Climate Policy Graduate Program
Climate Policy Concentration (18 credits/6 courses)
This climate policy graduate program provides students an interdisciplinary gateway into one of the most pressing international political challenges ever faced by humanity. Students in this concentration will focus their studies on the multidimensional social, political, technical and scientific issue of climatic change. Students will participate in an interdisciplinary mix of courses that combine international affairs and policy studies with climate science and social theory. The major emphasis will be on an in-depth understanding of the policy process for climate mitigation and adaptation.
Climate Policy Concentration Requirements:
All students in this concentration must successfully complete 18 credits and participate each fall semester in a climate negotiation simulation. Students are also encouraged to apply, in their second year, to join the University of Maine delegation to the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
A. Required Courses (6 credits/2 courses):
ANT 530 – Human Dimensions of Climate Change
SPI 590 – Global Governance of Climate Change
B. Policy Electives (6 Credits/2 courses):
ANT 550 Anthropological Dimensions of Environmental Policy
BUA 645/ERS 602 Abrupt Climate Change, Business, and Policy
CET 412 Sustainable Populations and Environmental Design and Construction
CMJ 404 Risk Communication
CMJ 610 Seminar in Risk Communication
ECO 405 Sustainable Energy Economics and Policy
ECO 450 International Environmental Economics and Policy
ECO 571/572 Advanced Environmental and Resource Economics
ECO 599 Special Topics: Energy Policy/Climate Policy
EES 489 Critical Issues in Ecology and Environmental Sciences Policy
INT 500 Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Climate Change Studies
LAW 694 Climate Change Law & Policy
PHI 432 Environmental Philosophy and Policy
SPI 573 Global Politics
B. Climate Science Electives (6 Credits/2 courses):
ANT/BIO 510 Climate, Culture and the Biosphere
ANT 420 Human Impacts on Ancient Environments
CHE 480 Pollution Prevention in Industrial Ecology
CIE 431 Pollutant Fate and Transport
EES 418 Environmental Assessment and Management Techniques
EES 489 Critical Issues in Ecology and Environmental Sciences Policy
ERS 542 Climate and the Earth System
ERS 602 Past Climates
To provide students with flexibility in course selection appropriate to their career goals, other courses can be substituted with approval from the SPIA graduate coordinator. Please be advised that the Graduate School only allows two courses at the 400 level to be counted toward a graduate degree.