Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 83.12
Liaison Richard Manton
Submission Date Sept. 12, 2024

STARS v2.2

Ollscoil na Gaillimhe - University of Galway
AC-4: Graduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Gesche Kindermann
Lecturer - Microbiology
CUSP
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Majors and degree programs 

Does the institution offer at least one sustainability-focused major, degree program, or the equivalent for graduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused graduate-level degree program:
MSc in Sustainable Environments

A brief description of the graduate-level degree program:

This multidisciplinary course provides students with insight into environment, health, and sustainability issues within urban and rural environments. It integrates ecological, health and sustainability issues and considers their interaction within the natural and built environments. It combines modules from Environmental Science, Engineering and Economics to provide students with experience of research-led learning opportunities that will develop skills in identifying and evaluating sustainable solutions for real world environmental problems. Fieldtrips to learn from the practical experience of professionals are an essential element of this course. This course is open to students from a variety of backgrounds.

This course combines theory, policy and practical experience to provide its graduates with the skills and knowledge that are needed to pursue successful careers in managing sustainable environments. It provides scene setting lectures, site visits and practical work to encourage students to adopt an informed, creative and innovative approach to problem solving. It will provide students with the competences to obtain employment in environmental consultancy, policy development or proceed to further research.


Website URL for the graduate-level degree program:

Additional degree programs (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused, graduate-level degree program (2nd program):
MSc in Sustainability Leadership

None
A brief description of the graduate degree program (2nd program):

This programme will equip students with the leadership skills to address the challenges, risks, and opportunities that environmental sustainability and social responsibility present for contemporary businesses and organisations. Participants will learn to value the importance of preserving relationships with communities, employees, and the environment, therefore ensuring responsible business models. Through a holistic consideration of environmental, economic, and social resources, students will develop the expertise to lead organisations through the transition towards a sustainable planet and society.


Website URL for the graduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, graduate-level degree program (3rd program):
MSc in AgriFood Sustainability & Technology

None
A brief description of the graduate degree program (3rd program):

The programme aims to equip students with the advanced skills, knowledge, and expertise needed to tackle these challenges and succeed in technical and production management roles within Agri-food growing industry. At University of Galway, we offer a variety of forward-thinking topics, including Food Systems, Diets, Nutrition & Technology, AgriBusiness & AgriFood Market Trends, One Health, AgriEngineering, Agritech & AgriInformatics, Geospatial Analysis and Remote Sensing and others. Our students also have the opportunity to undertake a research project in industry or academia.

During the programme, students visit agri-food industries to see the practical applications of their knowledge and hear from guest speakers. Our programme generates graduates with interdisciplinary skills to respond to challenges and opportunities in Ireland and other leading agrifood nations worldwide. Run in collaboration with Ireland's Agriculture and Food Authority (Teagasc) and other leading agrifood partners from Ireland and internationally, our programme provides a strong enabling platform for students to develop careers in the agrifood sector globally.


Website URL for the graduate degree program (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused graduate-level degree programs:

MA Environment, Society and Development              https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/geography-environment-society-development.html#course_outline

MA International Development Practice              https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/international-development-practice.html/#course_outline

MA Planning and Development              https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/planning-and-development.html

MSc Coastal & Marine Environments              https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/coastal-marine-environments.html

MSc Global Environmental Economics              https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/global-environmental-economics.html#course_outline

MSc Management and Sustainability              https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/management-and-sustainability.html

LLM International Human Rights              https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/law-international-human-rights.html

MSc Environmental Leadership              https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/environmental-leadership.html

MSc Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security              https://www.universityofgalway.ie/ccafs/

MSc Biodiversity & Land-Use Planning              https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/biodiversity-land-use-planning.html

MSc Sustainable Resource Management              https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/sustainable-resource-management.html#course_outline


Minors, concentrations and certificates 

Does the institution offer one or more graduate-level sustainability-focused minors, concentrations or certificates?:
Yes

Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate:
Public Policy (MA, PDip)

A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate:

The MA in Public Policy prepares its graduates to work in government, public bodies, civil society organisations, NGOs, international organisations, businesses and other fields and organisations that require an expert understanding of policymaking. In addition to core policy and research training modules, it offers a field trip to Brussels to examine EU policymaking and specialised modules in specific policy areas including: Policy in the Digital Age; Advocacy and Development; Gender; Peace and Conflict; Disability; Ageing; Child and Family; Ocean and Marine; Urban Policy; Social Welfare; and Negotiation; as well as an optional module in data analytics for public policy. At a time when policy formulation and implementation is increasingly subject to political scrutiny and negotiation, the course emphasises the political contexts in which policy is made and implemented and the development of digital government and new forms of public consultation and participation. 

Students can complete the programme as a postgraduate diploma (PDip).


Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate:

Additional minors, concentrations and certificate programs (optional) 

Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Green Lab Principles & Practice

None
A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):

This Micro-credential aims to provide a general overview of key environmental concepts such as climate change, plastic pollution, sustainability, and biodiversity. It will briefly explore how perspectives from psychology, sociology, communication, economics, and the study of ethics and governance provide us with insights into how perception and behaviour influence responses to environmental issues. In addition, the lifecycle of materials, and the environmental impact of the resources and equipment typically used in scientific laboratories will be examined in some detail.


Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
Sustainability Planning in Construction

None
A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):

This module will support students, as the current/future construction sector stakeholders, in developing more sustainable construction processes and products, with a focus on areas of energy performance of buildings, retrofitting of existing structures, decarbonisation of construction processes and circularity. Finally, the module will introduce the concept of a just transition for the construction sector, where the needs of end users are understood and translated into new products and processes. This module is a science-based approach and key tools, methods and materials will be explored.


Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
None
The name and website URLs of all other graduate-level, sustainability-focused minors, concentrations and certificates:
---

Optional Fields 

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.