UCT programmes and courses addressing SDGs / sustainability (2024)
| Programme / Course | Degree type / Elective | What it covers (SDG-relevant themes) |
|---|---|---|
| MSc / MPhil in Climate Change and Development (ACDI, UCT) | Full postgraduate degree (one-year taught + dissertation) | Interdisciplinary training in climate change & sustainable development. Core modules include Introduction to Climate Change & Sustainable Development, Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation, with electives in sustainable urban systems, biodiversity, etc. |
| MPhil in Environment, Society and Sustainability (Environmental & Geographical Sciences) | Full postgraduate degree (18-month) | Designed to train students to address environmental / developmental challenges. Course content includes environmental assessment, urban environmental management, social-ecological systems etc. |
| Applied Oceans Sciences (AOS) Master’s | Full postgraduate degree | Coursework + research in marine & ocean sciences; includes interdisciplinary elective modules and foundational modules. Streams like operational oceanography, marine biology with sustainability implications. |
| Masters in Development Policy and Practice (Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance) | Full postgraduate degree | Policy, governance, development practice – relevant to SDGs via public policy, governance, regulation. |
| Bachelor / Honours in Environmental & Geographical Sciences | Full undergraduate degree and Honours major | Covers environmental science, geography; core knowledge and analytical skills relevant to sustainability, environmental policy. |
| Elective Courses via Centre for Transport Studies | Electives within postgraduate engineering / built environment programmes | Courses like Integrated Land Use – Transport Planning, Non-motorised Transportation, Public Transport Policy & Regulation, etc., which contribute to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), etc. |
| Global Citizenship Programme short / credit-bearing courses | Co-curricular / elective / credit-bearing | Courses like Social Infrastructures (credit-bearing in EBE but open to all faculties); short courses on activism, service, global & local debates. They contain content about sustainability, social justice, community service, etc. |
| Teaching Climate Change / Sustainability Education through Biodiversity (Schools Development Unit) | Short courses / teacher training | Designed for Life Sciences teachers & environmental educators; supports understanding of environmental issues, sustainability, climate change in the curriculum. |
| Gender Studies (Major; BA / BSocSci) | Undergraduate major, Humanities Faculty | Explores gender / women’s studies: inequality, social justice, gendered impacts of development, rights, feminist theory. Very relevant to SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and intersects with SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 3 (Health), etc. |
| MPhil in Environment, Society and Sustainability (ESS) | Postgraduate, Sciences (Environmental & Geographical Studies) | Designed for students interested in environmental and developmental challenges. Covers theoretical & applied issues; interdisciplinary. Ties directly into multiple SDGs (13 Climate Action; 11 Sustainable Cities; 15 Life on Land etc.). |
| Master of Philosophy specialising in Conservation of the Built Environment | Postgraduate (School of Architecture, Planning & Geomatics) | Heritage / built environment conservation; urban change; heritage resource management; heritage + sustainable futures; power/politics of spatial transformation. This intersects with SDGs around sustainable cities (SDG 11), climate, cultural heritage, etc. |
| Archaeology (Major in BA or BSci; Honours / postgraduate) | Undergraduate & postgraduate degree through Humanities / Science faculties | Studies human past, material culture, ecological & social environments; may include heritage, environmental archaeology. Relevant to SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 11 (Cultural heritage), etc. |
| Economics Degrees (various) | Undergraduate and Postgraduate Degrees, Commerce & Humanities faculties | UCT offers multiple full degrees in Economics (BCom in Economics & Statistics; BSocSci majoring in Economics; Economics with Law; Honours; Master’s in Economics). These degrees train students to engage with economic policy, trade, public sector, environment etc. Very relevant to SDG 8 (Decent Work), SDG 1 & 10 (Inequality), SDG 13 (if environment/economics intersect). |
| Honours in Heritage & Public Culture | Postgraduate degree
| Offered via Humanities: “Heritage and Public Culture” as an Honours stream / major for BA/BSocSci students. Students do core Heritage courses; research and methodology options; prepares for critical engagement with how heritage shapes identity, society, memory |
| African Feminist Studies / Women’s Studies (Gender Studies Major) | Undergraduate and Postgraduate Degrees, Humanities faculty | The undergraduate Gender Studies major has core courses exploring impact of political development on men/women; feminist theory; women’s movements in global / local context. |
UCT short / executive courses (Bertha Centre & related) relevant to SDGs, especially SDG 3 or SDG 16
| Course / Short programme | Organiser(s) | Relevance to SDG 3 / SDG 16 (and others) | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systems Change and Social Impact | Bertha Centre, UCT GSB | Strong relevance to SDG 16 (justice, institutions, governance) and cross-cutting SDGs (inequality, partnerships). Focuses on giving leaders tools/frameworks to navigate social complexity, build advocacy strategies, collaborate across sectors. | Systems Change and Social Impact is a specialised short course, convened by the Bertha Centre designed to give social purpose organisations, leaders of social enterprises, funders and government new tools. |
| Impact Investing in Africa | Bertha Centre, UCT GSB | Partly overlaps SDG 3 and SDG 16 via finance for health, health systems, social outcomes; also SDG 1, SDG 10 etc. Teaches fund managers, asset owners, intermediaries about catalytic capital, blended finance, social impact tools, which can support health/social policy outcomes. | Impact Investing in Africa is a short course designed to equip fund managers, asset owners, consultants and other financial intermediaries with expertise in innovation in the finance sector for scaling social and environmental impact on the African continent. |
| Other Social Innovation / Sustainable Business Courses | Bertha Centre / UCT GSB | These include tools for NGOs, social purpose orgs, governance, institutional capacity etc.—relevant to SDG 16 & SDG 3 when dealing with health-justice intersections / institutions. |