THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

University Homepage
DRPS Homepage
DRPS Search
DRPS Contact
DRPS : DPTs :  Edinburgh Futures Institute DPTs
Jump to: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3

Year 1 Academic year: 2024/25, Starting in: September

Notes:

In order to be eligible for the Circular Economy (MSc) (fusion on-site), students need to obtain 180 SCQF level 11 credits.

The MSc must be completed within 3 years.

Across the 3 years of study, students must take the following:

a) 30 credits of programme compulsory core courses:

- Fundamentals of a Circular Economy
- Designing for a Circular Economy
- Circular Economy in Business

b) 40-50 credits of EFI Shared Core courses:

The EFI Shared Core courses are currently undergoing a redesign process. The four 10-credit courses running in the 2024/5 academic year will transition to two 20-credit courses from the 2025/6 academic year onwards.

Year 1 (2024/5):
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Insights Through Data
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Understanding the Climate Crisis
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Ethical Data Futures
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Representing Data [OR] Building Near Futures

Year 2 (2025/6) and Year 3 (2026/7):
- Sem 1 (20 credits): Data / Futures 1 *
- Sem 2 (20 credits): Data / Futures 2 *

*Please note that this course is in the process of being developed. As such, some information may change in advance of its delivery in the 2025/6 academic session.

This Degree Programme Table (DPT) outlines six recommended study pathways for studying the EFI Shared Core courses over your 3-year period of study. Please see 'Group B'.

If you would like further guidance on the best course options for you based on your programme pathway, please contact the EFI Student and Academic Services team at EFISAS@ed.ac.uk.

c) 40-50 credits of optional courses. These must include:

- A minimum of 20 credits of programme specific optional courses.
- Up to 20-30 credits of EFI portfolio optional courses.

Please note that if you choose to study 2 'Shared Core' courses in Semester 1 (Understanding the Climate Crisis AND Insights Through Data), then you must select 40 credits across the 'Programme Optional Course Collection' and 'Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 Courses Collection'.

If you choose to study 1 'Shared Core' course in Semester 1 (Understanding the Climate Crisis OR Insights Through Data), then you must select 50 credits across the 'Programme Optional Course Collection' and 'Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 Courses Collection'.

d) 60 credits of programme core final project courses:

- Knowledge Integration and Project Planning: Circular Economy
- Futures Project: Circular Economy

The programme compulsory core courses and the shared core courses introduce students to skills and concepts that will assist them when studying optional courses and the final project. Therefore, we encourage students to take the three programme compulsory core courses during year one.

We would reco mmend that you aim to balance your course credits across the 3 years evenly. This is to ensure student workload is balanced. However, we appreciate that this may not always be possible (or preferrable) for part-time students.

All taught courses must be taken before the MSc final project.

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 90 credits in this group.

Circular Economy (fusion on-site) (ICL) - Compulsory Course Collection

Select exactly 90 credits of the following courses
Notes:
You must take these courses before the end of your 3-year period of study.

The 'Knowledge Integration and Project Planning' and 'Futures Project' courses must be taken in Year 3 of your programme.
AND

Group B

Select between 40 and 50 credits in this group.

EFI Shared Core Course Collection (fusion on-site) - Sustainability Programmes

Select between 40 and 50 credits of the following courses
Notes:
You are required to study 40-50 credits worth of EFI Shared Core courses as part of your programme of study.

The below listed courses will be delivered in the 2024/5 academic year only.

- Sem 1 (10 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Insights Through Data
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Understanding the Climate Crisis
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Ethical Data Futures
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Building Near Futures
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Representing Data

For students with no background in climate change/environmental studies, you MUST select the course 'Understanding the Climate Crisis' in order to gain critical knowledge underpinning your degree.

If you decide to study any EFI Shared Core courses in Year 1 (2024/5) of your programme, you must select 20-30 credits in Semester 1 and/or 20 credits in Semester 2.

If selecting any EFI Shared Core courses in Year 1 (2024/5) of your programme, you must choose one of the following pathways per semester. Multiple pathways per semester are not permitted.

