MSc in Sustainable Development

aifric

Hi to all,

I am in my final year of my undergrad degree at the moment and I am considering doing the MSc in Sustainable Development. I was wondering if there was any one out there that could tell me a little about the subjects taken and about the placement part of the course. As the webpage dedicated to it is a little vague!

thanks

aifric

oldboy

I'm curious too !! bit hard to track down info alright.

If i come across any I'll post it here

aifric

cool thanks will do the same

GreenGalway

Hey folks, I've just finished this masters in DIT- What would you like to know about it?

GreenGalway

Sorry- didn't read the post correctly.

Work Experience:
You have to source 16 weeks of no pay work experience for the course. It’s up to you when you do it and where- as long as it’s a company related to the field of sustainable development. I would suggest looking for somewhere in Dublin as I did mine down the country and all the travel made it difficult.

Consultancy agencies are a good place to start when looking- they might pay you or hire you afterwards. Also, if you’re thinking about doing this masters, I'd suggest having a placement sorted before starting it as the second semester is pretty hectic.

Modules:
Semester one modules are compulsory and in semester 2 you pick and choose. Its very important to contact ken boyle to find out what actual modules are going ahead as last year 1-2 of them were shelved. Note: Eanna Ni Lamhna lectures on ecology in semester 1- very good lecturer but hard marker. An Irish over night field trip is also included in semester one. Exams and submission dates are nearly all in the second week in January.

Semester 2- contains a European field trip, dissertation prep and modules. Lots of choice here and there is no much I can generally say on subject choice as it really depends on what your choices are. Field trip is great but can be expensive. Most assesments in this semester are marked by essay.

Semester 3(?) not really a term but from June November it’s no lectures and all dissertation. Submission is in November with 3 work in progress presentations during the summer.

Note:
Find a placement that could help your dissertation topic.
Get in contact with ken Boyle to find out more info as the website is rubbish.
There is also a masters in cork and queens Belfast on the topic- Belfast might be an option as there are currently NO jobs in the republic in this area. Plus doing the masters in the UK will make it much easier to get a job there- different legislation.
DIT admin is rubbish but the lectures I had were really great.

Phew- lotta typing! Any more questions- ask!

aifric

Green Galway your just great

davty10

GreenGalway wrote: »

Sorry- didn't read the post correctly.

Work Experience:
You have to source 16 weeks of no pay work experience for the course. It’s up to you when you do it and where- as long as it’s a company related to the field of sustainable development. I would suggest looking for somewhere in Dublin as I did mine down the country and all the travel made it difficult.

Consultancy agencies are a good place to start when looking- they might pay you or hire you afterwards. Also, if you’re thinking about doing this masters, I'd suggest having a placement sorted before starting it as the second semester is pretty hectic.

Modules:
Semester one modules are compulsory and in semester 2 you pick and choose. Its very important to contact ken boyle to find out what actual modules are going ahead as last year 1-2 of them were shelved. Note: Eanna Ni Lamhna lectures on ecology in semester 1- very good lecturer but hard marker. An Irish over night field trip is also included in semester one. Exams and submission dates are nearly all in the second week in January.

Semester 2- contains a European field trip, dissertation prep and modules. Lots of choice here and there is no much I can generally say on subject choice as it really depends on what your choices are. Field trip is great but can be expensive. Most assesments in this semester are marked by essay.

Semester 3(?) not really a term but from June November it’s no lectures and all dissertation. Submission is in November with 3 work in progress presentations during the summer.

Note:
Find a placement that could help your dissertation topic.
Get in contact with ken Boyle to find out more info as the website is rubbish.
There is also a masters in cork and queens Belfast on the topic- Belfast might be an option as there are currently NO jobs in the republic in this area. Plus doing the masters in the UK will make it much easier to get a job there- different legislation.
DIT admin is rubbish but the lectures I had were really great.

Phew- lotta typing! Any more questions- ask!

Hey GalwayGreen,

I am interested in this course and was wondering if you could feel me in a little. Have last years Graduates secured work in their desired areas? Can you give me some examples of what areas grads have secured work in. Also you say there is no work in the republic , is this not a growth area with opportunities?

