• Explain the physical, chemical, and biological processes that govern the climate system over a large range of time scales and how people influence the climate.
• Acquire, analyze, and interpret instrumental, proxy, and model data to characterize the climate system, detect climate change, identify causes of observed climate changes, and project future climate change. Identify and evaluate sources of uncertainty in these observations and projections.
• Evaluate risks of climate change impacts, identify natural and human systems vulnerable to climate change, and assess the options for mitigating and adapting to those impacts.
• Communicate climate science in an effective manner to a variety of audiences, including stakeholders and the general public.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Math and Science Foundation
MTH 251	*DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS	4
MTH 252	INTEGRAL CALCULUS	4
MTH 254	VECTOR CALCULUS I	4
or ATS 302	MATHEMATICAL APPLICATIONS IN THE EARTH SCIENCES
ST 351	INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS	4
PH 211	*GENERAL PHYSICS WITH CALCULUS 1	4-5
or PH 201	*GENERAL PHYSICS
PH 212	*GENERAL PHYSICS WITH CALCULUS 1	4-5
or PH 202	*GENERAL PHYSICS
CH 231 & CH 261	GENERAL CHEMISTRY and *LABORATORY FOR CHEMISTRY 231 1	5
or CH 121	GENERAL CHEMISTRY
CH 232 & CH 262	GENERAL CHEMISTRY and *LABORATORY FOR CHEMISTRY 232 1	5
or CH 122	*GENERAL CHEMISTRY
Earth Sciences Foundation
ATS 201	*CLIMATE SCIENCE	4
GEO 202	*EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE	4
GEOG 240	*HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE	3
OC 201	*OCEANOGRAPHY	4
Climate Science Core
ATS 295	OBSERVING CLIMATE	3
ATS 301	CLIMATE DATA ANALYSIS	4
ATS 310	METEOROLOGY	4
ATS 420	CLIMATE PHYSICS	4
ATS 421	CLIMATE MODELING	4
ATS 441	^NORTHWEST CLIMATE AND WEATHER	4
GEO 484	INTRODUCTION TO BIOGEOCHEMISTRY	3
GEO 486	QUATERNARY PALEOCLIMATOLOGY	3
GEOG 433	CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS, ADAPTATION AND VULNERABILITY	3
GEOG 453	EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE SCIENCE	3
Research or Internship
Select 3 credits combined from the following. Topics should be relevant to climate.		3
ATS 401	RESEARCH
ATS 403	THESIS
ATS 410	INTERNSHIP
Climate Science Electives
Select 21 credits from the following courses with at least one course from each category: 2		21
Mitigation, Energy, and Climate Policy
Select at least one course from this category:
AEC 122	*INTRODUCTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ECONOMICS AND POLICY
AEC 352/ECON 352	*ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND POLICY
ECON 466	ECONOMICS OF TRADITIONAL AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
PH 313	*ENERGY ALTERNATIVES
PPOL 441	*ENERGY, CLIMATE AND SOCIETY
PPOL 447	INTEGRATED POLICY: FOOD, ENERGY, WATER, CLIMATE
PPOL 474	INTERNATIONAL ENERGY POLITICS AND POLICY
PS 455	*THE POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
PS 473	US ENERGY POLICY
PS 478	RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY
WSE 473	BIOENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Social Sciences and Humanities
Select at least one course from this category:
ANTH 447	*ARCTIC PERSPECTIVES ON GLOBAL PROBLEMS
GEOG 430	RESILIENCE-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
GEOG 440	CONFLICT, COOPERATION, AND CONTROL OF WATER IN THE US
HST 481	*ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
PHL 440	*ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
SOC 480	*ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY
SUS 420	SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY
or SOC 381	SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY
WGSS 450	ECOFEMINISM
Related Physical and Biological Sciences
Select at least one course from this category:
ATS 411	THERMODYNAMICS AND CLOUD MICROPHYSICS
ATS 412	ATMOSPHERIC RADIATION
ATS 413	ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
ATS 415	ATMOSPHERIC DYNAMICS
ATS 417	WEATHER SYSTEM DYNAMICS AND FORECASTING
ATS 475	PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
BI 301	*HUMAN IMPACTS ON ECOSYSTEMS
CH 390	ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY
FES 341	FOREST ECOLOGY
FOR 346	TOPICS IN WILDLAND FIRE
FOR 436	WILDLAND FIRE SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
FW 345	*GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
GEOG 323	^CLIMATOLOGY
GEOG 423	SNOW HYDROLOGY
GEO 477	GLACIERS IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM
GEO 481	GLACIAL GEOLOGY
GEO 488	QUATERNARY STRATIGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICA
OC 350	CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
OC 430	PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
OC 465	CENOZOIC PALEOCEANOGRAPHY
PH 315	PHYSICS OF CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES
SOIL 445	ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL CHEMISTRY
Z 349	*BIODIVERSITY: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND CONSERVATION
Climate Skills
Select at least one course from this category:
ATS 302	MATHEMATICAL APPLICATIONS IN THE EARTH SCIENCES (if not used above)
BEE 411	GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: USING DATA TO INFORM DECISIONS
GEOG 360	GISCIENCE I: GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND THEORY
GEOG 380	REMOTE SENSING: PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS
GEOG 452/ENSC 452	ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
MTH 254	VECTOR CALCULUS I (if not used above)
MTH 256	APPLIED DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
MTH 341	LINEAR ALGEBRA I
NR 325	SCIENTIFIC METHODS FOR ANALYZING NATURAL RESOURCE PROBLEMS
PH 213	*GENERAL PHYSICS WITH CALCULUS
ST 352	INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS
WR 362	*SCIENCE WRITING
WR 462	^ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING
Additional Bacc Core Courses		34
General Electives		38-36
Total Credits		180

