Programme Information
Programme Code
One-year Full-time A1M061
Programme Aims
- To provide students with the opportunity to develop their recognition of the nature, scope, purposes and processes of education, training and capacity building for sustainability;
- To develop skills in utilizing research/evidence based methods for professional practice in Education;
- To encourage students to apply these understandings and processes in their own professional settings and be able to evaluate their actions in a critical and reflective way;
- To develop research capacity for the professional community of educators, trainers and development practitioners concerns with sustainability issues in Hong Kong, China and internationally; and
- To provide enhanced career opportunities for professionals in education, training and capacity building for sustainable development and to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.
Programme Structure
The programme comprises 24 credit points (cps).
Classes in the same or different semester(s) may be scheduled on weekday daytime/evenings, weekends and/or during long holidays at the Tai Po Campus / Tseung Kwan O Study Centre / North Point Study Centre / Kowloon Tong Satellite Study Centre and/or other locations as decided by the University.
Programme Curriculum
The programme comprises 24 credit points (cps).
Semester 1 – Four Core Courses (12 Credit Points)
Core Courses:
- Sustainability Studies: An Overview (3 cps)
- Global and Local Issues in Education for Sustainability (3 cps)
- Learning and Teaching in EfS (3 cps)
- Research in Education for Sustainability (3 cps)
Semester 2 – Two Core Courses plus One or Two elective course(s) (12 Credit Points in total)
Core Courses:
- Assessment and Evaluation in EfS, Theory and Practice (3 cps)
- Sustainable Campus Development (3 cps)
Elective Courses (Choose either Two 3-cp courses OR One 6-cp course):
- Climate Change and Carbon Management (3cps); and
- Sustainability Communications (3 cps)
OR - Thesis Writing Course and Research Thesis Project on EfS (6 cps)
* Programme curriculum and course offerings may be subject to change.
The medium of instruction is English.
Tuition Fee
- This programme is offered on a self-funded basis. The tuition fee for the whole programme for 2025/26 is HK$145,800.
- The fee may be subject to adjustment after annual review. The tuition fees paid are normally not refundable or transferable.
Scholarship
- Entrance Scholarship – The MA(EfS) Entrance Scholarship aims to give recognition to the performance of outstanding students. A scholarship of HK$10,000 will be awarded to eligible students of the programme.
Course Outlines
| SES6020 Sustainability Studies: An Overview (3 credit points) | |
| Course Synopsis: | This course will strengthen students’ sustainability knowledge and provide them with a solid base for teaching environmental and sustainability issues. It will provide an introduction to sustainability principles and contrast definitions of sustainability with sustainable development and related topics. It will include basic scientific principles that are relevant to sustainability and environmental issues that are important to the classroom. |
| SES6021 Global and Local Issues in Education for Sustainability (3 credit points) | |
| Course Synopsis: | This course will provide an overview of the relationship between global and local EfS issues with a focus on key players (such as NGOs) as forces for social change and education. It will explore key globalisation questions, the interactions between global forces and small-scale local development and the intermediate levels between these two extremes. It will also consider global and trans-boundary issues, international cooperation for sustainability, treaties and protocols, the study of EfS initiatives by intergovernmental organisations (e.g., UNESCO, ESCAP, etc.), global responsibility and environmental citizenship, environmental/ecological footprints and ethical issues such as the disparity of resource use between the north and south. This course will also draw on UN’s Sustainable Goals and UNESCO’s Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) as a discussion point for international commitments. It will consider the roles of NGOs and other important actors in our society and relate them to local/global dynamics and environmental, developmental and educational sustainability issues. It will explore NGO education in more depth, approaching the related issues through examples. The topics covered in the course and the associated critical discussion in case study on the relevant local or global issues on EfS would equip the students with necessary academic theories about EfS and enable them become more professional in the field of EfS. |
| SES6022 Learning and Teaching in Education for Sustainability (3 credit points) | |
| Course Synopsis: | This course will provide participants with opportunities to explore and examine EfS teaching in Hong Kong and overseas in relation to its trends and development and the issues involved in implementing EfS in schools. At the end of this course, students will have a clear idea of how to develop curricula to include sustainability and understand the types of learning methods and materials required to implement the curriculum. This course will compare and contrast EfS teaching in Hong Kong and overseas. In the process, participants will be provided with opportunities to experience and construct the pedagogical knowledge, skills, values and attitudes required for teaching EfS in schools. This course will focus on the development of the EfS curriculum, organisation of learning experiences and implementation of school-based assessments for EfS teaching. It will consider the integration of experiential learning and outdoor education as a facilitating factor for EfS teaching and focus on the potentials and constraints through examples and case studies. |
