Climate Change Studies, B.A.

The BA and BS in Climate Change Studies share an interdisciplinary core highlighting the multi- and interdisciplinary causes and effects of climate change, and prepares students to become leaders in creating multi- and interdisciplinary responses to the same.

The BA degree emphasizes coursework in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and behavioral sciences. Students pursuing this option will be particularly prepared for career pathways in policy, planning, journalism and communication, cultural resource management, policy aspects of sustainability, and more. The modest size of the degree (36 credits) not only encourages students to select a minor that will complement their major but will also allow interested students to pursue a double major more readily.

Of the 36 total credits in the major, at least 12 must be at the 300 level or higher. A minor is required with this major.

Major Requirements (36-37 Credits)

Foundational Courses (6 credits)

CCS 109/GEOG 109/SUST 109	Introduction to Climate Change	3
CCS 121	Introduction to Climate Change Science	3
CCS 122	Climate Change Impacts	3
CCS 209/GEOG 209/SUST 209	Climatology	3

Equity / Justice and Climate Change (3 credits)

GSCI 102	Environmental Justice in the 21st Century	3
PHIL 241	Environmental Ethics	3

Communicating Climate Change (3 credits)

COMM 451	Environmental Communication	3
HIST 221	History and Climate Change	3
JRN 201	Introduction to Journalism and Climate Change	3

Policy and Climate Change (3 credits)

GEOG 433	Issues in Environmental Protection	3
PS 455	Environmental Politics and Policy	3

Capstone Seminar (1 credit) and CCS Capstone or Internship (3 credits)

CCS 490	Seminar in Climate Change Studies	1
CCS 491	Climate Change Studies Capstone	3
CCS 492	Climate Change Studies Internship	3

Electives (17-18 credits)

BIO 132	Introductory Ecology	3
BIO 133	Laboratory in Introductory Ecology	1
BIO 436	Environmental Resources and Management	3
CHEM 406	Environmental Chemistry	3
CM 110	The Built Environment and Global Society	3
COMM 451	Environmental Communication	3
ECON 370	Environmental and Ecological Economics	3
ECON 380	Food Economics	3
ESCI 102	Environmental Justice in the 21st Century	3
ESCI 129	Meteorology: Earth’s Weather	4
ESCI 131	Environmental Earth Science	3
ESCI 135	Environmental Earth Science Laboratory	1
ESCI 141	Earth and Life History	3
ESCI 145	Earth and Life History Laboratory	1
ESCI 424	Geomorphology	4
ESCI 425	Glacial Geology and Ice Ages	3
ESCI 431	Hydrogeology	4
ESCI 441	Environmental Geochemistry	3
ESCI 455	Energy Science and Technology	3
GEOG 433	Issues in Environmental Protection	3
GEOG 445	Environmental Planning	3
GEOG 275/SUST 275	Soils and Vegetation Sustainability	3
HIST 221	History and Climate Change	3
JRN 201	Introduction to Journalism and Climate Change	3
JRN 372	Environmental Journalism	3
PHIL 241	Environmental Ethics	3
PS 455	Environmental Politics and Policy	3
PSY 125	Environment & Behavior	3
SOC 355	The Culture and Politics of Food	4
SUST 100	Search in Sustainability	3
SUST 140	Introduction to Sustainability	3
SUST 275/GEOG 275	Sustainable Soils & Vegetation	3
SUST 442	Field Methods in Sustainability	3
SUST 459	Field Studies in Sustainability	3
SUST 469	Readings in Sustainability	1-3
SUST 472	Topics in Sustainability	3
SUST 475/GEOG 475	Sustainable Energy & Climate Change	3

Other courses may be counted as electives after consultation with a Climate Change Studies program advisor.

At least 3 different course designators must be included within these electives.

At least 3 cr must be a course considered to be in the Arts and Humanities, selected in consultation with a Climate Change Studies program advisor.