Climate Change Studies

[ faculty | courses ]

Galbraith Hall, Rooms 365–368 
(858) 822-4604
https://scripps.ucsd.edu/undergrad/curriculum/climate-change-studies-minor

All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice.

Climate change is the most serious challenge of our lifetimes, posing serious risks to economic and social structures on local, national, and global scales. This interdisciplinary minor curriculum highlights UC San Diego’s broad campus expertise in understanding and responding to the challenges of climate change. The minor covers an understanding of the scientific, social, political, and economic dimensions of climate change, and involves students in developing solutions such as greenhouse gas mitigation strategies, climate adaptation projects, and educational approaches. This minor provides connections with any primary field of study and is open to students from any major. This minor places a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary solution-based thinking, a skill that is relevant to solving many twenty-first century problems. A hallmark of the climate change studies minor is the practicum requirement, in which students learn about carbon neutrality initiatives and climate change research on campus (e.g., CCS 101 and 102), and then complete an applied project relevant to their major or interests in CCS 190 or CCS 199.

The minor consists of twenty-eight units of course work, at least twenty of which must be upper division. Students must earn at least a letter grade of C– in courses used for the minor, with the exception of 199 courses or other courses that are only offered for a P/NP grade.

1. Climate Change: Solutions

1. Required course. Students choose one of the following courses:
   SIO 109/POLI 117. Bending the Curve: Solutions to Climate Change (recommended)
   ESYS 103. Environmental Challenges: Science and Solutions
   BIBC 140. Our Energy Future—Sustainable Energy Solutions

2. Climate Change: Understanding the Science

1. Required course. Students choose one of the following two courses:
   

   SIO 25. Climate Change and Society
   SIO 117. The Physical Basis of Global Warming (recommended for students in science, math, or engineering majors)

2. Climate change science elective. Students select at least one of the following electives:
   SIO 10. The Earth
   SIO 20. The Atmosphere
   SIO 35. Water
   SIO 40. Life and Climate on Earth
   SIO 50. Introduction to Earth and Environmental Sciences
   BILD 18. Human Impact on the Environment
   ESYS 10. Introduction to Environmental Systems
   ENVR 30. Environmental Issues: Natural Sciences
   BIBC 140. Our Energy Future—Sustainable Energy Solutions (if not already used for Climate Change: Solutions requirement above)
   BIEB 174. Ecosystems and Global Change
   BIEB 182. Biology of Global Change
   CHEM 171. Environmental Chemistry I
   CHEM 172. Environmental Chemistry II
   CHEM 173. Atmospheric Chemistry
   ESYS 102. The Solid and Fluid Earth
   ESYS 103. Environmental Challenges: Science and Solutions (if not already used for Climate Change: Solutions requirement above)
   MAE 118. Introduction to Energy Systems
   MAE 119. Introduction to Renewable Energy: Solar and Wind
   MAE 120. Introduction to Nuclear Energy
   MAE 122. Flow and Transport in the Environment
   SIO 108. Introduction to Paleoclimatology
   SIO 115. Ice and the Climate System
   SIO 116. Climate Change and Global Health: Understanding the Mechanisms
   SIO 117. The Physical Basis of Global Warming (if not already used for Climate Change: Understanding the Science requirement above)
   SIO 143. Ocean Acidification
   SIO 164/ANAR 164. Maritime Archeology
   SIO 173. Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Climate
   SIO 174. Chemistry of the Atmosphere and Oceans

3. Climate Change: Social and Human Dimensions

Social and human dimension electives. Students must choose two of the following courses:

SOCI 30. Science, Technology, and Society
CCS 123. Policy and Politics of Climate Change
COMM 171. Environmental Communication
ECON 131. Environmental Economics
ECON 132. Energy Economics
ETHN 102. Science and Technology in Society: Race/Gender/Class
ETHN 103. Environmental Racism
HISC 180. Science and Public Policy
MGT 166. Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility
MGT 167. Social Entrepreneurship
PHIL 148. Philosophy and the Environment
POLI 102L. The Politics of Regulation
POLI 104E. Environmental Law and Policy
POLI 104P. Science, Technology, and the Law
POLI 162. Environmental Policy
PSYC 104. Social Psychology
PSYC 137. Social Cognition
PSYC 148. Psychology of Judgement and Decision
PSYC 185. Psychology of Climate Crisis
SIO 109/POLI 117. Bending the Curve: Solutions to Climate Change (if not already used for Climate Change: Solutions requirement above)
SIO 114. The Science and Analysis of Environmental Justice
SOCI 149. Sociology of the Environment
SOCI 168E. Sociology of Science
SOCI 171. Technology and Science
USP 124. Land Use Planning
USP 170. Sustainable Planning
USP 171. Sustainable Development

4. Climate Change: Practicum

1. Required courses. Students take both of the following two-unit courses.
   

   CCS 101. Carbon Neutrality at University of California (2)
   CCS 102. Research Perspectives on Climate Change (2)

2. Climate change practicum electives. Students select at least four units from the following options:
   CCS 197. Carbon Neutrality Internship (1–4). Prerequisites: CCS 101 and CCS 102.
   CCS 199. Supervised Independent Study or Research (1–4 units). Prerequisites: CCS 101 and CCS 102.

Other departmental internship or independent study courses can be approved for this practicum elective by petition, if the student work was focused on research, projects, or internships related to climate change research or solutions.