Best Universities offering graduate programs in Atmospheric Sciences, Meteorology, Climate Change, Energy Policy

The Program offers a wide variety of courses in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. These courses are designed to help students understand the fundamentals and to expose them to the advanced research topics in the field. In addition, students have opportunities to take courses offered by other departments and programs (e.g., Applied and Computational Mathematics, Physics, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology).

The Earth's Atmosphere course discusses the processes that control Earth's climate - and as such the habitability of Earth - with a focus on the atmosphere and the global hydrological cycle. The course balances overview lectures (also covering topics that have high media coverage like the 'Ozone hole' and 'Global warming', and the impact of volcanoes on climate) with selected in-depth analyses. The lectures are complemented with homework based on real data, demonstrating basic data analysis techniques employed in climate sciences.

The Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (EAPS) is the place at MIT where the turbulent oceans and atmosphere, the inaccessible depths of the inner Earth, distant planets, and the origins of life all come together under one intellectual roof.

Our climate and the air we breathe are affected by, and in turn affect, energy use and production through a complex set of processes. By analyzing those processes, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of the atmosphere and then design cleaner and more efficient energy systems, improving our health and environment and providing energy security for all.

The Atmosphere/Energy subprogram in Civil and Environmental Engineering, formed in 2004, combines atmospheric science with energy science and engineering. The program uses courses, research and public outreach to educate students and the public about the causes of climate change, air pollution and weather problems, and focuses on methods of addressing these problems through renewable and efficient energy systems. In addition, students learn about feedbacks between the atmosphere and renewable energy systems and the effects of the current energy infrastructure on the atmosphere.

Our graduates of the program go on to work for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), companies, government agencies, public or private institutes, national research laboratories or educational institutes. Research is performed primarily at the PhD level, although MS and undergraduate students can become involved through a directed research course for credit, a student group or by working with a company on a research topic.

Human induced climate change is one of the main drivers of the Anthropocene. The physical science of the earth climate and its sensitivity to pollution is remarkably complex and an area of intense study. The resulting perturbations to the earth system permeate through and impact ecological and human systems.

ENV 630 The Physical Science of Climate Change.

The remaining three courses may come from any of the four bins.

ENV 568 Overshoot: The Environmental and Policy Implications of Exceeding 1.5°C (Fall -1 August 30-October 11).

ENV 610 Managing Ecosystems for Climate Change Solutions.

ENV 623 The Role of Methane in Global Climate Disruption: The Search for Solutions.

ENV 624 The Science, Policy, and Management of GHG Removal Strategies.

ENV 857 Financing Climate Change Adaptation in Developing Countries.

ECON 1 The Economics of Energy and Climate Change.

GLBL 730 Managing the Clean Energy Transition: Contemporary Energy and Climate Change Policy Making.

ENV 581 Transportation and Climate Change (Fall-1 August 30-October 13).

ENV 725 Water, Energy, and Food Interconnections in a Changing Climate.

ENV 736 Impacts of Climate Change on Freshwater Ecosystems.

ENV 793 Abrupt Climate Change and Societal Collapse.

EPH 571 Seminar in Climate Change and Health.

ENV 761 Negotiating International Agreements: The Case of Climate Change.

ENV 878 Climate and Society: Past to Present.

ECON 432 Economics of Social Catastrophes: Climate Change and Pandemics.

HIST 459J (Yale College course) Climate Change and the Humanities.

ENV 701 Seminar on Climate Change Policy and Economics.

ENV 959 Clinic in Climate Justice, Climate Policy, the Law, and Public Health.

ENV 960 Climate Solutions Capstone: Nature Based Solutions Clinic.

ENV 970 Environmental Protection Clinic Policy and Advocacy (Follows Law School Calendar).

Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy.

Climate Change and Energy: Policymaking for the Long Term.

Program Fee: The program fee includes tuition, housing, curricular materials and most meals.Executive Certificate: This program is part of the Economic Development and Public Policy Executive Certificate series.Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs): This program aligns with one or Executive Core Qualifications.

