Program in Climate and Society

Other Information
http://www.columbia.edu/climatesociety

Degree Programs: Full time: Free-Standing M.A.

Director: Mark A. Cane, Ph.D.
105B Oceanography
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Tel: 212.845.9896
Fax: 845.365.8163

Associate Director: Mingfang Ting, Ph.D.
104C Oceanography
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Tel: 845.365.8374

The M.A. Program in Climate and Society uses an interdisciplinary approach to train professionals and academics to understand and cope with the impacts of climate variability and climate change on society and the environment. The 12-month program emphasizes the problems of developing societies.

This program is designed to provide the necessary skills and needed background in the social and natural sciences to: policy administrators and other decision-makers in water resource management, agriculture, health, tourism and economics, especially from the developing world; policy professionals and administrators who want to pursue strategies in sustainable development; private sector professionals dealing with risk and decisions relating to environmental change; and educators, who are training a generation that can no longer ignore climate. It also serves recent graduates in the natural and social sciences interested in interdisciplinary environmental action or research. The program has an intrinsic interest in recruiting outstanding applicants from the developing world who will return to advance development in their own societies.


Special Admission Requirements

In addition to the requirements listed below, all students must submit 1 official transcript showing courses and grades per school attended, a Statement of Academic Purpose and 3 letters of evaluation from academic sources. All international students whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate degree is from an institution in a country whose official language is not English, must submit scores of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS. For more information, refer to our Admissions Information and Frequently Asked Questions pages.

DEGREE:

Master's Only

   

Priority Deadline for Fall Admission

March 1

Final Deadline for Fall Admission April 1

Deadline for Spring Admission

none

Resume/CV

yes

Writing Sample

optional

GRE General

yes

GRE Subject

no

Miscellaneous

see below

Some undergraduate-level coursework on climate or a related topic is preferred. Some previous social science courses or experience in policy and administration. Knowledge of calculus. Undergraduate-level courses in Introductory Statistics or Data Analysis.

For application materials, contact the M.A. Program in Climate and Society, 554 Schermerhorn Extension, Mail Code 5505, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10027; 212-854-9896; e-mail: climatesociety@ei.columbia.edu or the Office of Admissions, 107 Low Library, Mail Code 4304, 535 West 116 Street, New York, NY 10027.