Semester 1 (choose option 1-4):
1) Sem 1 (20 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures [AND] Insights Through Data
2) Sem 1 (20 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures [AND] Understanding the Climate Crisis
3) Sem 1 (30 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures [AND] Insights Through Data [AND] Understanding the Climate Crisis
4) No Semester 1 EFI Shared Core courses taken in Year 1 (2024/5).

Semester 2 (choose option 5-7):
5) Sem 2 (20 credits): Ethical Data Futures [AND] Building Near Futures
6) Sem 2 (20 credits): Ethical Data Futures [AND] Representing Data
7) No Semester 2 EFI Shared Core courses taken in Year 1 (2024/5).

From the 2025/6 academic year, these courses will transition to a new 20-credit course model:

- Sem 1 (20 credits): Data / Futures 1
- Sem 2 (20 credits): Data / Futures 2

Depending on the number of EFI Shared Core courses credits you decide to take in Year 1 (2024/5), you can then take one (or more) of these 20-credit courses to meet the 40-50 EFI Shared Core course requirement for your programme.
AND

Group C

Select between 40 and 50 credits in this group.

Circular Economy (fusion on-site) - Programme Optional Course Collection

Select between 20 and 40 credits of the following courses
AND

Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 courses

Select between 0 and 30 credits from Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 courses
Notes:
Please note that EFI Postgraduate Taught students may only select from courses worth 10-credits within this collection.

Students enrolled on the owning programme of any course will be given priority. Therefore, we cannot always guarantee that you will be successful in gaining a space if student demand is high.

Year 2 Academic year: 2024/25, Starting in: September

Notes:

In order to be eligible for the Circular Economy (MSc) (fusion on-site), students need to obtain 180 SCQF level 11 credits.

The MSc must be completed within 3 years.

Across the 3 years of study, students must take the following:

a) 30 credits of programme compulsory core courses:

- Fundamentals of a Circular Economy
- Designing for a Circular Economy
- Circular Economy in Business

b) 40-50 credits of EFI Shared Core courses:

The EFI Shared Core courses are currently undergoing a redesign process. The four 10-credit courses running in the 2024/5 academic year will transition to two 20-credit courses from the 2025/6 academic year onwards.

Year 1 (2024/5):
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Insights Through Data
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Understanding the Climate Crisis
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Ethical Data Futures
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Representing Data [OR] Building Near Futures

Year 2 (2025/6) and Year 3 (2026/7):
- Sem 1 (20 credits): Data / Futures 1 *
- Sem 2 (20 credits): Data / Futures 2 *

*Please note that this course is in the process of being developed. As such, some information may change in advance of its delivery in the 2025/6 academic session.

This Degree Programme Table (DPT) outlines six recommended study pathways for studying the EFI Shared Core courses over your 3-year period of study. Please see 'Group B'.

If you would like further guidance on the best course options for you based on your programme pathway, please contact the EFI Student and Academic Services team at EFISAS@ed.ac.uk.

c) 40-50 credits of optional courses. These must include:

- A minimum of 20 credits of programme specific optional courses.
- Up to 20-30 credits of EFI portfolio optional courses.

Please note that if you choose to study 2 'Shared Core' courses in Semester 1 (Understanding the Climate Crisis AND Insights Through Data), then you must select 40 credits across the 'Programme Optional Course Collection' and 'Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 Courses Collection'.

If you choose to study 1 'Shared Core' course in Semester 1 (Understanding the Climate Crisis OR Insights Through Data), then you must select 50 credits across the 'Programme Optional Course Collection' and 'Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 Courses Collection'.

d) 60 credits of programme core final project courses:

- Knowledge Integration and Project Planning: Circular Economy
- Futures Project: Circular Economy

The programme compulsory core courses and the shared core courses introduce students to skills and concepts that will assist them when studying optional courses and the final project. Therefore, we encourage students to take the three programme compulsory core courses during year one.

We would reco mmend that you aim to balance your course credits across the 3 years evenly. This is to ensure student workload is balanced. However, we appreciate that this may not always be possible (or preferrable) for part-time students.

All taught courses must be taken before the MSc final project.

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 90 credits in this group.

Circular Economy (fusion on-site) (ICL) - Compulsory Course Collection

Select exactly 90 credits of the following courses
Notes:
You must take these courses before the end of your 3-year period of study.

