Columbia Climate School Launches New M.S. in Climate Program

Just in time for New York City’s Climate Week, the Columbia Climate School is proud to announce a new master’s degree program: the M.S. in Climate. This is a two-year, 50-credit degree that will prepare young and mid-career professionals and future academics to be climate leaders at community, state, national and international levels. The first cohort will begin classes in fall 2025.

The new degree program expands the scope of what the Climate School can offer students, while allowing them to explore important new opportunities within the climate sector.

“The M.S. in Climate program is a critical new offering that will expand Climate School educational opportunities, as taught by some of the most highly qualified scholars of climate,” said Jeffrey Shaman, interim dean of the Climate School. “It will seed the world with energetic, superbly trained, transdisciplinary scholars who will help tackle the many climate and sustainability challenges we are confronting.”

The M.S. in Climate program complements the Climate School’s existing program, the M.A. in Climate and Society, which is a one-year, 34-credit interdisciplinary graduate program that engages students in understanding and addressing the impacts of climate variability and climate change on society and the environment. Through classes and research, students gain knowledge in both climate science and the social sciences as they relate to climate.

“It’s critical to have well-informed leaders going into the workforce with the training and skills needed to address the climate challenge,” said Jason Smerdon, professor of climate at the Climate School. “We’re providing the depth of knowledge students are going to need to be effective leaders in these various spaces.”

What sets Columbia Climate School apart from other schools is that climate is at the center of all courses of study. “There are other sustainability programs out there, but the Climate School is very much focused on climate-centered problems,” said Mingfang Ting, professor of climate at the Climate School. “What is climate’s role and how is it connected to things like biodiversity challenges, plastic pollution and other sustainability problems and solutions?” added Smerdon. “Currently, there aren’t any other programs like this in the nation or the world.”

The new M.S. in Climate program provides the opportunity for students to work with major research institutions while gaining real-world experience. “Every student in the program will have an internship requirement as well as a capstone project,” said Ting. “Students will be exposed to the interdisciplinary research environment here at the Climate School; they will also gain practical experience solving real-world problems.”

Both the M.A. and M.S. programs provide core climate knowledge, applied learning, skill-building and professional development, while integrating climate justice and equity throughout the curricula, to prepare students for careers in the rapidly growing and evolving climate field.

Students in the M.S. in Climate program will build on this foundational training with a second year in which they delve deeply into a specific area of focus. They will earn a second diploma-level credential in the form of a New York State Department of Education-approved Advanced Certificate, equipping students with the in-depth training to specialize in a targeted climate field.

“The M.S. degree will provide students with more quantitative and in-depth skills and knowledge in a specific area of climate,” Ting said, “and thus should broaden the employment opportunities for graduates.” Some potential career fields might include risk analysis, technical modeling and data analysis, and roles like climate resilience planner, energy analyst, sustainability officer, ESG consultant and clean power analyst, among many others. Initial certificate options include analytics, food systems and disaster management.

Climate Systems and Analytics is an 18-credit certificate that will provide students with the skills to interpret and analyze climate and weather data, understand climate-model predictions and projections, assess climate-related risks to human and natural systems, and develop strategies for mitigating these effects. This advanced certificate “gives students a chance to go much deeper into understanding the physics and the mathematics—the quantification of those climate hazards that are changing,” said Radley Horton, professor of climate at the Climate School. “It also gives them a chance to better understand the climate impacts across sectors.”

Climate and Food Systems is an 18-credit certificate that focuses on the intersection of climate with food systems, food production and human livelihood. “Students will learn: What is a food system? How is food impacting the climate? How is climate impacting food? And what are some of the solutions we can project across food systems to help mitigate and adapt to climate change?” said Jessica Fanzo, professor of climate at the Climate School and director of the Food for Humanity Initiative. “This program offers analytical skills and a solid grounding for a variety of public and private careers for organizations including NGOs, businesses and international bodies such as the UN.”

Climate and Disaster Management is an 18-credit certificate that provides students with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to conduct and apply research in various intersecting disciplines relevant to managing disasters. “We’ll be providing skillsets around engaging community partners, understanding disaster research and how various research methods are applied in a disaster context, and how we pay for disasters across different scenarios,” said Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Columbia Climate School.

All Climate School graduates will be qualified to communicate the value and impact of climate-related initiatives, build partnerships to accelerate action and progress, and apply analytical and systems thinking skills.

“Many important climate leaders pass through Columbia,” said Smerdon. “Our students will have the opportunity to connect with and learn from all of these folks during their program.”

“The range of expertise that we have at Columbia is extraordinary,” added Horton. “And not just in the classroom. Whether students are thinking about an internship or doing a capstone project, Columbia has it all.”

Curious about the new M.S. in Climate program? Come check out the Climate School Showcase during Climate Week, featuring a panel discussion and lightning talks led by top experts from Columbia Climate School. These sessions will delve into the latest advancements in climate science, finance and sustainability, and sectoral approaches to mitigation, adaptation and resilience.