Energy Policy and Finance (MSc) 2027 entry

Course information may change. Module information and course content, teaching and assessment may change each year and after you have accepted your offer to study at the University of St Andrews. We display the most up-to-date information possible, but this could be from a previous academic year. For the latest module information, see the module catalogue.

• Semester 1

  • Corporate Financial Management: provides an introduction to modern theories of financial management and shows how to apply the theory to realistic financial decision problems.
  • Energy Inequalities and Climate Responsibilities: introduces energy ethics through an analytical approach that investigates how energy practices are informed by our individual and collective understandings of ethics.
  • Energy Markets and Finance: introduces the scientific approaches to energy that share a fundamental focus on quantitative methods, observation and experimentation.
  • Energy and Climate Change Policy: focuses on the key issues in energy finance and energy policy, focusing on contemporary UK within a global comparative perspective.
  • Sustainable Finance

• Semester 2

  • Behavioural Finance: introduces students to key concepts in behavioural finance and distinguishes between conventional financial theory and behavioural approaches. Focuses on deviations from rational models, illuminating resulting biases that impact upon financial markets, their institutions and other participants.
  • Climate Ethics: In this module, we will explore foundational and recent work in climate ethics, on such topics as climate justice, duties owed to future generations, the non-identity problem, activism, and questions of race and gender.
  • Corporate Governance: covers three key components: corporate governance, risk management, and financial management.
  • Energy and Resource Challenges: This course tackles the economic, environmental, societal, geopolitical and ethical issues regarding mining, and future challenges shaping mineral exploration. It includes field trips to see the environmental impact of mining.
  • Leadership in Organisations: Examines how views of leadership have changed since the Industrial Revolution, from mechanistic, behavioural models of behaviour to modern leadership frameworks which facilitate change in ever dynamic national, international and cultural climates.
  • Managing Natural Resources: This module examines managing natural resources and in particular topics such as managing for biodiversity, climate change and water resources and the challenges that arise from this for organisations.
  • Portfolio for Graduate School Programmes: The end of degree project takes the form of a period of supervised research where you will explore a topic in depth. The project topic must be agreed by the student, supervisor, and module coordinator.
  • Risk Management: provides an insight into managing the exposure to risk and how to apply relevant theories to realistic financial decision problems. This module is required for achieving Chartered Banker Status.
  • Sustainable Development: From Principles to Practice: examines how doing sustainable development research with non-academic partners challenges us to engage with sustainability as an academic, policy and practical concern. We consider how inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to sustainable development stimulate learning and innovation to address socio-environmental inequalities and vulnerabilities.

• Dissertation project

  The final part of the MSc in Energy Finance and Policy is the end-of-degree project. This takes the form of a period of supervised research where you will explore an energy topic in depth.

  Through the project, you will demonstrate your ability to undertake sustained critical analysis, develop and improve your research skills, and produce an extended piece of written work that evidences a high level of understanding of your area of study.

  You can choose to present your end-of-degree project in one of the following ways:

  • a policy report that emphasises your ability to critically assess policy and make convincing recommendations for policy changes
  • a written dissertation that emphasises your ability to plan and execute academically rigorous research

  If students choose not to complete the project requirement for the MSc, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a postgraduate diploma (PGDip). By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MSc.