GCeCS Curriculum

Students pursuing the GCeCS complete a minimum of 17 credits, including 3 graded courses, 1 seminar/reading course and a capstone project that includes a communication seminar or course.  Only 6 credits taken for the certificate can also be used to fulfill degree requirements.

Required Coursework (11-12 credits)

Physical Climate (3 cr)

Choose one of: 

  • Fundamentals of Climate Change (ATM S/ESS/OCN 587, 3 cr, Au) 
  • Advanced Physical Climatology (ATMS 571, 3 cr) (offered alt yrs, requires differential equations and permission of instructor) 
  • Climate Dynamics offered as (OCN 569/ESS 590/ATMS 591, 3 cr, alt Wi)

Climate and Biogeochemistry (3 cr)

  • The Global Carbon Cycle and Climate (ATMS/ESS/OCN 588, 3 cr, generally offered Winter Quarter)

Applications of Climate Science (3-4 cr)

Choose one of:

  • ATMS/ESS/OCN 554 Paleoclimate Proxies (3 cr, alt years) 2021
  • ATMS/ESS 559/OCEAN 558 Climate Modeling (4 cr, Sp, alt yrs)
  • SMEA 521 Governmental Responses to Climate Change ( 3 cr, Au, alt yrs)
  • ATMS 514/ESS 535 Ice and Climate (3 cr)
  • ATMS 555/ESS 581 Planetary Atmospheres (3 cr) 
  • ATMS/ESS/OCN 589: Paleoclimatology: Data, Modeling and Theory  (Steig, 3 cr) Wi 2020

Other Recent Options:

  • SEFS 521: Drawdown PNW: Prioritizing Climate Solutions (Lawler, 3 cr) Wi 2020
  • PUBPOL  593 Climate Change and Energy Policy (Steurewalt, 4 cr) Wi 2020
  • SMEA 521: Climate Change Governance (Dolsak, 3cr) Au 2019
  • ATMS/ESS /OCN 554: Paleoclimate Proxies (Steig and Sachs, 3cr) Planned for 2021
  • ENV H/Global Health 518:  Understanding and Managing the Health Risks of Climate Change (Ebi, 3 cr) Wi 2020

Climate Change Seminar (2 cr)

  • ATMS/ESS/OCN 586 Current Research in Climate Change (2 cr, will next be offered Winter 2021) Topics vary, see seminar page. 

Communications Training or Seminar (1-3 cr)

Choose one of:

  • ATMS/OCN/ESS 593: Communicating Climate Science Seminar (Bertram, 1 cr) Au 2020
  • C ENV 500 ENGAGE: The Science Speaker Series and Seminar-teaches emerging scientists to effectively communicate through the development of a seminar on their own research for a general audience. (3 cr; Winter quarter; http://www.engage-science.com/seminar-resources/)
  • Trainings offered by the Pacific Science Center

Other Recent Offerings:

  • SMEA 550: Theory and Practice of Linking Knowledge with Action to Address Modern Env Challenges (Rozance, 2cr), Wi 2020
  • SEFS 590C: Holistic Learning and Storytelling (Vogt, De Abreu, Schreier, 3 cr), Wi 2020
  • Pacific Science Center Communication Course, Sp 2020
  • PUBPOL 582 Climate Change Communication (Bostrom, 4 cr), Sp 2020

For climate-related courses listed by quarter visit:  https://pcc.uw.edu/education/quarterly-climate-courses/

Visit UW Environment science communication courses list, departmental offerings and new, sometimes one-time offerings (subscribe to the pccgrads mailman listserve for opportunities); many can be used to fulfill the communication requirement.

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