Sustainable Development, Culture and Heritage BA (Hons)

What is special about this course?

The world is facing the prospect of a climate emergency, with decision-makers grappling with how to understand and respond to the pressures on our environment and society. Sustainable Development, from the local to the global, is essential if society is to tackle the challenges faced. The necessary changes will impact on every facet of society, culture and the economy; this is a critical moment to study sustainability, culture and heritage. 

Our BA (Hons) Sustainable Development, Culture and Heritage considers these issues from a humanities and social science perspective, focusing on understanding the three pillars of sustainability (social, environmental, economic), in order to examine human relationships with the environment as well as the subjects of key cultural, literary, language, historical, musical and philosophical issues at a national and regional level.

This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills to understand many aspects of our rapidly changing world, equipping you to tackle real-world problems in a range of organisations and sectors, with the wide curriculum developing both specialist and transferable skills. You will also be able to immerse yourself in the wealth of fascinating culture and heritage that the Highlands and Islands of Scotland has to offer, and gain an understanding of its place in a global context.

Delivered online by blended learning and available to study from home, you will benefit from collaborative discussions and activities with colleagues from a range of diverse backgrounds and experiences, facilitated by tutors with many years of experience in delivering online education.

Please see our FAQ sheet for further information on this course.

Special features

• Join a course which can be studied from home anywhere in the world, full or part-time to suit your circumstances 
• Delivered by tutors with years of experience of teaching at a distance, offering a high level of support
• Online learning materials available 24/7 via laptops, tablets or mobiles, including reading, videos and podcasts
• Optional study field trip to Iceland as well as opportunities for a student society residential trip in the Scottish Highlands
• Geography graduates have high levels of employability in a range of sectors

Entry requirements

• 3 Scottish Highers at grades BBC or above or
• 2 A levels at grades BC or above
• At least 2 should be from the list of required subjects
• Additional qualifications and experiences will be considered on an individual basis

Advanced entry

• HNC Social Science (12 SCQF credits) with 3 additional SCQF credits at level 7, which is equivalent to 120 degree credit points, and at least grade C in the Graded Unit, will be considered for direct entry to year two

Year 1 - CertHE

You will study the following modules:  

• Exploring economics in a changing world (S2) 
• Understanding sustainable development (S1) 

Plus one module from each of the following choices:

• Culture? Heritage? What? OR Scotland's music (S2)
• Scotland the brand OR What is culture? (S1)

You will also choose two further option modules from across the humanities subject area.

Year 2 - DipHE

You will study the following modules:  

• Approaches to economic development (S1) 
• Empowering communities (S1) 
• Folklore OR Tradition, custom and belief (S1)

Plus one of the following modules:

• Golden mead and burning hearts (S2)
• Languages on the edge (S2)
• Displaying the past: museum studies (S2)

You will also choose two further option modules from across the Humanities subject area, which includes our optional international field trip module, 'Sustainable development approaches in an international context'.

Year 3 - BA

You will usually study the following modules:  

• Globalisation and sustainable development (S1) 
• Sustainable tourism and the environment (S2) 

You will also choose one of the following modules: 

• Advanced social research methods (S1) OR Climate change (S1) 

Plus, two of the following modules:

• Celtic and Celtic revival art in Scotland 600-2000 (S2)Interdisciplinary project (S1)
• People and the natural environment* (S2)
• Perceptions of heritage (S2)
• Scotland in film (S1)
• Scottish enlightenment and Highland society* (S2)

* these modules rotate on an annual basis

Year 4 - BA (Hons)

You will complete a dissertation in either Sustainable Development or Culture and Heritage.

You will also study one option module from your chosen dissertation subject plus three option modules from the other subject.

Sustainable Development

Modules may include:

• Agroecology: regenerative food systems (S2)
• Geo-political development issues (S1) 
• Social enterprise and the social economy (S1) 
• The consumerist society (S2) 

Culture and Heritage

Modules may include:

• Faeries and fables: the story of Gaelic literature (S1)
• Highland journeys (S2)
• Scottish tradition in philosophy (S1)
• Vikings and Valkyries (S2)

Fees

For students normally domiciled in Scotland, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:

This includes

• EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
• EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
• EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

Rest of the UK students

For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland) or assessed as rest of the UK for fee status the following fees apply:

International students

For students who do not normally reside in the UK studying online from their home country, or living in the UK but assessed as international for fee status, the following fees apply:

This includes EU/EEA and Swiss nationals without settled status in the UK and EEA and Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time rest of the UK and international undergraduate students for continuous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.

Funding

UHI has a number of scholarships, bursaries, awards, and discretionary fund opportunities available to new and current students. Please use the A-Z of funds or use the filter to see which ones may be relevant to you. All students are welcome to apply.

Further information on funding your studies is also available, please see the attached link or contact the relevant UHI partner.

Additional costs

This course includes an option to attend student society residential trips and an optional international field trip to Iceland. You will be required to  pay a contribution towards the cost of the residential and international trips. Further information is available upon request. Attendance at such face to face events is optional and not essential for completion of the course.