MSc in Managing Sustainable Mountain Development

Since 2004, the UHI Millennium Institute (soon to become the University of Highlands and Islands) in Scotland has run an on-line MSc in Managing Sustainable Mountain Development. This is a unique course which allows people to obtain a Masters degree part-time from their own home (or maybe workplace). Students take one or two modules each semester; they learn from special materials on a password-protected website, which also includes discussion lists which they use to interact, and, for some modules, lectures are provided on CD. Students also have full access to the very wide range of electronic library resources, including thousands of on-line journals, to which the UHI subscribes. All assessment is by written assignments, projects, etc. There are no examinations. There are four core modules: 1) Environmental and social issues in mountain areas; 2) Sustainable development; 3) Policy frameworks and analysis; 4) Developing communities. These modules are taken first and, once they have been successfully completed, a student is eligible for a postgraduate certificate. Alternatively, s/he may continue, taking four optional modules from the following: biodiversity management; developing potential through placement; developing research capability; environmental impact assessment; geographical information systems; the Information Society and rural development; sustainable tourism and interpretation; and water management. At the end, students can either graduate with a postgraduate diploma or write a 10-12,000 word dissertation which leads to the award of the MSc.Individual modules can also be taken for continuing professional development (CPD). Whether students are taking individual modules or the whole course, the usual minimum qualification is an honours degree. Students for whom English is not a first language also have to prove their proficiency in English using a standard test. For the first three years, the MSc has only been approved for delivery to students resident in the UK. At the end of February 2007, the MSc will be reviewed, and part of this will include consideration of whether it can be delivered across the rest of Europe from September 2007. The fees would be the same for all EU citizens: about 400 Euros per module, or about 5000 Euros for the whole MSc. This message is to find out about interest in the course across Europe. There are three questions to which we need responses by 31 January, 2007. Take the short survey which is posted on-line at the European Mountain Forum here:

http://www.mtnforum.org/europe/surveys/s02/.