Welcome to GSD at Warwick!

We are a multifaceted department, passionate about investigating the most pressing issues facing our world today, and eager to engage in intellectual discussions with our students. We are delighted that you will be joining us! You will be part of an international group of enthusiastic, critical, and committed students and academics.

We look forward to meeting you in September during Welcome Week (Monday 23 September - Sunday 29 September 2024). Before you start your studies, please look at the information below (undergraduate and postgraduate). We provide an introduction to our department and the academic content of your degree, as well as some University pages you may want to look at. You'll also find information about what to do when you arrive at Warwick, and how you will be spending your first week.

If you have any questions before you start, please feel free to get in touch with us:

• For undergraduate enquiries please email: UGGSD at warwick dot ac dot uk
• For postgraduate enquiries please email PGGSD at warwick dot ac dot uk.

Undergraduate students

• Read our GSD Welcome Email for new undergraduate students.
• Check out the first-year modules to see what you'll be studying.
• View our department events for Welcome Week 
• Read our checklist for new undergraduate GSD students.
• Take a look at the 2023/24 Student Handbook 
• Visit the blogs by previous GSD students, Harry , Joe and Meredith, and current students, MilagrosLink opens in a new window and MayaLink opens in a new window

Stepping up from school to university

Transitioning from school or college to university can feel both exciting and daunting. Styles of teaching are different and there will be more opportunities for you to make your own decisions and study independently. To help you prepare for university life, a group of students have created an online resource especially for undergraduate Faculty of Arts students, hosted on our online platform, Moodle. Current students have also co-created some helpful webpages that will guide you through the transition to Warwick. We hope you will find these pages useful not only during your first few weeks, but throughout your university journey.

In Week 1 (commencing Monday 30 September 2024), undergraduate GSD students will be assigned a personal tutor. Your personal tutor usually stays with you throughout your degree and is your point of call for academic or welfare support. Should you encounter any issues that need further advice and guidance, your personal tutor will also be able to signpost and refer you to Warwick’s professional support services.

Above: First-year students finding their way around campus as part of the GSD Treasure Hunt during Welcome Week.

Postgraduate students

• Read our Welcome email for new MASc students and our Welcome email for new MPhil/PhD students.
• Have a browse of our module pages.
• View our programme of Welcome Week events - mandatory for MASc students and optional for PhD students.
• Take a look at the PGT Student Handbook.
• Take a look at the PGR Student Handbook.
• Catch up with the latest research in the School for Cross-faculty Studies.
• Check out some of the blogs and vlogs from current Warwick students via PhD Life, The Study Blog, and OurWarwick.

MASc optional modules

If you are studying the MASc in Global Sustainable Development, we encourage you to explore optional modules for Term 2. Please see our Module pages for a list of some of the optional modules available to you in the School for Cross-faculty Studies and across the University. Please note, you do not need to do anything about choosing optional modules before Welcome Week.

Above: Postgraduate GSD Research students thinking about what 'transdisciplinary' means to them, as part of the annual GSD PhD Symposium.

Student initiatives

Before term starts, you might want to have a look at the range of initiatives on offer which you could be involved in. Below we have provided links to several GSD-related student initiatives.