__University__ 2024-2025 Bulletin

Climate Adaptation and Management Certificate

The department is currently not accepting applications to this certificate.

Over the coming decades, governments and the private sector around the world will spend billions of dollars to support adaptation measures that seek to reduce climate-related vulnerabilities for people and the ecosystems on which they depend. To contribute to climate risk management and adaptation at local to global levels students will need to understand the fundamentals of adaptation planning, assessing climate impacts, evaluating risk and vulnerability, identifying adaptation strategies, as well as monitoring climate impacts. Students who complete the certificate will be prepared to take active roles in and contribute to climate adaptation.


This is a rigorous certificate that will require a total of 21 credits in 300- and 400-level courses. The courses are split between science and management/policy courses. Although the certificate could be earned by any student, they will have to have had many pre-requisites (or equivalent preparation) in ESM or Geography.

Certificate requirements

The certificate requires 21 credits of which 13 required credits are offered in ESM.

Electives (choose 2)

G 459Quaternary Climate

4

ESM 428Urban Ecology

4

ESM 483Marine Conservation and Management

4

ESM 418/Geog 418Landscape Ecology

4

ESM 427Watershed Biogeochemistry

4

ESM 480Coastal Marine Ecology

4

PS 435Disasters and Public Policy

4

Geog 310U/Sci 333UClimate and Water Resources

4

Geog 311UClimatology

4

Geog 312U/Sci 334UClimate Variability and Change

4

Total Credit Hours:8

Required courses

ESM 335Introduction to Environmental Management

4

ESM 462Climate Change Impacts, Adaptations and Responses: Geosphere and Anthrosphere

4

ESM 464Climate Adaptation: Managing Environmental Risks and Vulnerabilities

4

ESM 407Climate Change Adaptation SOE Seminar

1

Total Credit Hours:13
Students must take required courses for a differentiated grade and earn a C-or better for it to count toward the certificate (except that a P is acceptable for the ESM 407 only).

Total Credit Hours: 21