Climate change is one of the most important global issues of our time, posing significant risks to the environment, the international economy, and society as a whole.

Most governments have been attempting to address climate change in various ways since at least 1992. Efforts have included cooperative initiatives though the United Nations along with policy changes at the national and subnational levels.

The Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education program Climate Change and Energy: Policymaking for the Long Term is designed for policymakers and corporate leaders who want to be part of the solution to the threat of climate change.

In Climate Change and Energy: Policymaking for the Long Term, you will join other participants in an intellectually-stimulating learning environment to gain greater insight into climate change and the multitude of challenges it presents.

This Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education program on climate change will expose you to analytical tools and conceptual frameworks to help you understand:.

The economics underlying effective policy to address climate change.

The design and implementation of policies at the sub-national, national, regional (groups of nations), and global levels to address climate change.

Approaches for communities and nations to adapt to climate change and make their infrastructure resilient in the face of a warming and disrupted climate.

The nature of the transformation in energy systems that will be required to mitigate climate change.

Climate Change and Energy: Policymaking for the Long Term is directed toward senior leaders of wide-ranging backgrounds and responsibilities.

Government officials with responsibility for climate change and energy policy, including enhancement of infrastructure resilience.

Senior staff at intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations dealing with climate and energy.

Executives at large corporations affected by environmental or climate regulation or that manufacture products or provide services in the energy sector.

Professionals in financial, accounting, or legal services whose clients may be affected by environmental or climate regulation.

View the draft program schedule. Note that module titles, speakers, and sequence may change.

Why the U.S. should remain in the Paris climate agreement.

International Cooperation in East Asia to Address Climate Change.

GHG Cap-and-Trade: Implications for Effective and Efficient Climate Policy in Oregon.

Hear from Richard Munang (PhD), an alumnus of the Climate Change Energy executive program.

Access brochure and receive information the program.

MS in Energy Policy and Climate Degree Details and Courses.

This 30-credit Master of Science degree is composed of 3 Required Core Courses, 2 Customizable Core Courses, and 5 Elective Courses. Within the Required Core Courses is the culminating experience of a Capstone, where you will apply multidisciplinary knowledge to a real-world energy or climate question.

Enroll in Research Design for Capstone Projects in Energy and Environmental Sciences during your final fall or spring semester.

Principles and Applications of Energy Technology 425.601.

The course examines the major energy technologies underlying energy and consumption, their applications, and their integration with the electric grid. Students will gain a solid understanding of science, economics, environmental impacts associated with the design and operation of different energy technologies on a stand-alone and integrated basis. The course coverage includes: an introduction to energy, heat, work, energy conversion and efficiency solar, wind, hydro and other renewable electric generation technologies, fossil, and nuclear generation renewable integration issues such as the role of energy storage to balance and demand. Energy security and climate change issues are considered throughout the course. Lower carbon transportation will be introduced, with a focus on hybrids and battery energy vehicles. The course will touch on some major policies impacting the development, deployment, and utilization of technologies.

Science of Climate Change and its Impact 425.602.

The course begins examining the basic processes of the climate system. The course, then, moves to the study of the changing climate. While natural changes will be studied, the emphasis will be on anthropogenic climate change. Various models for predicting future climate change will be presented, including the assumptions and uncertainties embedded in each model. The regional climate impacts and impacts on subsystems will be examined, including changes in rainfall patterns, loss of ice and changes in sea level. The possible ecological effects of these predicted changes will also be examined. Offered online and on twice per year.

Research Design for Capstone Projects in Energy and Environmental Sciences 425.800.

The Capstone Project enables students to apply and synthesize the material learned in other courses, develop expertise on a specific topic related to climate change science or policy, work closely with experts in the field of study, and improve professional writing and presentation skills. In the semester prior to conducting the project, students must identify a proper topic and mentor who is both familiar with the chosen topic and willing to guide and oversee the project. Formal proposals must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the start of the semester in which the project be completed.

