Offer Holders
Congratulations on your offer and welcome to the Global Sustainable Development (GSD) Department!
Your exciting journey as a GSD student will be one of discoveries, personal and professional development and learning. Studying this unique degree, along with the many opportunities you'll encounter throughout your time at Warwick, will be your chance to grow and make a positive impact.
On this page, we've put together links and resources that we hope you'll find interesting and useful. We encourage you to get in touch with us if you have any questions: UGGSD at warwick dot ac dot uk. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in Welcome Week!
What happens next?
Understand your offer
You're now part of our ambitious and diverse GSD community where we are motivated by the same core value: to create lasting and impactful change on all levels of global society. Here is everything you need to know about your offer at Warwick.
Respond to your offer
Once all the courses you have applied for have responded, you will be asked to make a decision about which course will be your firm offer, and UCAS will inform you of the deadline by which you need to respond with your choice. For more information about responding to your offer, please see here.
Apply for accommodation
Once you have responded to UCAS and placed Warwick as either your firm or insurance choice, you will be able to apply for accommodation. Warwick will notify you when accommodation applications for the 2023/24 academic year open.
Results day 🎉
If you are holding a conditional offer with us and you have placed us as your firm choice, you will be guaranteed a place if you meet the conditions of your offer. For more information about receiving your results, please see here.
Welcome Week
During Welcome Week, you'll be registering for modules, familiarising yourself with university life, and meeting new friends!
Offer Holder Open Days
"Offer Holder Open Days can give you a better feel for the university. If you attended an Open Day, chances are you also attended a few different ones which can quickly get muddled up under the stress of applying to university. Before making your decision, being able to refresh (or even find out) what each university feels like can be another key way to make a choice that is better for you come September."
Meredith
Sociology and GSD graduate
If you apply to study GSD at Warwick and are subsequently made an offer, you may be invited to an Offer Holder Open Day. Offer Holder Open Days are designed to help you get to know our department and give you a taste of life as a Warwick student. Booking is by email invitation only.
Live chat
Keep an eye out for opportunities to chat with us via our online live chats.
Hear from our students
Our students are keen to share their experiences and help answer your questions about what it's like to study GSD at Warwick. In previous years, our student ambassadors have written a series of blog posts aiming to offer insight into our unique degrees and life at university. Read their blog posts here
Lauren, student blogger
"Hi, I’m Lauren. I’m a second-year Life Sciences and GSD student. I’m also a member of a number of societies, including WASS, Plant and Nature Society, and Sexpression. I’m also in the process of learning how to scuba dive!"
Harry, student blogger
"Hi there! My name is Harry. I am currently a second-year GSD student, although this would be my first ‘full’ term at Warwick as I stayed in Hong Kong ever since the UK lockdowns in late 2020… Can’t be any happier to finally be here though!"
You might also be interested in the blogs from our previous blogger, Meredith.
Videos from our student ambassadors
We asked our student ambassadors to tell you about some of the modules in the GSD Department. Please note, these videos provide a personal account of our students' experiences. Elements of the modules discussed, such as assessment types, may have changed since our students studied these modules. We hope you find their videos useful!
Core modules for all GSD students
- Economic Principles of Global Sustainable Development
- Social Principles of Global Sustainable Development
- Environmental Principles of Global Sustainable Development
- Global Sustainable Development Project
Professional development certificates
- Coming soon: Carbon Literacy Certificate
- Certificate of Digital Literacy
- Certificate of Sustainability Consultancy (Auditing)
- Certificate of Professional Communication with Work Placement
Find out more about life on campus
David | GSD Student Ambassador
David McGill, an Economic Studies and GSD graduate, gives you an insight into what life is like on campus and what to expect from your day-to-day experience.
Our reading recommendations
The texts listed below are by no means compulsory reading and you are not required to purchase them before you begin the course. However, if you have the time to and you'd like to prepare for the course, we hope you enjoy our recommendations. In addition to the texts below, you might also be interested in taking a look at the books listed on the GSD Bookshelf.