David

GreenGalway

True this is an area of expected growth, but due to the economic downturn, green/sustainable development jobs have been taken off the agenda. Out of the class, approximately 7 out of 34 have found employment (that I know of).
Though a great course, it is a difficult economic climate to find green employment in. In a few years this will be a great area to work in, but you only have to look at recruitment websites to see a mucho lack of sustainable development positions. It is important to point out that a masters in general does not provide you with skills, so entering this course with an academic degree (say an arts degree) will make finding a private sector job difficult.
As to what jobs are available to graduates from this course- that depends on the graduate’s personal academic background and work experience. Very little I can say about this as since there have been so few “green” jobs since last September!
Apologies for the doom-and-gloom response.

davty10

Hey GreenGalway,

No problem with the honest reply, better than sugar coating it. So I would be going back to this course as a mature student. I'm 29 and have been in the IT industry for last 5 years although I have a bachelors in Ag Business and Rural development. What was the average age of the class ? This is a big decision for me as I am currently living in vancouver and would be returning home to take this course. Have you secured work in your desired area?
Is it difficult to secure the work experience or do the college help sourcing placements?

GreenGalway

Hey David, the age in the class varied, but 30 would be the average. I, alas, have not found a job yet and if I was to give my full-honest-truthful advice I’d say to steer clear from the green sector in Ireland for a year or two. I am in regular contact with some class mates and we wonder if the market in Ireland is already past saturation point. We were recently discussing moving to the U.S.!
Work placement is pretty easy to find, the only hard part is choosing which area you want to do it in as ideally it will reflect your dissertation topic. The college provide a list of companies that have taken students on before to help you.
Your previous course in Ag Business and Rural development would strengthen your post masters c.v. but probably only in applying for government agencies.
Right- I’ve really got to become more optimistic!

davty10

Hmm, not very encouraging, I was hoping in 18 months time it would have picked up. If its any consolation there is lots of work in the Sustainable field here in Vancouver, and it will be alot easier to get a Visa for than the US.

GreenGalway

Really? Canada eh. That's an idea; I'll look into it- thanks. Was thinking about the UK- but after close to 30 applications and no luck it might be time to look further afield.

Your best bet would be to contact DIT directly as they would know a lot more than me about future positions. Also, a lot depends on the area of your dissertation, I did mine on a wide topic involving public opinion and while it was interesting, it’s not very sell-able to employers. Those that found employment choose an area that the market needed research done on. If you approach a company to find out an area they need investigated might get you work experience and possibly a job with them too.
Also- though it may sound corny: if you’re into the area of sustainable development then you should do the course regardless of the current job prospects. A lot can change in 15 months and you might walk into a position after you graduate. If your need some reading material regarding the topic i can email you some.

banshee_bones

hey iv also been thinkin about this course and i shot off an email to Ken Boyle and got no reply.
So as yet i dont know if i am a suitable candidate for the course.
My question, (coming from an Arts graduate) is the course aimed at graduates with an engineering background or is it accessible to all? I am interested in the area of sustainable development and i have a 2:1 so im just curious....

sarahirl

hey, think it's open to everyone, but to be honest ring them, don't bother with emails.

davty10

Hi ,

I got offered this course and have deferred it for a year as I am out of the country and am not overly confident about job prospects in Ireland. Does anyone that has completed the course have any examples of where they or their classmates found work ??

banshee_bones

congrats, i didnt get in but hey no matter!

sean8

Hi Everyone,Just want to write a comment about this coarse. I have completed it and got my 2.1 honours degree. However i haven't got a job out of it. Every job application i apply for dosn't require this but instead looks for two to three years experience. How the hell are you ment to get experience. This coarse dosn't provide the student with any chance of obtaining experience. This coarse is a wast of time and a wast of money. The coarse expects alot out of the individual and gives the individual nothing in return except a piece of paper that isn't worth the paper its wrote on. Please don't get fooled like me. Don't bother with this coarse. There are no prospets to be got from doing this coarse!

projectmayhem

sean8 wrote: »

Hi Everyone,Just want to write a comment about this coarse. I have completed it and got my 2.1 honours degree. However i haven't got a job out of it. Every job application i apply for dosn't require this but instead looks for two to three years experience. How the hell are you ment to get experience. This coarse dosn't provide the student with any chance of obtaining experience. This coarse is a wast of time and a wast of money. The coarse expects alot out of the individual and gives the individual nothing in return except a piece of paper that isn't worth the paper its wrote on. Please don't get fooled like me. Don't bother with this coarse. There are no prospets to be got from doing this coarse!

