University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

BSc International Development students study human rights, health, education and the environment in the context of development and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

The degree is the first undergraduate programme in Ireland to have a primary focus on international development. This course will help you understand key issues of development and deliver skills such as languages, research techniques and project management.

The degree programme addresses key challenges in global development and includes the following:
- poverty and hunger
- agricultural and rural development
- food policy and food systems
- human rights, governance and gender
- health and development
- climate change
- role of international development agencies and non-governmental organisations
migration and refugees

The degree aims to expand student understanding and skill base so that they can address global issues. These goals include:
-understanding the multidimensional nature of international development
understanding the cross-disciplinary methods for the analysis of key development challenges
- equipping students with practical skills to address global challenges
ensuring they can work effectively as individuals and in team settings

In an era of unprecedented pressure on resources, energy engineering is crucial to address some of the world's greatest challenges, namely how to meet the electricity, heating and transport energy needs of the world's growing population while reducing human impact on the climate with innovative, sustainable engineering solutions.

Through a combination of solid engineering fundamentals covered in the first two years of the course (e.g. thermodynamics, fluids, and electrical systems) and advanced energy engineering topics covered in the final two years (including power electronics, control systems, wind, solar photovoltaic and ocean energy, energy demand management and energy policy), graduates of the Energy Engineering course will be well-equipped to source, design, convert, transmit and supply useful energy to meet the world's present and long-term needs.

The BSc Ecology and Environmental Biology degree is the only one of its kind in Ireland. The degree was established in response to the increasing awareness of environmental and wildlife issues. It is the study of the interactions between animals, plants and microbes and their environment. It includes the study of how individual organisms interact in communities and how communities interact with the surrounding ecosystem.

This degree addresses such questions as; what controls animal and plant distribution, abundance and biodiversity? How do energy and nutrients move around ecosystems? How do species interact with each other? It also examines the biology of various habitats from marine and freshwater to terrestrial habitats and the soil. It uses the understanding of basic ecological principles and concepts to predict and manage the environmental change caused by the human impact on natural ecosystems.

It includes subjects such as:

Conservation
Pest Control
Wildlife Management
Pollution and Ecotoxicology
Resource Management

Module Objective: To provide students with a broadly based interdisciplinary introduction to sustainability issues as a foundation for 'sustainability citizenship'.

Module Content: Module Content: Framing sustainability - what does sustainability mean to you? Changing climate - changing technological systems; Questioning growth - building a sustainable economy; Sustainable agriculture - pathways to sufficiency and food security; Promoting health and well-being for a sustainable society; Heritage and culture - the past and present of the future; Protecting and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity; Regulating change - law, governance and sustainability; Equity, diversity and inclusion for social sustainability; Putting sustainability in its place; Making connections - co-creating a sustainable community.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
Show basic sustainability literacy;
Appreciate the complex challenges associated with sustainability across different domains (Environment, Society, Economy) at global and local levels;
Demonstrate an understaniding of the systemic nature of sustainability challenges;
Assess the (un)sustainability of socio-ecological systems and collectively propose solutions.

To facilitate the development of critical thinking on (1) Theories around Human and Global Sustainable Development (2) Education as a humanitarian response in developing contexts; (3) Global public health and well-being; and (4) Interdisciplinary perspectives on human security, global human rights; business, economy, society and global sustainable development as a foundation for global citizenship.

Module Content: This module explores issues relating to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These include education for global development, gender equality and diversity, environmental concerns, human security, poverty and food security, human rights, education and global development, and global health issues including child and maternal health. The module invites participants to critically reflect on these issues with an emphasis on sustainable development goals, autonomy, and empowerment.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
Identify key issues and develop critical perspectives pertaining to sustainable global human development;
Develop a sensitivity and awareness of global sustainable development;
Critically evaluate the concept of development and security from a rights based perspective;
Identify skills that promote development within a national and international context.

The Diploma in Environment, Sustainability and Climate will introduce students to key theories and skills related to the environmental and related sustainable and societal issues within their own organisations. Environmental issues such as climate change, sustainable development and planning, use and misuse of natural resources, environmental conditions and the protection of human health are now high on the agenda of all government departments, resulting in more stringent regulations and standards. This in turn has created a greater need for an environmentally aware, knowledgeable and appropriately trained workforce.

This is an interdisciplinary programme across both science and social studies and links the UN SDGs across all its teaching.

Students will complete courses in

Introduction to Earth Science
Perspectives on Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Environmental Monitoring, Assessment and Social Impact
Ecology and Applied Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Environmental Protection and Eco-Social Policy
Practical Environmental Management