Climate-related disasters in the United States resulting in losses exceeding $1 billion each are on the rise. Virginia alone has suffered hundreds of multimillion-dollar disasters resulting from extreme weather and climate change. The increasing severity and frequency of climate change impacts on communities worldwide have created the need for a climate-literate workforce; professionals with the knowledge and skills required to design, develop, and implement climate adaptation and resilience solutions. The minor will equip students with the skills they need to understand how and why the climate is changing; the current and expected impacts of that change; how to develop and assess adaptation strategies to enhance communities’ climate readiness; and how to help societies and ecosystems gain resilience to future impacts of climate change for generations to come. Climate resilience and adaptation encompasses a wide range of disciplines reflected in the minor’s unique curriculum; the minor also includes practical experience to ensure career-readiness.
Policies
Eight credits of coursework must be unique to the minor. For policies governing all minors, see AP.5.3.4 Minors.
Minor Requirements
Total credits: 16-18
Students should refer to the Admissions & Policies tab for specific policies related to this program.
Students must successfully complete the following coursework with a minimum GPA of 2.00.
Foundation Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CLIM 101 & CLIM 103 | Global Warming: Weather, Climate, and Society (Mason Core) and Global Warming: Weather, Climate, and Society Laboratory (Mason Core) | 4 |
| EVPP 490 | Special Topics in Environmental Science and Policy (when the topic is "Climate Change Adaptation Planning and Assessment") | 3 |
| Total Credits | 7 | |
Practical Experience
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Students have the option of completing this requirement via an internship, an independent research project, or a capstone course: | 3 | |
Internship 1,2 | ||
| Internship | ||
| Internship in Business 3 | ||
| Research Internship | ||
| Internship in Communication | ||
| Capstone Internship (Mason Core) | ||
| Internship | ||
| Global and Community Health Internship | ||
| Internship | ||
| Internship | ||
| Internship in Sociology I (Mason Core) | ||
Independent Research Project 1 | ||
| Ethnographic Research Methods | ||
| Civil Engineering Senior Design Project I (Mason Core) | ||
| Civil Engineering Senior Design Project II (Mason Core) | ||
| Internship Field Experience | ||
| Special Programs Field Experience | ||
| International Field Experience | ||
| Independent Study in Global and Community Health | ||
| Research Practicum | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Senior Design Project I | ||
| Senior Design Project II (Mason Core) | ||
Capstone Course | ||
| Sustainability in Action (Mason Core) | ||
| Community Health Capstone (Mason Core) | ||
| Earth Science and Policy (Mason Core) | ||
| Internship | ||
| Capstone in Geography and Geoinformation Science (Mason Core) | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
- 1
The proposed project or internship must be approved by the Climate Resilience and Adaptation Coordinator and the student’s academic advisor.
Projects or internships should meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Support climate readiness efforts of local partners,
- Contribute to regional or state-wide assessment of climate vulnerabilities, or
- Contribute to regional or state-wide opportunities to increase resilience
- 2
George Mason's Virginia Climate Center at Mason can facilitate student connections with potential mentors and identify suitable placements for internships.
- 3
Available only to Costello College of Business students who meet the course's prerequisite.
Elective Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 6-8 credits from the following: | 6-8 | |
| Environment and Culture | ||
| Archaeology of Climate Change | ||
| Biology and Society (Mason Core) | ||
| RS: Ecological Sustainability (Mason Core) | ||
| Global Environment of Business (Mason Core) | ||
| Business Models For Sustainability | ||
| Environmental Issues and Solutions Around the World (Mason Core) | ||
| Engineering for Climate Adaptation | ||
| Flood Hazards Engineering and Adaptation | ||
| Climate Change Engineering and Policy | ||
| Introduction to Global Climate Change Science (Mason Core) | ||
| Introduction to the Fundamentals of Atmospheric Science (Mason Core) | ||
| Physical Climatology | ||
or GGS 312 | Physical Climatology | |
| Severe and Extreme Weather | ||
| Air Pollution | ||
| Climate Dynamics | ||
| Environmental Communication, Campaigns, and Social Movements | ||
| Conflict Resolution Techniques and Practice | ||
| Community, Group, and Organizational Conflict Analysis and Resolution | ||
| Global Conflict Analysis and Resolution (Mason Core) | ||
| Mobilizing for Change and Justice | ||
| Environmental Economics for the Citizen (Mason Core) | ||
| Economic Problems and Public Policies | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Economics of Energy | ||
| Business and Sustainability | ||
| Tackling Wicked Problems in Society the Environment (Mason Core) | ||
| Environmental Policy Making in Developing Countries (Mason Core) | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Policy | ||
| Intermediate Environmental Policy | ||
| RS: Ecological Sustainability (Mason Core) | ||
| Energy Policy | ||
| Food-Energy-Water-Climate Nexus | ||
| Politics of Climate Change Governance | ||
| Urban Ecosystems and Processes | ||
| Sustainability in Action (Mason Core) | ||
| Introduction to OneHealth | ||
| Health and Environment | ||
| The Changing Ocean (Mason Core) | ||
| The Changing Ocean Laboratory (Mason Core) | ||
| Environmental Geology (Mason Core) | ||
| Paleoclimatology | ||
| Human Geography (Mason Core) | ||
| Global Environmental Hazards | ||
| Geography of Resource Conservation (Mason Core) | ||
| Population Geography (Mason Core) | ||
| Urban Geography | ||
| Geographic Approaches for Sustainable Development | ||
| Data Analysis and Global Change Detection Techniques | ||
| Global Health and Development | ||
| Responsible Innovation | ||
| Urban Planning | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Policy | ||
| Intermediate Environmental Policy | ||
| Public Policy Making | ||
| Issues in Public Policy and Administration (when the topic is "Introduction to Energy and Climate Law") | ||
| Global Networks and Communities (Mason Core) | ||
| Sustainable World (Mason Core) | ||
| Introduction to Conservation Studies (Mason Core) | ||
| Leadership for Sustainability | ||
| Social Movements and Community Activism (Mason Core) | ||
| Business and Sustainability | ||
| Environmental Justice (Mason Core) | ||
| Social Justice Consciousness and Action | ||
| Global Leadership (Mason Core) | ||
| Social Innovation in Action | ||
| Social Impact and Entrepreneurship | ||
| Global Environmental Ethics (Mason Core) | ||
| Topics in Environmental Philosophy (Mason Core) | ||
| Psychology of Creativity and Innovation | ||
| The Psychology of Environmental Stewardship | ||
| Community Engagement for Social Change (Mason Core) | ||
| The Urban World (Mason Core) | ||
| Social Problems and Solutions (Mason Core) | ||
| Gender, Health, and Culture in the United States | ||
| Total Credits | 6-8 | |