Climate and Environmental Change, Certificate

Program Code: CLENVC_UCT

Program Description

The Climate and Environmental Change Certificate is intended for students seeking to understand the spatial patterns and physical processes of climate change and variability, and to hone their skills of environmental data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Upon completing this certificate, students will be able to explain the environmental processes and patterns associated with climate change; identify and distinguish between natural climate variations and observed processes of climate change; utilize data from field experiments, satellite and aerial imagery, observation archives, and computer modeling to analyze climate change patterns across space.

Program Requirements

Required Courses
Required Courses: Require a grade of C or better
GEOG 310Introduction to Global Climatic Systems3
or GEOG 310W Introduction to Global Climatic Systems
Select 9-10 credits from the following (may not choose more than 1 course from GEOG 362, GEOSC 482, or METEO 477)9-10
Modeling the Earth System
Remote Sensing and Image Analysis
GEOG 410
Climatic Change and Variability
Satellite Climatology
Human Dimensions of Global Warming
Geology of Climate Change
Risk Analysis in the Earth Sciences
Satellite Remote-Sensing For Earth Observation
Radiation and Climate
From Meteorology to Mitigation: Understanding Global Warming
Climate Dynamics
Fundamentals of Remote Sensing Systems

Non-Course Requirements

Prerequisites not included in certificate:

Per University policy, all credit courses for a certificate require a grade of 'C' or higher, and at least two-thirds (2/3) of the credits used to complete a certificate must be earned at Penn State. If student is completing multiple certificates in Geography (including Global & Environmental Change), no more than one (1) course may double-count for each.

Certificate Learning Objectives

  • Climate Change Patterns & Processes: Students will understand the environmental processes and patterns associated with climate change.
  • Analyze Natural & Human-Induced Climate Change: Students will identify and distinguish between natural climate variations and observed processes of climate change.
  • Data Analysis and Modeling: Students will utilize data from field experiments, satellite and aerial imagery, observation archives, and computer modeling to analyze climate change patterns across space.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Jodi Vender
Undergraduate Advising Coordinator
305 Walker Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-5730
advising@geog.psu.edu

Contact

University Park

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY
302 Walker Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-3433
geography@psu.edu

https://www.geog.psu.edu