There is a growing need for experts in this field, as climate change plays a major role in shaping the world we live in, with the prospect of global warming as a result of human activity presenting us with plenty of future challenges.
Study
This course provides an authoritative assessment of the climate change, including climate history, present-day variations and climate prediction. Study also explores the ways in which ideas of climate change impact on the environment, society and human welfare, including the role of climate science in policy development. Students learn research methods, data preparation and analysis i.e. theoretical or model-based approaches to climate prediction.
Structure
The ways in which climate change is understood by societies and how it influences the development of policy and stimulates social action is a key component of the course. The course also covers the fundamentals of the changing climate including the Earth's energy balance, circulation of the atmosphere, causes of climate change and variability, plus the greenhouse effect. Students are encouraged to interact with the course content via a series of student-led debates.
Teaching
The MSc in Climate Change is based in the Climatic Research Unit at the School of Environmental Sciences, consisting of a community of researchers including students, staff and technicians. The School is the largest interdisciplinary Environmental Science department in the UK. 88% of its research is classified as world-leading or internationally excellent in the Research Excellence Framework. Extensive investment in UEA's buildings and laboratories provide excellent facilities for continued research.
Employability
The course is designed to provide valuable interdisciplinary knowledge of climate change science, society and policy. The content studied equips graduates for careers in areas as diverse as government agencies, business consultancies and academia.