Postgraduate Certificate in Environmental Management

This postgraduate certificate course provides an introduction to postgraduate study. It is the first level of qualification within our environmental management programme, which offers a postgraduate certificate, a postgraduate diploma and an MSc. Whatever your background these qualifications will widen your knowledge of the environment and develop your skills in making informed decisions about environmental issues, whether at work, in your community or at home.

From complying with environmental legislation to improving the competitive edge of a business and addressing the global challenges of climate change and energy conservation, environmental management is becoming increasingly important to everyone. Our environmental management postgraduate programme was established to meet the challenges of environmental management in the context of a changing world. It is designed to meet the needs of specialists, managers and the public for postgraduate-level environmental education.

Everyday concerns of environmental protection, natural resource management and rapidly changing environmental legislation and policy are considered in global and local contexts. The modules teach the skills you need to unpack the issues and participate creatively in the process of improving environmental performance, in all sectors of society.

Time limit:

• There is no time limit for completing the qualifications in the environmental management programme but we cannot guarantee that the same selection of modules will continue to be available.
• Modules can count towards this certificate for a maximum of eight years after we have stopped presenting them.

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 20 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Career relevance and employability

Our environmental management programme is for people who are interested in designing, managing and participating in more effective environmental decision-making processes. For example, if you are involved in setting up or responding to environmental or integrated management systems, planning new development projects or are trying to understand or manage sustainability.

Students on our environmental management programme are drawn from industry, commerce, local government, consultancies, non-governmental organisations and communities. They include people already involved in environmental management and those who wish to be – both personally and professionally.

You can select modules that are most relevant to your interests and career aspirations as your study builds from postgraduate certificate through diploma to our MSc.

This qualification will equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to work in this expanding sector.

You should normally hold a bachelors degree from a UK university, or the equivalent. If you do not have a degree you need to be adequately prepared for postgraduate study. You may find some of our undergraduate modules useful preparation if you have a degree in an unrelated subject.