The undergraduate certificate in Climate Change Geographies trains students for careers that address the varied challenges of climate change from local to global scales. Through the program’s curriculum, students will advance their understanding of the social and natural processes of climate change and develop the knowledge and skills needed to tackle issues at the intersection of the physical and human dimensions of climate change. This program is rooted in expertise on climate change research and instruction within UGA’s Department of Geography and expands broadly to provide connections with scientific, economic, and political fields of study across the UGA’s campus. In completing the certificate, students will be prepared to apply an array of geographical and critical thinking skills to solve real-world problems aimed at contributing to a more just and sustainable future in a changing climate. The certificate requirements include two core courses on the physical and human geographies of climate change, one Geography elective selected from an array of topics to be tailored to the student’s needs, and one elective from a list of those available across campus to broaden the student’s perspective (12 total credit hours). Students will also participate in an annual knowledge and cohort building event with the certificate coordinator from the year they declare the certificate until the year of graduation that includes a written assessment examining the program’s learning outcomes and integration of the student’s knowledge across courses.

Program of Study

This is a 12-hour curriculum, designed to efficiently and effectively expose students to the social and physical aspects of climate change, centering a geographic perspective. Through two electives, students can tailor their focus with the help of the certificate coordinator.

1) Students must take one physical science course (3 hours):