| SES6023 Assessment and Evaluation in EfS, Theory and Practice (3 credit points) | |
| Course Synopsis: | This course will demonstrate the importance of monitoring and assessing EfS programmes. Evaluation is an integral part of any EfS programme, and the evaluation plan should be developed in the planning or design phase of the programme. This course will consider how to measure learning, assess progress, improve the quality of EfS programmes, enhance accountability and communicate results. It will describe the processes for assessing initial conditions, whether a programme is achieving its aims and how research at the end of a programme is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme. It will examine how research informs changes in outcomes, process and policy. It will include a critical examination of the evaluation tools used with local and international case studies. |
| SES6024 Research in Education for Sustainability (3 credit points) | |
| Course Synopsis: | This course will equip students with the skills to undertake an investigation into certain aspects of EfS. Students will learn about background material that will enable them to study topics of personal interest and professional relevance. The course will introduce research as a decision-making process and examine the relationships between theory, concepts and empirical observations and research concepts, including quantitative and qualitative research techniques for assessing people’s values, attitudes and behaviour. It will also consider the strengths and weaknesses of various methods, potential sources of bias and how to develop the most appropriate research plan. It will cover data collection methods, qualitative and quantitative strategies and primary and secondary sources. This course will consider the statistics needed to analyse and interpret data. |
| SES6025 Sustainable Campus Development (3 credit points) | |
| Course Synopsis: | This course will provide students with a practical overview of the types of measures that campuses can use to achieve a level of sustainability, and other measures that managers need to adopt to maximise the benefits of the programme. This course will focus on approaches to the design, implementation and maintenance of institutional facilities for maximum sustainability. The systems within a campus that enable it to function and serve its community will be explored, including ecological, economic and social systems. The course will consider the lifecycles of resource use and waste disposal. Attention will also be given to the human resource structures that are designed to manage institutional systems, such as lighting, air conditioning, food provision, water and landscaping. Students will research green building technologies and examples that may apply to educational buildings. Applying what they learn to their own schools’ practices, students will formulate recommendations to improve sustainable practices and learn to calculate the related costs and benefits. This course will also explore how EfS is applied internationally in informal settings using campus sustainability, particularly in Hong Kong with its specific limitations on school areas, and other international initiatives such as the ResourceSmart initiative in Australia. This will introduce a comparative dimension to this course, and participants will benefit from the international experiences. |
| SES6026 Thesis Writing and Research Thesis Project on EfS (6 credit points) | |
| Course Synopsis: | This course will provide guidance and training and enable students to undertake research to produce a thesis on a topic relevant to EfS. The course comprises two parts, including a course on thesis writing and a research thesis project on EfS. Part I: Thesis Writing This course is designed to support students in writing a thesis. Course topics will generally include the major conventions of academic writing and methodological tools for a Master’s thesis, and approaches to structure and style in thesis writing. In particular, it will maximise students’ participation and lecturer-student dialogues throughout the initial stages of thesis preparation. Part II: Research Thesis Project on EfS This project will require students to complete their research theses over two semesters in Year 1, based on the proposals they develop through the research and thesis-writing skills courses. The topics should be relevant to the major themes and issues related to EfS. Students will be expected to seek advice on the selection of their theses topics with their respective supervisors and to get approval from their supervisor before working on their theses (refer to the assessment task for Course 3 – Research in Education for Sustainability). The thesis writing outlines will follow those guidelines developed by the Graduate Programme Office. |
| SES6058 Climate Change Management (3 credit points) | |
| Course Synopsis: | This course will provide an introduction to the business, regulatory and economic perspectives of climate change mitigation. It strengthens students’ knowledge of climate change science and carbon management. It will enrich students’ ability to evaluate, formulate, and articulate justifiable business strategies and tactics to address the impacts of market and regulatory changes arising from climate change in a summative assessment. It will also help them to develop skills in teaching the issues of climate change and carbon management, and to appreciate their pedagogical implications, which are crucial in the context of carbon management because they play a significant role in empowering the public to take climate actions. By incorporating effective teaching methods and educational strategies, individuals can be educated and motivated to understand the importance of carbon management and the actions they can take to mitigate climate change. |