After a study of the historical development of climate change policy, this course analyzes current policy options for mitigating and adapting to long-term climate change. The course will examine various approaches available in the U.S. for national-level policy, including regulatory and market-based approaches, particularly cap and trade and carbon taxation. Various models for designing a cap and trade system will be studied, including the European experience and regional programs in the United States. Special attention will be paid to methods for setting initial prices and accounting for discounting of future benefits. The course will focus primarily on national-level carbon management policies, but international agreements will also be included, as well as equity considerations on a global level.

This course introduces students to environmental markets and the policies that create them, focusing mainly on emissions trading systems to mitigate climate change. The course also provides an introduction to attributes of the financial sector through its analysis of markets for environmental commodities Students learn the economic theory behind market-based environmental policy instruments, such as tradable renewable energy credits, carbon offsets, and water rights in a semester of lectures featuring presentations from practitioners, including state and federal government, private companies subject to market-based emissions regulation, commodity brokers, and representatives from international institutions. Offered online on-site twice per year.

Introduction to Energy Law Policy 425.605.

This course will provide an of the major laws and policies that shape and regulate the complex energy system the United States and, to a lesser degree, the world. The goal is to provide students with a framework for understanding the energy laws and policies of today and those likely to be important in coming years. The course will review laws and policies for all major types of energy, including fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables, as well as issues related to extraction, conversion, distribution, use, and conservation. Laws and policies ranging from local level to state, federal, and international levels will be included. Laws and policies will be presented again in the context of profound and rate changes occurring in the energy system, climate change and other environmental issues, economics, national security, and population growth. The course will be largely empirical, but attention will be given to major theories. Most aspects of the course will be illustrated by reference to contemporary issues, such as the recently unveiled Clean Power Plan, court decisions, climate change negotiations, and changes in state policies and federal tax policies for renewables. Offered on-site at least once every two years.

For your convenience, some electives are presented as a collection of related courses within a Focus Area. These curated collections will help you to identify the targeted knowledge and experiences available to distinguish yourself in your field.

Field courses cover elements of climate change impacts, renewable energy project development, and policy solutions.

Energy, Eutrophication, and Inundation in Coastal Louisiana 425.617.

This course will evaluate the many compounding factors of wetlands loss and sea-level rise in coastal Louisiana, will assess the impact of wetlands and habitat loss on wildlife and bird populations in the coastal zone of Louisiana, and will examine the ongoing menace of eutrophication in Gulf of Mexico waters. A portion of the course will be spent analyzing flood control efforts in New Orleans and along the Mississippi River Delta, their advantages and disadvantages, and future risk in the context of global climate change. Vulnerability analysis, environmental impact, and mitigation strategies associated with energy infrastructure, pipelines, and pipeline canals connecting offshore oil and gas to south Louisiana will be considered and assessed. Further contemplation will be given to efforts by oil and gas companies to minimize environmental impact along the Louisiana coast. The impact of the Coastal Wetlands Planning and Restoration Act will be debated and other policy initiatives explored. Students will leave this field experience with a better understanding of the complex cultural, environmental and climate, economic, and political factors at play in southern Louisiana. Prerequisite: any core course in either ESP or EPC programs (AS.420.601, AS.420.603, AS.420.604, AS.420.608, AS.420.611, AS.420.614, AS.425.601, AS.425.602, AS.425.603, AS.425.604, AS.425.605).

Renewable Energy and Climate Change Projects in California 425.619.

California has abundant natural resources and has long been the center of attention for renewable energy within the USA. The US Energy indicates that California has just over 24% of its energy coming from renewable energy production, one of the highest for a large population state. Traditionally, California has also led the nation in terms of proactive climate change and sustainability issues. This field trip will explore very innovative and leading sustainability projects in San Francisco. Part of the trip will include discussing renewable energy projects with city and state officials.

Renewable Energy and Climate change Projects in Australia 425.621.

This course will explore the technologies and the supporting policy and is planned for a period of 10 days. The trip will include travel to Sydney and to one other city amongst a list: Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane or Adelaide (details are to be decided on the reconnaissance trip in January 2017). We will also discuss with experts from some of the major climate labs including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

Climate Change Adaptation and Development in Nepal 420.681.

