved with School level discussions about the future of Fundamentals. At present, we do not have the capacity to develop a specific SD course, however, students did note that PALS have been a positive move and takes forward some of the objectives of the Fundamentals courses (supporting course based learning, developing a sense of cohort, being able to explore ideas and ask questions). It was also noted that SD students have had a very positive experience from participating in the Fundamental sessions for their pathways, and that these courses have really improved since their foundation.

Honours:

o Students have suggested courses, from across the University, that they have enjoyed. The SD Programme team have worked with staff across the University to find out more about these courses/allow our students into them. A suite of recommended courses is now included in the Handbook, and in the ‘Transition to Honours’ talk.

o Students on Exchange during third year would also like to take Cases in Sustainable Development when they return. The SD Programme team have sought the agreement from the Cases course organiser to allow returning students to take this course in their fourth year.

o Social Anthropology pathway students said that they didn’t have enough flexibility of courses in honours: greater flexibility of courses has been agreed with the Social Anthropology contact, and has been written into this Handbook.

o Geography pathway students said that the balance of courses in third year (70/50) credits was unhelpful. This is currently being reviewed with Geography staff, and students will be informed of developments.

o Students expressed the wish to have a core third year Sustainable Development class in semester one, and such a course was designed with their input. It starts in 2016-2017.

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School of Social and Political Science MA Sustainable Development Handbook 2016-2017

o Students had expressed some concerns with Cases in Sustainable Development in past

years; but the organization under the new course convener, and the additional help of a tutor, changed things for the better.

o Students would like to have a core fourth year course in Sustainable Development, other

than the dissertation. Again, timetable clashes and constraints, and a lack of capacity to write a new course, preclude this at present. However, the development of a suite of courses recommended for SD students means that SD students are very likely to be in the same courses. There are also other opportunities provided on the degree to meet with fellow students, such as PALS, EUSDA, and the social, information, and careers events.

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