I was nervous about starting the MSc Environmental Impact Assessment & Management (EIA&M) program at the University of Manchester, a programme that brings together planning and management with different aspects of environmental assessment. Having taken a few years after my undergraduate degree in the United States to work, I felt ready, but uncertain about how the pace and structure of postgraduate study in the UK would feel, especially with the thought of completing my taught masters (including a dissertation) in one calendar year. That uncertainty faded quickly in thanks to the clear direction from my professors and the support of my peers.

EIA&M may sound like a very specific program, but it has been extensive, filled with a great variety of topics and people. I am grateful to be among my peers, who come from backgrounds spanning architectural design, ESG, geography, and environmental science; this academic diversity put me at ease and highlighted how this program and topic is multi-disciplinary. The program offerings have genuinely been integrated; not only do we get to explore environmental impact assessment, but cover health impact assessments and social impact assessments, each with their own frameworks that can complement one another.

Before starting the program, most of what I knew about the program came from reading the online program details. I was drawn to the variety of course offerings, particularly on topics I did not have the opportunity to explore in my undergraduate studies. For example, I started a Climate Change and Development course this semester and was pleasantly surprised with the depth and newness the course had brought to this topic, especially coming in thinking I already had a solid founding on the topic; the course challenged that in a unique, welcoming way. From mineral extraction to environmental activist movements, these lectures brought in new perspectives and aspects I had not considered or studied before. Overall, my courses have taught me to not come into the lecture room close-minded, and to truly embrace new perspectives on topics academically and with the way I engage with the world around me.

One of the greatest things I have valued the most during my studies is the connections I find myself making across courses when topics overlap. In my Environmental Law course, we examined the different justice dimensions of environmental decision-making, asking whether a process or policy is efficacious, but also whether it is equitable. Going back to the Climate Change and Development material, I was able to draw on those justice frameworks and apply them to a different assignment I had. The frameworks that were laid out in one course showed that it could intersect with another course.

Now being more than halfway through my programme I have more confidence in my EIA&M studies and going into my dissertation writing. With a solid amount of EIA&M coursework completed, I feel more well-equipped to bring together concepts and frameworks from across the program and integrate them into my dissertation. No matter how much I thought I knew before starting this programme, I have come out of my courses and coursework with a greater knowledge and depth on a plethora of topics, learning how to be more critical and analytical of what is placed in front of me. This is what I believe to be one of the greatest values of pursuing higher education.

Written by Katera, a current postgraduate student in SEED. 

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