Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the MSc in Sustainability and Climate Futures, this module has been designed to equip students with the skills and confidence necessary to plan, structure, and initiate their major research project. It is necessary for students to be able to draw on concepts, theories, and practices from multiple fields thereby supporting diverse academic approaches and epistemological perspectives. Hence the module will provide the student with an introduction to interdisciplinary research, methodologies and help develop competencies in presenting interdisciplinary research through modes like a dissertation, group project, report, portfolio, poster, or some other assessment instruments. This module also allows students to combine previously covered course material with their individual interests and real life challenges in order to research a sustainability and climate futures related topic. This module is thus linked to the final Research Project of the MSc in Sustainability and Climate Futures and serves the purpose of preparing the students for their final research project.

This preparatory module is designed to equip students with the skills and confidence necessary to plan, structure, and initiate their major research project. Because the subject areas students engage with are inherently multidisciplinary--drawing on concepts, theories, and practices from multiple fields--the module provides a bespoke and interdisciplinary research methods framework tailored to support diverse academic approaches and epistemological perspectives. The syllabus includes the following components: The Introduction to Interdisciplinary Research Processes section introduces students to the expectations, stages, and academic conventions of conducting research across varied disciplinary contexts. The Developing a Research Topic then supports students in selecting, refining, and justifying a viable research topic, with attention to the complexities of interdisciplinary inquiry and cross-disciplinary problem framing. The section of this module on Conducting a Literature Review, trains students to navigate, analyse, and synthesize scholarship from different disciplinary traditions, enabling them to identify theoretical connections and methodological distinctions. Then there is a section on Research Design and Methodology hat provides advanced, bespoke guidance on methodological decision-making across quantitative, qualitative, mixed, and emergent research approaches, ensuring students can apply methods appropriate to the particular disciplinary intersections of their chosen topic. A Planning and Project Management section prepares students to manage a long-term, independent research process, including planning milestones, managing data and resources, and anticipating interdisciplinary research challenges. The section on Academic Writing and Referencing then strengthens scholarly communication, enabling students to write clearly and persuasively while working across disciplinary conventions and citation practices. Another section focuses on Writing the Research Proposal and supports students in producing a cogent, methodologically sound proposal ready for approval, demonstrating disciplinary awareness and methodological justification. An Assessment and Feedback section of the module, offers ongoing formative support ensuring that students receive constructive guidance as they refine their project direction and methodological choices. Throughout the module, students are expected to initiate a dissertation project on a topic approved by a supervisor. By an agreed deadline, students will submit a preliminary brief outlining: the research focus, scope, key literature, methodological approach, and a completed research ethics application. During the course of the semester, students will collaborate in small groups on a practical climate adaptation or mitigation research activity, enabling them to explore and present research findings through alternative formats. This collaborative team project encourages peer learning, fosters interdisciplinary dialogue, and builds confidence in communicating research to diverse audiences.

On successful completion of this module students will be able to: - Identify and compose a research question, aims and objectives, and a chapter structure for a solo research project; - Design an appropriate methodology and through this collect, identify, prepare and analyse relevant primary data and/or secondary data using appropriate tools and mechanisms; - Source, appraise and make use of relevant literature in supporting a research project and use this to evaluate, reflect and interpret data; - Prepare and communicate research findings orally and in writing; - Modify and reorganise a research project in the light of feedback from the supervisor. - The graduate will be Open minded, independent, adaptive, flexible, responsive in actions -They will be courageous- tenacious, resilient, robust, transformative, enterprising, and innovative. - They will remain curious, be a problem-solver, critical, knowledgeable, inquisitive, imaginative - They will be personally, socially, professionally, sustainably and ethically responsible In addition, students will learn how to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team on a project and to present results through non traditional ways eg posters, infographics, video etc

On completion of this module students will be able to: - Value interdisciplinarity, self motivation and independent learning through a solo research project and develop an awareness of relevant ethics protocols and when these should be applied.

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This module is designed to blend academic knowledge from a interdisciplinary perspective with practical, real-world application. Teaching will emphasize interdisciplinary perspectives, systems thinking, and collaborative problem-solving. The students will learn through lectures and a series of meetings with their supervisor. The student will benefit from one-to-one focused discussion and feedback and become aware of the collegial dimension of research and learning. Students will be encouraged to be proactive and responsible researchers and should become knowledgeable in the area they are studying, whilst developing their Graduate Attributes. The module will involve: 1. Framing the Module Orientation sessions introducing key sustainability frameworks and their interpretations and applications across disciplines (e.g., UN Sustainable Development Goals, circular economy, planetary boundaries, ESG frameworks). Problem definition workshops will help students identify pressing sustainability issues (global or local, e.g., food waste, urban mobility, renewable energy, supply chain ethics), all through the lens of interdisciplinarity. 2. Teaching Methods Interdisciplinary Seminars & lectures: Providing foundational theory (systems thinking, sustainability transitions, life-cycle assessment, policy frameworks). Case studies: Exploring real-world examples of sustainability initiatives from companies, governments, and NGOs. Workshops & design sprints: Hands-on sessions for ideation, prototyping, and scenario planning. Fieldwork/engagement: Some sessions could involve collaboration with industry partners, local councils, or NGOs. Students might analyze real sustainability challenges. 3. Project Component Team-based projects: Students are grouped to work on sustainability challenges. Interdisciplinary collaboration: Teams would often be comprised of students from different disciplines (engineering, business, environmental science, social sciences). 4. Assessment modes Project report (structured like an academic paper). Presentations/pitches (to peers, academics, and sometimes industry partners). Reflective essays (to evaluate learning, teamwork, and critical engagement with sustainability concepts). Peer assessment (to account for teamwork contributions).