Undergraduate Minor

The Minor in Climate Change Studies, administered by the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, provides students with a broad understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change. The minor includes a comprehensive examination of rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and changes in extreme weather patterns such as flooding and drought. It also emphasizes understanding the societal impacts of these changes, spanning across various sectors including water, energy, transportation, wildlife, agriculture, ecosystems, population migration, and human health. Students engage in exploring the fundamental question: “How can society effectively transition towards a more resilient and sustainable future?”.

The minor is available as an elective to students enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University. With the approval of the department and college that administer the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

Students with a primary major in the College of Social Science using this minor toward the College Breadth requirement may apply a maximum of two courses from the student's primary major toward the requirements of this minor. Students who plan to complete the requirements for the minor should consult the undergraduate advisor in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences.

Requirements for the Minor in Climate Change Studies

Students must complete a minimum of 15 credits from the following:

1.	One of the following courses (3 credits):
	GEO	103	Introduction to Climate Change Studies						3
	GEO	203	Introduction to Meteorology						3
2.	One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits):
	CMSE	201	Computational Modeling and Data Analysis I						4
	FOR	360	Forest Ecosystems, Carbon, and Climate Change						3
	GEO	302	Climates of the World						3
	GEO	303	Severe and Hazardous Weather						3
	GEO	402	Agricultural Climatology						3
	GEO	403	Dynamic Meteorology (W)						3
	GEO	405	Weather and Climate Forecasting						4
	GEO	429	Programming with Spatial Data						3
	GLG	200	Introduction to Environmental Science and Global Change						4
	GLG	412	Glacial Geology and the Record of Climate Change						4
	GEO 203 may satisfy requirement 2. if GEO 103 satisfies requirement 1.
3.	One of the following courses (3 credits):
	AFRE	265	Ecological Economics						3
	EC	450	Economics of Environmental Policy (W)						3
	GEO	201	Introduction to Plant Geography						3
	GEO	235	Geography of Environment and Health						3
	GEO	410	Geography of Food and Agriculture						3
	GEO	436	Spatial Analysis of Populations						3
	HST	391	Environmental History of North America						3
	SOC	310	Global Migration						3
	SOC	478	Climate Change and Society						3
4.	One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits):
	CSUS	200	Introduction to Sustainability						3
	CSUS	259	Sustainable Energy and Society						3
	FW	181	Introduction to Science, Technology, the Environment and Public Policy						3
	GEO	211	Environmental Policy and Practice						3
	GEO	414	Transportation Systems and Sustainable Cities						3
	GEO	440	Geopolitics						3
	IBIO	446	Environmental Issues and Public Policy						3
	JRN	372	Environment, Science, and Health Journalism Special Topics						3
	JRN	472	Environment, Science, and Health Reporting						3
	MC	338	Environmental Justice and Global Change						4
	PLS	313	American Public Policy						3
5.	The following course (3 credits):
	GEO	409	Global Climate Change and Variability						3