This is a field course that takes a firsthand look at the reality of climate change adaptation at various scales as it is experienced in in a developing country such as Nepal. Specific topics to be covered include climate change by sector, vulnerability at various scales, institutional and community-based plans for mitigation and adaptation, institutional and legal mechanisms that address climate change, extension efforts, climate change integration into development, and current effort by developing countries such as Nepal in carbon-financing and other topics. The course will also consider how funding to support climate change adaptation intersects and overlaps with development aid and planning. We will also travel to communities in the three biophysical regions of Nepal, the highlands, the middle hills and the lowlands (Terai). In all locales students will interact with stakeholders all various kinds and be exposed to the great cultural, economic, political, and biophysical diversity of Nepal.

This course examines cities as the primary centers of energy demand as major sources of greenhouse gases as places most vulnerable to climate change impacts and as logical focal points for mitigation and adaptation solutions. Local level government climate policy and financing options are also examined, including alternative energy production, resilient water systems, green buildings, energy efficient transport and sustainable infrastructure generally, local level offsets, and urban-based Clean Development Mechanisms. Analytical methods are introduced to understand current approaches to decision-making. Offered online at least once every two years. Prerequisites: Climate Change Policy Analysis.

This course examines the potential impacts on human health from global climate change and the possible responses to and adaptations for these impacts. Topics include impacts on health of climate extremes, climate change and infectious diseases, health and climate refugees, national assessments of health impacts of climate change, monitoring the health effects of climate change, and public health policies for climate change. Prerequisite: Science of Climate Change and Its Impacts.

Global climate change risks are increasingly complex and may ultimately affect virtually every facet of our economic, energy, community, and environmental systems. At the same time, policy and investment responses to climate resiliency needs are similarly complex, controversial, and high stakes. Perhaps no issue facing leaders of today and tomorrow is cross cutting in nature or in greater need of improved understanding and capability than climate change risk. This course will provide a comprehensive framework for understanding, assessing, and applying climate change risk, vulnerability, a hazard assessment for the development of risk reduction an adaptation response. In the process, it will examine the status, limitations, and strengths of current assessment and action planning approaches across varying sectors, scales, and impact areas. The course will also include a review of methods prioritizing actions and addressing feasibility, flexibility, and logistical needs as applied to specific facilities, such as military installations, as well broader communities and multistate regions. Individual and group learning exercises will be involved. Offered on-site at least once every two years.

Energy and Water Security in South Asia 425.647.

It is also a region of rapidly growing economies, rising energy consumption, and increasing environmental stress. Fossil fuels, particularly coal is the major source of electricity in the region, contributing to rising greenhouse gas emissions and worsening air quality. India in particular is promoting the use of indigenous coal to power its economic growth. At the household level, inefficient use of biomass for cooking and heating continues to be a major health and environmental hazard. over, fresh water stress and pollution has reached alarming levels in the region with far reaching impacts on agriculture and human health.

South Asia is uniquely vulnerable to climate change impacts. On the one hand, receding Himalayan glaciers in Nepal, India, Pakistan and Bhutan are exacerbating water stress and threatening food security for than a 1 billion people. And on the other hand, Bangladesh and Maldives are prone to sea level rise and coastal flooding from powerful tropical storms.

Creating a sustainable energy and freshwater pathway is intrinsically linked to innovative development approaches tailored to local and regional variabilities. In order to curb growing emissions, the region is promoting renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and micro hydro power. However, the unmet demand for energy, particularly electricity remains so large in South Asia that fossil fuels are expected to be a major part of the future energy mix. Water stress is being managed through a mix of traditional and modern techniques.

Given the demographic size of the region and the pent-up energy demand, it can be argued that the success of global climate change initiatives (such as the 2015 Paris agreement) in large part is cont.

