Core Courses

Photo by Brian Kahn

Every student in the Climate and Society program follows a sequence of study that includes six core courses and an internship of the student’s choice. In lieu of the internship, students may choose to complete a research internship with guidance from a faculty member.

These core courses are designed to give students a common set of skills and a shared professional working knowledge of climate dynamics on regional and global scales, statistical evaluation and decision-making and managing or adapting to climate variation, particularly in a development context.

Core Course Descriptions

Dynamics of Climate Variability and Change
This course provides a physical understanding of Earth’s climate system, building on basic physics and connecting to notable climate events that impact society.

Quantitative Models of Climate–Sensitive Natural and Human Systems
This course provides the fundamentals needed for analyzing climate datasets and the basics of decision making under uncertain climate conditions.

Managing Climate Variability and Adapting to Climate Change
This course offers an exploration of the concepts, methods and tools required to analyze climate-related problems and craft solutions for reducing vulnerability and building resilience to climate variability and change.

Regional Dynamics, Climate, and Climate Impacts
This course focused on developing an understanding of climate variability and change and their impacts at regional and local scales, together with the available sources of modern climate information for applications use.

Applications in Climate and Society 
This course is an interactive seminar focused on providing opportunities to explore ways in which the Climate and Society degree can be applied

Internship
During the summer semester students complete an internship. Some students choose to complete research-based internships under the guidance of a faculty adviser.