Taught Masters - Durham University

Geography Taught Masters (Ma/MSc)

Our Taught Masters Programmes build skills and expertise to tackle complex challenges.

The programmes are grouped into two suites, those concerned with Sustainable Futures and those concerned with Risk.

The courses on the Sustainable Futures route respond to the profound challenge of developing ‘sustainable futures’ in the midst of climate change, by understanding relations between climate change and society, and on exploring and evaluating emergent sustainable solutions at different scales.

The courses on the Risk route provide a thorough grounding in theoretical and practical approaches to identifying, understanding, framing, assessing and managing different aspects of risk.

Geography Postgraduate Taught Masters

Durham University Geography Postgraduate Taught Programmes in Sustainable Futures and Risk

How do you turn concern about climate change into real-world action? How can you become a sustainability professional that employers actually need? Learn to make sense of complex global data and understand what's driving global sustainability policy.

Taught Masters Programmes in Geography: an overview

Programme Director Professor Sarah Woodroffe provides an overview of the Taught Masters Programmes that we currently offer in the Department of Geography.

Teaching and Learning: How we deliver our Taught Masters Programmes in Geography

Dr Lauren Martin speaks about the modes of delivery we use in our approach to teaching on our Taught Masters Programmes in Geography.

Taught Masters Programmes

We have seven different taught Masters programmes, three of which are brand new for September 2026 entry. Find out more below.

Find Your Programme

MSc Cities and Sustainable Futures - NEW FOR 2026

Focus on how global cities are being made and remade in relation to climate change.

MSc Climate Change, Environmental Processes and Sustainable Futures - NEW FOR 2026

Develop skills in understanding climate-environment feedbacks and decision-making for the future.

MSc Climate Change, Society and Sustainable Futures - NEW FOR 2026

Explore relations between climate change and society and how sustainable futures are being created from within environmental crises.

MA in Climate, Risk and Society

Explore the social dimensions of climate risk and resilience from multiple perspectives.

MSc in Climate, Risk and Society

Focus on a natural science approach to risk that enables you to engage with the natural and social dimensions of climate change.

Iceberg cracking and falling into the water

MSc in Environmental Hazards and Risk

Develop specific skills within the natural and social dimensions of environmental hazards including flooding, landslides and earthquakes.

MA in Risk, Security and Politics

For anyone especially interested in a social science approach to risk, focusing on social policy, politics and security

Former student, Thomas Pearson.

Former student, Eleanor Pringle.

Former student, Jess Ostler.

Former student, Rainer Hayer.

Former student, Laurena Curt.

A woman holding a scholarship application form across her chest

Graham Earp Scholarship in Sustainability & the IHRR scholarship in Risk

Apply for our Graham Earp Scholarship in Sustainability or the Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience scholarship in Risk. Each scholarship provides £7000 towards tuition fees for up to six international students (three per scholarship) starting one of the Geography Masters in September 2026.

Student Dissertation

See an example of the world class outputs from our postgraduate students:

A ‘World Class African City’? Exploring the usefulness of the Resilient Cities Index (RCI) through an investigation of urban resilience in Johannesburg

Ruby West in collaboration with Marsh Advisory

Social Sciences International Brochure

The stories presented in our International Brochure demonstrate sustained and positive engagement with international partners, particularly around work with social justice in society and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Our 8 departments have funded research projects on every continent.

Find out more in our International Brochure Postgraduate International Students

Research and Impact

We are a large department of human and physical geographers conducting world-leading research that addresses pressing social and environmental challenges.

Explore our research

Contact Us

Founded in 1928, the Department of Geography at Durham University is one of the leading centres of geographical research and education in the world.

Department of Geography

Postgraduate Study
Durham University
Lower Mountjoy
South Road, Durham
DH1 3LE, UK
Tel: +44 (0)191 33418000