Outdoor and Environmental Education (MSc)

Study outdoors from Edinburgh to the Scottish Highlands at one of the world's best Schools of education and sport.

For over 50 years, the Outdoor and Environmental Education programmes have been about learning, living and educating in the outdoors. As we continue a legacy of excellence and innovation, we are reshaping our offering to adapt to the needs of our changing world and the pressing issues of environmental sustainability, justice and activism.

The MSc Outdoor and Environmental Education programme preserves the quality and depth of education provided by a world-ranked University and prepares you for a future where environmental consciousness is at the forefront of global priorities. The programme focuses on historical and contemporary approaches to outdoor, environmental, adventure and sustainability education. 

Outdoor and Environmental Education is a broad inter-disciplinary field with many potential directions and career opportunities in the sector. The programme aims to train graduates for a growing range of careers in the public, charitable and commercial sectors, and for formal and informal education in the UK and overseas.

Apply

Applications will open shortly. Register your interest, and we will notify you as soon as we begin accepting applications.

Online Information session

Join us for an online event to speak with Programme Director Gavin Mackenzie about our Outdoor and Environmental Education programme. 

11 December, 11am-12pm | Location: Online

What you will study

You’ll take a range of compulsory courses, a professional development programme, along with a final dissertation or applied project, to complete 180 credits.

Taught courses take place in Edinburgh and at bases across Scotland. From these bases, you will live and learn in the outdoors. 

Learning takes the form of lectures, seminars, group discussions, student presentations, field courses, residential courses, self-study and work experience or practicum. 

This Masters programme culminates in the opportunity to undertake a dissertation or applied research project, where you will have the chance to identify and deeply examine a topic which interests you.

Students being taught outdoors

Career opportunities

The modern world is changing rapidly, but our commitment remains strong: to deliver high-quality education and practical experiences in Scotland’s inspiring landscapes. Your journey with us is not just about what you learn today, but how you help us to shape tomorrow. 

Together we will work towards forging a path toward a sustainable future, informed by 50 years of experience and fuelled by a shared commitment to our planet. 

Our programme is directed towards those interested in environmental and sustainability education, teaching in the outdoors, adventure education, expeditions, and personal and social development through outdoor experiences, conservation work, informal and non-formal sectors.

Explore careers in Outdoor and Environmental Education

Using the outdoors as a teaching and learning environment while promoting sustainable thinking and practice has never been more important and this course has given me the skills and confidence to feel that my practice in this area will help make a positive difference.

Our community

Students range from young adults who have recently completed undergraduate degrees to professionals returning to study after several years, and in some cases even decades, working in the field.

Our graduate network is a diverse, global community of over 800 alumni working and making an impact in a wide range of roles in the outdoor and environmental education sector.

Some Masters students go on to PhD study and collaborate with us in their research.

PhD community

Meet our students

Reshna Alex

'The programme was more than technical skills, focusing on the foundations of what it means to be an educator. We experience, reflect and learn as individuals and as a group. There is a lot to learn and knowledge within the diverse group. The programme team is supportive and encourages you to explore as much as you can during this process.'

Charlotte Megret

'The combination of academic courses and practical courses (especially residential ones) created plenty of opportunities to observe and reflect on different teaching practices. The courses were all very different, and I thoroughly enjoyed that diversity as I believed they helped me reflect and improve my own practice.'

'The course has given me the confidence to challenge old, outdated practices. I have refined my critical thinking, and this has influenced the course I now design, plan and teach.'

 

 

 

50 years of expert teaching

2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the Outdoor and Environmental Education postgraduate programmes at the University of Edinburgh. This has been a springboard for the development of wider engagement and alumni activities. 

Fees and funding

Details of our tuition fees, as well as the scholarships and funding available to help you pursue your ambitions.

Programme director and teaching team

Gavin Mackenzie

Programme Director, Outdoor and Environmental Education

Contact details

The faculty in the MSc programme were instrumental in my career development. They challenged me to think more critically about our field and my own practice. I frequently refer back to the lessons I learned at Edinburgh as I plan and facilitate my own courses.

Contact us

We look forward to hearing from you with any enquiries about our programmes.

Admissions enquiries

Postgraduate Admissions Office (Education)

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (CAHSS)

Contact details