*

Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)

^

Writing Intensive Course (WIC)

1

PH 211, PH 212, CH 231/CH 261 and CH 232/CH 262 are preferred

2

Other upper-division courses may be taken with advisor approval

Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
FALL		CREDITS
ATS 201	*CLIMATE SCIENCE	4
CH 231 & CH 261	GENERAL CHEMISTRY and *LABORATORY FOR CHEMISTRY 231	5
WR 121	*ENGLISH COMPOSITION	4
HHS 241	*LIFETIME FITNESS	1
	Credits	14
WINTER
OC 201	*OCEANOGRAPHY	4
CH 232 & CH 262	GENERAL CHEMISTRY and *LABORATORY FOR CHEMISTRY 232	5
MTH 251	*DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS	4
HHS 231	*LIFETIME FITNESS FOR HEALTH	2
	Credits	15
SPRING
MTH 252	INTEGRAL CALCULUS	4
COMM 111 or COMM 114	*PUBLIC SPEAKING or *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE	3
Bacc Core - Cultural Diversity		4
Bacc Core - Biological Science with Lab		4
	Credits	15
Second Year
FALL
ATS 295	OBSERVING CLIMATE (occurs before term)	3
MTH 254	VECTOR CALCULUS I	4
PH 211	*GENERAL PHYSICS WITH CALCULUS	4
GEOG 240	*HUMAN DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE	3
General Elective		3
	Credits	17
WINTER
GEO 202	*EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE	4
PH 212	*GENERAL PHYSICS WITH CALCULUS	4
Bacc Core - Writing II		3
General Elective		4
	Credits	15
SPRING
ST 351	INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS	4
Bacc Core - Difference, Power and Discrimination		3
General Elective		4
Social Science & Humanities Elective		4
	Credits	15
Third Year
FALL
ATS 301	CLIMATE DATA ANALYSIS	4
Policy, Mitigation & Energy Elective		3
Climate Skills Elective		4
General Elective		4
	Credits	15
WINTER
GEO 484	INTRODUCTION TO BIOGEOCHEMISTRY	3
Bacc Core - Western Culture		3
Climate Science Elective		3
Internship or Research		3
General Elective		3
	Credits	15
SPRING
GEOG 433	CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS, ADAPTATION AND VULNERABILITY	3
GEO 486	QUATERNARY PALEOCLIMATOLOGY	3
Bacc Core - Literature and Arts		3
General Elective		3
General Elective		3
	Credits	15
Fourth Year
FALL
ATS 310	METEOROLOGY	4
GEOG 453	EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE SCIENCE	3
Climate Elective		4
General Elective		4
	Credits	15
WINTER
ATS 420	CLIMATE PHYSICS	4
Physics & Biological Sciences Elective		3
Bacc Core - Science, Technology & Society		3
General Elective		4
	Credits	14
SPRING
ATS 421	CLIMATE MODELING	4
ATS 441	^NORTHWEST CLIMATE AND WEATHER	4
Bacc Core - Contemporary Global Issues		3
General Elective		4
	Credits	15
	Total Credits	180