Climate change impacts and policies effect different groups of people in varying ways. vulnerable populations will disproportionately experience impacts severely (drought, flooding, food security, storms, heat islands, changes to resources and livelihoods). Also, policies to mitigate and adapt to climate change will have differential impacts. In this course, we will review both climate impacts and proposed policies through the lens of equity and justice. Topics to cover will include: analysis of differential impacts, equity critique of mitigation policies, and the impact of adaptation policies on the poor and people of color. The course will cover both the US and international topics.

Climate Change on the Front Lines: The Study of Adaptation in Developing Countries 420.665.

Poor and developing countries are predicted to bear the brunt of climate change. This course will focus on key sectors such as agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, water resources, human health, and tourism and the ways in which poorer and developing counties are impacted by and adapting to climate change. Assessment and evaluation of demographic trends, environmental challenges such as retreating ice, potential flood hazards, ecosystem impacts, as well as health issues will be incorporated. International instruments such as adaptation funds, carbon funds, clean development mechanisms, and reduced deforestation degradation strategies and policies will be investigated in a comparative analysis of impacts and adaptation responses of countries around the world. Offered online, annually.

This course provides an in-depth examination of how the effects of climate change could impact national security, international relations, and global stability. Students will begin by examining and discussing the current body of academic literature. As the semester progresses, students will learn and practice use cross-disciplinary resources and tools to envision potential relationships between climate change effects and security outcomes.

Wind Energy: Science, Technology and Policy 425.624.

Topics include the assessment of wind resources, basic principles of wind turbines and power transmission, electric markets and wind power, technological and economic aspect of storage of intermittent wind power, legal issues at state and federal levels, international water issues, and environmental impact assessment processes for wind developments. Offered on-site at least once every two years. Prerequisite: 425.601 Principles and Applications of Energy Technology.

This course focuses on the two primary solar technologies i the contemporary market: photovoltaic cells and concentrate solar power, with a focus on PV. The course will investigate techniques for increasing efficiency, expanding storage, and decreasing price. Solar energy for use as both distributed and grid-independent resources is considered. The course covers science and technologies, as well as the environmental impact on solar technologies. Additionally, the course examines the main structure considerations for solar technology development. Prerequisite: 425.601 Principles and Applications of Energy Technology.

Renewable Energy Project Development and Finance 425.628.

This course examines the financial, legal and regulatory topics related to the development of renewable energy (RE) projects (wind, solar, geothermal, hydro etc.) in the US. The bulk of the course focuses on utility scale projects, with the latter section on smaller scale renewable distributed energy resources (DER). The course is divided into sections on finance, siting, basic technical features of the electric grid, and regulatory background. The finance section will provide fundamentals of corporate and project finance, then focus on the ownership and financing structures used for developing renewable energy projects. The project siting and development section will review models for feasibility studies, environmental assessment and permitting at state and Federal levels. The electrical grid section will discuss at a high level how the power system works, including basics of transmission and generation, with a focus on concepts useful for developing projects, including the transmission interconnection process. Multiple case studies will be used throughout the course to highlight successful models and approaches. At the end of the course the students will have critical skills to work on project development and finance components of RE projects in the US. Prerequisite: There are no prerequisites.

This elective course builds on a number of ideas covered in the core Principles and Applications of Energy Technology course (425.601) and as with the first course uses and integrates a broad range of ideas from science, engineering and economics. The main focus of the course will be to broaden and deepen the coverage of the how some of the emerging energy technologies work, that were either not covered or only lightly covered in the core course. Electricity generation or storage related topics include (1) Fuel cells and batteries, including hydrogen fuel cells, batteries with different lithium-ion chemistries, and flow batteries, including integration with solar and wind (2) ocean wave devices, with an emphasis on the energy in traveling ocean waves, and how some of this wave energy can be absorbed and converted to electricity, through ideas related to natural frequency and forced damped oscillations, (3) new approaches to carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), such as the proposed Allam cycle which is a type of closed cycle combustion turbine (CT), where the use of super-critical carbon dioxide rather air as the working fluid facilitates CCS (4) nuclear energy, from small modular fission to fusion. The course will also look at some important applications of electricity, including light emitting diodes (LEDs). The 2014 Nobel prize for physics went to inventors of the first blue LEDs using high band-gap semi-conductors, like indium gallium nitride which has made their widespread use for high quality white light applications possible. LEDs as will be explained are similar to (the p-n junctions in) PV cells but with higher band gaps, and operated to run backwards using an electrical source, so that electrical power is converted to visible light with much higher efficiency than with traditional incandescent light bulbs.