First thing I'd say is that perhaps you didn't get a job because you talked about your "coarse" rather then the course.

That aside, jobs are thin on the ground these days for everyone, even graduates. Your best bet is to lower your expectations as far as jobs go and take whatever you can at whatever amount of money you can live off and work your way up. Other then that, you can always move to where the jobs in this field are. You've an EU passport (I'm making that assumption), use it.

The course taught you what it needed to. Don't blame it because you can't get a job in a recession. DIT did tell you it was one step closer to the real world. Welcome to the real world

earthwormk

Hi there, I think what Sean8 is trying to say that when you invest 18 months of your life and thousands of Euro into a coarse, you hope that there might be the slim chance of getting some form of employment in the sustainable development sector...nobody likes to be sold a lemon.

I have just completed the same coarse, although I am unaware of who sean8 actually is, I'm inclined to express the same sentiment.That's not to say that I didn't find some of the lessons interesting but more of a 'cautionary tale' to anyone buying into the current governmental rhetoric of the green new deal.

P.S If you find yourself with some free time and some money, your better off trying to grow some fruit and veg to feed your family and friends.:D

davty10

Folks,

How is the green employment area looking in Ireland currently? I have to let DIT know whether or not I want to take up the course in Nov. I cant decide as I am out of the country, my gut sense is telling stay where I am ! Any comments appreciated.

needmore

Hey Guys,

I've just been offered a place on this masters,
unsure about the future in this area, but i am really intereted in this field.

Is it a busy year?
how was the 3 days of college structured?
Did everyone pass?

I know Ireland is stugglingin this sector,
but i think it will have to comply to Climate Change Legislation
and it will need to develop in this area to be able to compete in this sector

earthwormk

Hi there, although the taught section of the coarse consists of 3 days in school, the Monday and Tuesday are formally reserved for a 16 week internship in a relevant sustainable development field. Therefore the wed, thurs and fri part of the coarse are quite intense, especially for the first semester. Christmas is a nightmare.

As far as I know, everyone passed the taught master's classwork...it gets more interesting in the second semester as you (one) get a chance to choose electives.

In relation to climate change and available work in any of the sustainable development sectors, its anyones guess really, there could be work if you are a qualified engineer or you can create a project yourself.

If you need to be affiliated to an academic org in order to carry out a very thought through thesis, which you need no help whatsoever to execute...the coarse could be worthwhile.:)

needmore

Thanks Earthworm,
I'm struggling to decide to commit to it, or not, but so far, i have received no reason not to do it, and as everyone is unsure of the future.
I feel up skilling in a modern subject would help me as an Architectural Technologist, i cant see myself working for the next few years in construction, so why not go back to study!!

thanks again

caroline

buckstar

All the posts sound so negative... I have just accepted this course and was wondering if anybody could let me know about the European field trip and when it is? Also some1 said that Christmas would be hectic, is this because of the exams in Jan or is it all assignments around this time?

needmore

Hi Buckstar,

if you look back up the board you will see info about coarse.
Field trip with Ireland is @ halloween,
European trip is around easter.
Christmas is busy as of exams in Jan, & end of 1st seminster.

If you would like to make contact before it starts,
let me know.

Good Luck

buckstar

Hey Needmore,

Thanks for the reply, it would be great to get in contact before college starts!!!

needmore

my email is;

moyadd@gmail.com

dont want to put my number on this...
not long to go now before we start

iarmhii

Hi All


Just wondering if anybody has an opinion on whether this a worthwhile course and what types of jobs if any are out there for graduates of the course?
The course itself looks to be quite interesting and the work experience element gives it further appeal but most opinions here seem quite negative. Any views appreciated.

Thanks in advance
iarmhii

Sazo

aifric wrote: »

Hi to all,

I am in my final year of my undergrad degree at the moment and I am considering doing the MSc in Sustainable Development. I was wondering if there was any one out there that could tell me a little about the subjects taken and about the placement part of the course. As the webpage dedicated to it is a little vague!

thanks

aifric

Hi guys I am the same as Aifric!
I am in the process of applying for this course however I am not certain what they are looking for in the application form. I have contacted Ken Boyle twice but no reply so it is difficult to apply because I only have one shot at it!
Hope u guys can help me out!
Thanks:D

needmore

Sazo wrote: »

Hi guys I am the same as Aifric!
I am in the process of applying for this course however I am not certain what they are looking for in the application form. I have contacted Ken Boyle twice but no reply so it is difficult to apply because I only have one shot at it!
Hope u guys can help me out!
Thanks:D

Ken is a busy man,
Yvonne McGylnn in worth talking too.
Put what is on your CV on the form...
I dont remember it being a difficult form!