The Age of Sustainable Development
Jeffrey D. Sachs. Foreword by Ban Ki-moon
There is No Planet B
Mike Berners-Lee
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
United Nations
Recommended by: Romain Chenet, Senior Teaching Fellow in GSD
"I’d recommend our offer holders have a look at the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 since it’s so influential and much of our content revolves around it. I recommend you read up to paragraph 38."
Doughnut Economics
Kate Raworth
Recommended by: Dr Marta Guerriero, Associate Professor in GSD
"Doughnut Economics is useful for the first-year core module, Economic Principles of Global Sustainable Development."
Visit the author's website. You can also find some animations here.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Annual Report 2019/20
University of Warwick
"Our report highlights that there is already a lot of excellent research at Warwick which addresses specific individual SDGs. At the same time, we found it harder to identify research projects that explicitly targeted multiple, interconnected goals. Our report is thus an attempt to provide some inspiring examples of work that we feel broadly adopts a nexus thinking approach. Moreover, we invite the Warwick community to reflect on how best to develop and pursue research, teaching, and engagement in a way that contributes to achieving all 17 UN SDGs."
What to watch
Now or never - empowering the next generation to combat climate change
A panel session featuring staff and students from the GSD Department, exploring the importance of youth engagement in climate action, including an interactive discussion of the objectives, drivers, and outcomes of a student-led simulation of the COP26 Climate Conference, in light of the actual COP26 outputs.Watch the recording here.
Food For Thought: The Climate Cost of Our Eating Habits
Climate change currently significantly threatens modern lifestyles around the world. Its effects on food production are particularly worrying. Join our experts Romain Chenet and Dr Alastair Smith from the GSD Department, for a discussion and an engaging show-and-tell.
Warwick Sustainability Summit November 2021
Warwick's Sustainability Summit in November updated us on the University's progress and plans, COP26, and work being done by staff and students. You might be particularly interested in the following parts of this recording:- 30:13 - Dr Jess Savage, Assistant Professor in GSD, discusses her involvement in COP26
- 57:51 - Dr Alastair Smith, Senior Teaching Fellow in GSD, provides an update on the most recent SDG Report
- 1:21:45 - Maleeka, a Master's student in the GSD Department, talks about her role as the Sustainability Officer for Warwick's Plant and Nature Society
Warwick Sustainability Summit March 2021
Warwick's Sustainability Summit in March 2021 updated us on the actions the University has taken towards tackling the Climate Emergency and well as talks from staff and students. You might be particularly interested in the following part of this recording:
Ways to Change the World - Naomi Klein
Naomi Klein is a Canadian author, social activist and filmmaker. Her book ‘On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal’, explores how bold climate action she says can be a blueprint for a just and thriving society. In this video, she talks about the impact of Extinction Rebellion, the rising demand for a Green New Deal, and whether fast fashion has to go.Why do we need to change our food system?
- UN Environment
An introduction to understanding the reasons why the current food system is not sustainable, providing the main ideas the solution should be based on.
What to listen to
Global Challenges podcast episodes
Staff and students in the School for Cross-faculty Studies delve into some of the critical global challenges facing today's world.
GLOBUS: Beyond the Story podcast
"GLOBUS: Beyond the Story takes a deeper look into topical sustainability commentary from GLOBUS Warwick, the University of Warwick's student-run sustainability journal for the 21st Century – examining the challenges of today, and the solutions of tomorrow."
Mothers Of Invention podcast
"Mothers Of Invention is a podcast on feminist climate change solutions from (mostly) women around the world."
Design Thinking podcast episode
GSD graduate, Luke Netherclift, discusses his entrepreneurial journey and how he has embedded design thinking into the Warwick culture.
International students
Amicie | GSD Student Ambassador
Amicie Favre, a Politics, International Studies and GSD graduate gives her perspective as an international student studying GSD at Warwick.
Getting ready for university
We are thrilled to welcome students from across the world to our diverse GSD community. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind prior to your arrival on campus:
Attend an Offer Holder event in your home country or arrange a call with one of our members of staff.
Apply for a Tier 4 Visa as early as possible (non-EEA Nationals only).
Arrange travel to the UK - what to do after your visa is approved.