The 'Knowledge Integration and Project Planning' and 'Futures Project' courses must be taken in Year 3 of your programme.
AND

Group B

Select between 40 and 50 credits in this group.

EFI Shared Core Course Collection (fusion on-site) - Sustainability Programmes

Select between 40 and 50 credits of the following courses
Notes:
You are required to study 40-50 credits worth of EFI Shared Core courses as part of your programme of study.

The below listed courses will be delivered in the 2024/5 academic year only.

- Sem 1 (10 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Insights Through Data
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Understanding the Climate Crisis
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Ethical Data Futures
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Building Near Futures
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Representing Data

For students with no background in climate change/environmental studies, you MUST select the course 'Understanding the Climate Crisis' in order to gain critical knowledge underpinning your degree.

If you decide to study any EFI Shared Core courses in Year 1 (2024/5) of your programme, you must select 20-30 credits in Semester 1 and/or 20 credits in Semester 2.

If selecting any EFI Shared Core courses in Year 1 (2024/5) of your programme, you must choose one of the following pathways per semester. Multiple pathways per semester are not permitted.

Semester 1 (choose option 1-4):
1) Sem 1 (20 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures [AND] Insights Through Data
2) Sem 1 (20 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures [AND] Understanding the Climate Crisis
3) Sem 1 (30 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures [AND] Insights Through Data [AND] Understanding the Climate Crisis
4) No Semester 1 EFI Shared Core courses taken in Year 1 (2024/5).

Semester 2 (choose option 5-7):
5) Sem 2 (20 credits): Ethical Data Futures [AND] Building Near Futures
6) Sem 2 (20 credits): Ethical Data Futures [AND] Representing Data
7) No Semester 2 EFI Shared Core courses taken in Year 1 (2024/5).

From the 2025/6 academic year, these courses will transition to a new 20-credit course model:

- Sem 1 (20 credits): Data / Futures 1
- Sem 2 (20 credits): Data / Futures 2

Depending on the number of EFI Shared Core courses credits you decide to take in Year 1 (2024/5), you can then take one (or more) of these 20-credit courses to meet the 40-50 EFI Shared Core course requirement for your programme.
AND

Group C

Select between 40 and 50 credits in this group.

Circular Economy (fusion on-site) - Programme Optional Course Collection

Select between 20 and 40 credits of the following courses
AND

Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 courses

Select between 0 and 30 credits from Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 courses
Notes:
Please note that EFI Postgraduate Taught students may only select from courses worth 10-credits within this collection.

Students enrolled on the owning programme of any course will be given priority. Therefore, we cannot always guarantee that you will be successful in gaining a space if student demand is high.

Year 3 Academic year: 2024/25, Starting in: September

Notes:

In order to be eligible for the Circular Economy (MSc) (fusion on-site), students need to obtain 180 SCQF level 11 credits.

The MSc must be completed within 3 years.

Across the 3 years of study, students must take the following:

a) 30 credits of programme compulsory core courses:

- Fundamentals of a Circular Economy
- Designing for a Circular Economy
- Circular Economy in Business

b) 40-50 credits of EFI Shared Core courses:

The EFI Shared Core courses are currently undergoing a redesign process. The four 10-credit courses running in the 2024/5 academic year will transition to two 20-credit courses from the 2025/6 academic year onwards.

Year 1 (2024/5):
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Insights Through Data
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Understanding the Climate Crisis
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Ethical Data Futures
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Representing Data [OR] Building Near Futures

Year 2 (2025/6) and Year 3 (2026/7):
- Sem 1 (20 credits): Data / Futures 1 *
- Sem 2 (20 credits): Data / Futures 2 *

*Please note that this course is in the process of being developed. As such, some information may change in advance of its delivery in the 2025/6 academic session.

This Degree Programme Table (DPT) outlines six recommended study pathways for studying the EFI Shared Core courses over your 3-year period of study. Please see 'Group B'.

If you would like further guidance on the best course options for you based on your programme pathway, please contact the EFI Student and Academic Services team at EFISAS@ed.ac.uk.

c) 40-50 credits of optional courses. These must include:

- A minimum of 20 credits of programme specific optional courses.
- Up to 20-30 credits of EFI portfolio optional courses.

