About Climate Change Studies at UNE
Climate change promises to be one of the defining environmental and social problems of our lifetime, and one that will become ever more relevant and important as we move into the future. Employers in all fields will increasingly seek to hire those with an understanding of climate change and how it relates to business models, public policy, economies and livelihoods, conservation, and human health and happiness.
As a student pursuing a minor in Climate Change Studies at UNE, you engage in an interdisciplinary program of study that prepares you with an understanding of climate change from diverse perspectives, examining scientific, political, psychological, economic and ethical dimensions of the problem and its solutions.
You begin by grappling with the science behind the stories, exploring the impacts of climate change on societies around the world, and assessing renewable energy and policy solutions. Courses are drawn from eight programs across the college including Environmental Studies, Business, Biology, Political Science, Chemistry and Physics, Marine Sciences, Society, Culture and Languages and History and Philosophy. This allows you to craft a minor that fits your individual interests and professional plans.
The Interdisciplinary Minor in Climate Change is made possible by the collaboration of eight programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, and is administered through the School of Marine and Environmental Programs.
Meet Kiara, Marine Affairs '22
A Marine Affairs major currently interning in the Maine Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, Kiara analyzes climate change data, helping her colleagues meet the state’s most urgent challenges.
Curriculum
A student may minor in Climate Change Studies with the approval of the academic directory. To complete this minor, students are expected to successfully complete the following course of study, totaling nineteen (19) credits:
| Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| ENV 208 – Climate Change: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions | 3 |
| PHY 218 – Energy and Climate Change | 4 |
| SOC 227 – Climate Change and Society | 3 |
| Total Required Course Credits | 10 |
| Choose One (1) Policy Electives** | Credits |
| ENV 250 – Environmental Policy in Comparative Perspective | 3 |
| ENV 362 – Climate Change Adaptation: Planning and Policy | 3 |
| MAF 300 – Climate Change, Oceans, and Law | 3 |
| MAR 316 – Science and Society | 3 |
| PSC 201 – Introduction to International Relations | 3 |
| PSC 205 – Introduction to Politics and Environment | 3 |
| PSC 306 – Environmental Politics | 3 |
| Total Policy Elective credits | 3 |
| Choose One (1) Natural Sciences Electives** | Credits |
| ENV 318/318L – Advanced Field Methods in Avian Ecology and Conservation with Lab | 4 |
| ENV 328 – Environmental Pollution: Ecosystems, Wildlife, and Human Health | 3 |
| BIO 235/235L – Winter Natural History with Lab | 4 |
| BIO 413 – Global Change Ecology | 3 |
| BIO 422/422L – Coral Reefs with Lab | 4 |
| MAF 200 – Introduction to Marine Pollution | 3 |
| MAR 270/270L – Oceanography with Lab | 4 |
| MAR 436/436L – Natural History of Iceland with Lab | 4 |
| MAR 368 – Advanced Oceanography II: Physical and Chemical Oceanography | 3 |
| MAR 460 – The Scientific Basis for Global Climate Change | 3 |
| MAR 464 – Polar Biology | 3 |
| Total Natural Sciences Elective credits | 3 |
| Choose One (1) Social Sciences and Humanities Electives** | Credits |
| BUEC 390 – Environmental Economics | 3 |
| BUEC 395 – Ecological Economics | 3 |
| ENV 321 – Environmental Communication: Expert Practices for Environmental Management | 3 |
| ENV 328 – Environmental Pollution: Ecosystems, Wildlife, and Human Health | 3 |
| ENV 340 – Environmental Movements and Social Change | 3 |
| ENV 344 – Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| PHI 202 – Ethics of Science and Technology | 3 |
| PHI 330 – Environmental Philosophy | 3 |
| SOC 210 – Displaced Cultures and Society | 3 |
| SOC 320 – Community Organization | 3 |
| SOC 226 – Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 265 – Social Issues/Problems Global World | 3 |
| SOC 377 – International Development | 3 |
| Total Social Sciences and Humanities Elective credits | 3 |
| Total Credits | 19-20 |
*Course Designators vary by major and include but are not limited to ENV 295/495, PSY 300/400, PSC 411, SOC 300/400, SPT 395.
**Internship Opportunities (Optional): Internships may substitute for one of the above elective courses, subject to advisor and internship coordinator approval. The internship must deal explicitly with some aspect of climate change science, mitigation, or adaptation.