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Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh

Any information on MSc Ecological Economics/Env. Sustainability/Ecosystem Services?

Hi guys, just as in the title.

I have to make a choice between these three courses, any information from who knows something is highly appreciated.

My background is in Economics & Management (I had both exams like micro/macroeconomics, public economics, natural resource economics ecc, and more managerial ones).

This is just my starting point and I don't consider it satisfactory as I would like to broaden it including a strong environmental point of view, which brings together the economy, the environment and society, and all the possible relations between them.

I am having a hard time deciding. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you very much
(edited 6 years ago)
Hi I've been looking at the two latter courses you have highlighted. I'm going to go for Ecosystem Services because of the wide range of optional modules. I'm not from an economics background-more political/social so think this will suit me the best, but it looks like there is lots of cross over between the courses taught by the Earth, Environmental and Ecological Sciences department. Go with your gut feeling :smile:I've not seen any reviews from anyone currently studying Ecosystem Services so any insights or advice would be welcome, especially as it's a rather expendido course to chose...Thanks.
Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
Original post by PlayonWords
Hi I've been looking at the two latter courses you have highlighted. I'm going to go for Ecosystem Services because of the wide range of optional modules. I'm not from an economics background-more political/social so think this will suit me the best, but it looks like there is lots of cross over between the courses taught by the Earth, Environmental and Ecological Sciences department. Go with your gut feeling :smile:I've not seen any reviews from anyone currently studying Ecosystem Services so any insights or advice would be welcome, especially as it's a rather expendido course to chose...Thanks.


In the end I went for Ecological Economics and I am totally satisfied with my choice now, furthermore it is reasonably likely that I will take the two Ecosystem Services' core courses as my electives. So there is possibility that we will meet.

Bulding on what I discovered while trying to identify the course that fits me best, my impression is that Environmental Sustainability concerns more the social and political dimensions of environmental sustainability from a broad perspective, while Ecosystem Services focuses strongly on the ecosystem services feature (indeed :biggrin:) with a more technical and scientific approach to this specific instrument of dealing with the interactions between humans and the environment.

Considering your background, I think that Env. Sus. may have an approach similar to the one you're used to, thus you may find yourself more confortable in it. I think that Ecosystem Services, instead, would be significantly more effort-demanding but would add something different to your knowledge buggage: some kind of scientific basis for the social/political science approach. Without forgetting, anyway, that ecosystem services is not a biological concept but one that ecompasses the hard science/social/economic domains. I know of people with totally different backgrounds succeeding in this course.

This is my personal impression, and I suggest you to look at this page where you can find current students and ask them directly. I did so, and generally they are happy to help us.

Keep me updated!

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