Please note that if you choose to study 2 'Shared Core' courses in Semester 1 (Understanding the Climate Crisis AND Insights Through Data), then you must select 40 credits across the 'Programme Optional Course Collection' and 'Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 Courses Collection'.

If you choose to study 1 'Shared Core' course in Semester 1 (Understanding the Climate Crisis OR Insights Through Data), then you must select 50 credits across the 'Programme Optional Course Collection' and 'Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 Courses Collection'.

d) 60 credits of programme core final project courses:

- Knowledge Integration and Project Planning: Circular Economy
- Futures Project: Circular Economy

The programme compulsory core courses and the shared core courses introduce students to skills and concepts that will assist them when studying optional courses and the final project. Therefore, we encourage students to take the three programme compulsory core courses during year one.

We would reco mmend that you aim to balance your course credits across the 3 years evenly. This is to ensure student workload is balanced. However, we appreciate that this may not always be possible (or preferrable) for part-time students.

All taught courses must be taken before the MSc final project.

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Course options

Group A

Select exactly 90 credits in this group.

Circular Economy (fusion on-site) (ICL) - Compulsory Course Collection

Select exactly 90 credits of the following courses
Notes:
You must take these courses before the end of your 3-year period of study.

The 'Knowledge Integration and Project Planning' and 'Futures Project' courses must be taken in Year 3 of your programme.
AND

Group B

Select between 40 and 50 credits in this group.

EFI Shared Core Course Collection (fusion on-site) - Sustainability Programmes

Select between 40 and 50 credits of the following courses
Notes:
You are required to study 40-50 credits worth of EFI Shared Core courses as part of your programme of study.

The below listed courses will be delivered in the 2024/5 academic year only.

- Sem 1 (10 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Insights Through Data
- Sem 1 (10 credits): Understanding the Climate Crisis
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Ethical Data Futures
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Building Near Futures
- Sem 2 (10 credits): Representing Data

For students with no background in climate change/environmental studies, you MUST select the course 'Understanding the Climate Crisis' in order to gain critical knowledge underpinning your degree.

If you decide to study any EFI Shared Core courses in Year 1 (2024/5) of your programme, you must select 20-30 credits in Semester 1 and/or 20 credits in Semester 2.

If selecting any EFI Shared Core courses in Year 1 (2024/5) of your programme, you must choose one of the following pathways per semester. Multiple pathways per semester are not permitted.

Semester 1 (choose option 1-4):
1) Sem 1 (20 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures [AND] Insights Through Data
2) Sem 1 (20 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures [AND] Understanding the Climate Crisis
3) Sem 1 (30 credits): Interdisciplinary Futures [AND] Insights Through Data [AND] Understanding the Climate Crisis
4) No Semester 1 EFI Shared Core courses taken in Year 1 (2024/5).

Semester 2 (choose option 5-7):
5) Sem 2 (20 credits): Ethical Data Futures [AND] Building Near Futures
6) Sem 2 (20 credits): Ethical Data Futures [AND] Representing Data
7) No Semester 2 EFI Shared Core courses taken in Year 1 (2024/5).

From the 2025/6 academic year, these courses will transition to a new 20-credit course model:

- Sem 1 (20 credits): Data / Futures 1
- Sem 2 (20 credits): Data / Futures 2

Depending on the number of EFI Shared Core courses credits you decide to take in Year 1 (2024/5), you can then take one (or more) of these 20-credit courses to meet the 40-50 EFI Shared Core course requirement for your programme.
AND

Group C

Select between 40 and 50 credits in this group.

Circular Economy (fusion on-site) - Programme Optional Course Collection

Select between 20 and 40 credits of the following courses
AND

Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 courses

Select between 0 and 30 credits from Edinburgh Futures Institute Level 11 courses
Notes:
Please note that EFI Postgraduate Taught students may only select from courses worth 10-credits within this collection.

Students enrolled on the owning programme of any course will be given priority. Therefore, we cannot always guarantee that you will be successful in gaining a space if student demand is high.

General Disclaimer