I'm enjoying the Masters, a great bunch of people & DIT do their best
Its expensive - so make sure you know what your getting into
The material is very broad. The dissertation can help you focus on your area of interest.
Its a very busy year, no time for part-time job.
Christmas was spent doing assignments & study for exams!
The wk exp & field trips are great.

Good Luck

EKucd

Hi,
I'm in my final semester in UCD. I have an Arts degree in Geography & History. The MSc in Sustainable Development in DIT really interests me but I'm really worried about the career opportunities, are there any? I heard about a similar masters in Belfast, does anybody know what the name of it is. What also worries me is that the entry requirement for this is only a 2:2, it's kind of a low standard, is this a good masters to get into or would I be wasting my time? It's absolutely wrecking my head!

Sazo

Thanks 4 the feedback,
I posted it off but no reply yet... Is it in the summer that they notify people? Is work experience hard 2 get?

O-Deazy

Just applied for this course myself.. They told me they would reply within two weeks whether I'm going to be offered a place provisionally or not, so fingers crossed! Regarding work experience, I wouldn't say it should be to hard to get. The college have a list of places that took on people before so I'd say if you try one of them you should get somewhere. I mean they don't have to pay so why wouldn't they..

68 lost souls

Just another similar enough course for people to consider. 1 year in America, 6 months in Spain and 6 months in DIT.

http://www.dit.ie/study/stimasters/program/

Sazo

O-Deazy wrote: »

Just applied for this course myself.. They told me they would reply within two weeks whether I'm going to be offered a place provisionally or not, so fingers crossed! Regarding work experience, I wouldn't say it should be to hard to get. The college have a list of places that took on people before so I'd say if you try one of them you should get somewhere. I mean they don't have to pay so why wouldn't they..

O Deazy did you apply with your final year results or are u waiting 4 them?! Wonder if it's just people with results that they give provisional offers to

O-Deazy

Sazo wrote: »

O Deazy did you apply with your final year results or are u waiting 4 them?! Wonder if it's just people with results that they give provisional offers to

No I'm waiting for my results so I just applied going by 2nd year results and what I expect to get overall. I'd say its people that don't have their final year results that get the provisional offers, why would those that already have their results be given provisional places? They said they would reply within 2 weeks so I wouldn't be waiting hard on a reply yet. Are you waiting for final year results as well?

Sazo

O-Deazy wrote: »

No I'm waiting for my results so I just applied going by 2nd year results and what I expect to get overall. I'd say its people that don't have their final year results that get the provisional offers, why would those that already have their results be given provisional places? They said they would reply within 2 weeks so I wouldn't be waiting hard on a reply yet. Are you waiting for final year results as well?

I am... alright fair enough I suppose they will get back2us when they are ready!

O-Deazy

Which hopefully won't take too long! Good luck the the application anyway..

O-Deazy

Just thought Id give this a bump and see if anyone got an offer? Mine came in a few days ago but not sure whether to take it or even defer it for a year..

Sazo

I got 1!

O-Deazy

Congrats Sazo.. Are you going to take the offer?

Sazo

O-Deazy wrote: »

Congrats Sazo.. Are you going to take the offer?

thanks congrats to u too! Yes i am are u?

O-Deazy

No think I'll defer for a year! Want to go do some travelling and see a bit of the world before a fork out a load of money for a masters I mightn't even get anything out of.. At least I'll know where to direct all my questions if I chose to do it

Dofski

I got offered a place for this coming september (2012). But not sure to accept or not? Can any1 tell me if they enjoyed it or should I look somewhere else

Thanks

Sazo

Dofski wrote: »

I got offered a place for this coming september (2012). But not sure to accept or not? Can any1 tell me if they enjoyed it or should I look somewhere else

Thanks

Hi there,
In the end I didnt accept this course as i found a very similar one in the University of Aberdeen which cover fees and in the end I had to pay £1000 instead of over 7,000 euro in DIT. It's worth looking into as it's a great course, small number of people in it I am thoroughly enjoying it.

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/prospectus/pgrad/study/taught.php?code=rural_dev

Thats the link if you are interested but if not, no worries!