Principles Applications of Energy Technology II 425.644.

This course builds on a number of ideas covered in the core EPT course, and as the first course uses and integrates a bro range of ideas from science, engineering, and economics. The course has two distinct but overlapping themes that will be often be covered in parallel. First, the course will broaden and deepen the coverage of the how some of the energy technologies discussed in the core course work, with a slight formal discussion and use of ideas from mechanics and thermodynamics, including the role of entropy a few newer potential technologies, such as fusion and ocean, will also be covered. Second, the course will extend the coverage of the economics and operation of energy markets to provide a deep understanding of value energy generation assets facing an uncertain future on both a stand-alone and integrate basis, and how these considerations play out in real electric markets, including the role of energy, capacity, and ancillary services. The course will include coverage of the potential role of energy storage and or demand side management in integrating large-scale renewable energ

A global transition to sustainable energy cannot be achieved unless women are equally included as leaders, partners, and beneficiaries.

We create the conditions for policy innovation that support a just and efficient transition to sustainable energy.

From freshman to doctoral students we have something to offer that will enhance your energy education at Penn.

Two panels look at Russia strategy of wartime energy weaponization through the lens of its long-term trend of using energy as a weapon.

A Clean Energy Workforce and the Path to Equity.

Arthur van Benthem is an expert in environmental and energy economics, exploring the economic efficiency of energy policy.

Jennifer Wilcox is currently serving at the U.S. Energy, on leave from the Kleinman Center.

Climate change is widely regarded as one of the most difficult problems facing modern society. Developing legal, economic, and social responses requires interdisciplinary research that is theoretically sophisticated and policy-relevant.

The Climate Change Research Network at Vanderbilt includes a team of faculty and graduate students who are conducting theoretical and applied research on one of the most important and most widely overlooked sources of greenhouse gases: individual and household behavior. The research also explores how insights from law and the social and behavioral sciences can reduce corporate carbon emissions. The Climate Change Research Network is affiliated with the Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and Environment.

The atmospheric sciences include the disciplines of meteorology and climatology, which apply mathematics and the basic physical sciences to understand a very complex natural system. The scope of the field ranges from the small space and time scales of turbulent phenomena, through the diagnosis and prediction of weather events in meteorology, to continental and global scale climate change processes.

Our graduate program in atmospheric science is a relatively small, high quality program. Faculty members do not advise large numbers of graduate students, and this provides students with the opportunity to work closely with their advisor. This individual attention is combined with the advantages of a large and diverse research university, and the beautiful, livable environment of Ithaca.

The graduate field of atmospheric science offers full financial support, including tuition, stipend, and health insurance, to all students accepted into our program. This means that we sometimes must decline applications from students who are very well qualified, but for whom we cannot identify support because the student's interests are not a good match for our research programs, or because of limited availability of external grant funds. We offer graduate research assistantships through either the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences or through the external grants of individual faculty members, and teaching assistantships through the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Prospective and continuing graduate students are encouraged to apply for full or partial funding from NSF, NASA, AMS, NOAA, and other agencies that offer fellowships and scholarships in the atmospheric sciences.

The MA in Climate and Society is offered by the Columbia Climate School in partnership with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. It is a 12-month interdisciplinary program that trains professionals and academics to understand and address the impacts of climate variability and climate change on society and the environment.

A set of tailor-made core courses provide a scientific basis for inquiry. They stress interdisciplinary problem-solving for how to address the climate crisis. Elective courses allow students to apply their climate knowledge to other subject matters and tailor the program to their interests.

The program in Climate and Society is designed so that students from all academic backgrounds can succeed. Broadly speaking, students’ academic backgrounds are split evenly between the earth sciences, social sciences, and natural sciences.