| SES6059 Sustainability Communications (3 credit points) | |
| Course Synopsis: | The primary objective of this course is to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively educate others on sustainability through various toolkits. The course recognizes the importance of communication in promoting sustainable practices and aims to develop students’ abilities to engage diverse audiences and inspire action. The course emphasizes the interconnectedness of social, economic, and environmental factors. Students will explore the role of communication in driving behavior change and promoting sustainable lifestyles. Through a combination of theoretical and practical approaches, students will learn to utilize different communication tools and strategies to educate and engage individuals and communities. They will examine case studies and best practices in sustainability communication, gaining insights into successful campaigns and initiatives. The course will also emphasize the importance of tailoring communication efforts to different target audiences. Students will learn to adapt their messaging and delivery methods to effectively reach specific demographics, considering cultural, social, and economic factors. Furthermore, the course will explore the use of digital platforms and emerging technologies in sustainability communication. Students will develop skills in utilizing social media, websites, and multimedia tools to create engaging and impactful content. Throughout the course, there will be a strong emphasis on critical thinking and analysis of communication effectiveness. Students will evaluate the impact of their communication efforts and learn to refine their strategies based on feedback and results. By the end of the course, students will have developed a comprehensive toolkit for sustainability communication. They will be prepared to educate and inspire others towards sustainable practices, promoting positive change in various contexts, including educational settings, corporate environments, and community engagement initiatives. |
What’s news
External Link (log-in required):
https://www.eduhk.hk/maefs/view.php?sso=y&m=5410&secid=53781
Counselling and Career Services
A wide range of programmes and services are offered to enhance your personal growth and career development. Counsellors are there to help you resolve personal, interpersonal, emotional, academic and family problems. Assessment tests and workshops are conducted to strengthen your self-understanding, psychological wellness, interpersonal relationship and learning style. Career education and job search skills training programmes are also organised to help you understand your career interests, map out your career plan, as well as increase your employability. On the jobsite “Ed Job Plus”, you can easily access job vacancy information as well as apply to jobs online.
Health Service
Located on the first floor of the Administration Building, the Health Centre provides medical and dental services for all students. It also organises health education programmes in the form of seminars, talks, games and exhibitions on a regular basis.
Student Accommodation
For non-local postgraduate students on self-funded programmes, the Institute does not guarantee on-campus accommodation, but students may apply for temporary accommodation in our Tai Po campus subject to availability of places. Students may visit the Off-campus Housing Information Platform (http://www.eduhk.hk/sao/offcampus) for basic information on renting accommodation outside the campus, or contact Student Affairs Office via email offcampus@eduhk.hk for assistance
Hotline: (852) 2948 8972
Fax: (852) 2948 7676
Email: maefs@eduhk.hk
In person: Department of Science and Environmental Studies
Room D3-1/F-37
The Education University of Hong Kong
10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong
Programme Introduction
Programme Leaflet
Disclaimer
EdUHK does not encourage students to entrust their application to any third party agents and we always contact applicants directly on updates regarding the applications. You must complete and submit your own application and provide your own personal and contact details. Please refer to the official EdUHK channels, such as programme websites and the admission system, for the required information to complete your application.
Every effort has been made to ensure that information contained on this website is correct. Changes to any aspects of the programmes may be made from time to time due to unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control and the University reserves the right to make amendments to any information contained on this website without prior notice. The University accepts no liability for any loss or damage arising from any use or misuse of or reliance on any information on this website. In the event of any disputes regarding the website content, the University reserves the right to make the final decision.
Any aspect of course offerings (including, without limitation, the content of the course and the manner in which the course is taught) may be subject to change at any time at the sole discretion of the University. Without limiting the right of the University to amend the course and its course offerings, it is envisaged that changes may be required due to factors such as staffing, enrolment levels, logistical arrangements, curriculum changes, and other factors caused by unforeseeable circumstances. Tuition fees, once paid, are non-refundable.