Program requirements

Three required core courses (offered on campus only and in the fall term only)

The three required core courses provide a broad foundation in the research and practice specific to each of the three Working Groups of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):

• GEMCC 601 - Climate Change: Physical Science Basis 
• GEMCC 602 - Climate Change: Vulnerability and Adaptation
• GEMCC 603 - Climate Change: Mitigation

Three required core courses (offered on campus only and in the fall term only)

The three required core courses provide a broad foundation in the research and practice specific to each of the three Working Groups of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC):

• GEMCC 601 - Climate Change: Physical Science Basis 
• GEMCC 602 - Climate Change: Vulnerability and Adaptation
• GEMCC 603 - Climate Change: Mitigation

Two designated climate change electives       

Students are able to tailor their program of study based on their individual interests by completing 2 designated climate change electives. The availability of designated climate change electives varies year‐to‐year.

Two designated climate change electives

Students are able to tailor their program of study based on their individual interests by completing 2 designated climate change electives. The availability of designated climate change electives varies year‐to‐year.

Two open electives

Open electives can be chosen from the designated climate change elective options, partnering programs within the Faculty of Environment (subject to meeting pre-requisites and available capacity), and graduate programs offered by other faculties (subject to meeting pre-requisites and available capacity).

Two open electives

Open electives can be chosen from the designated climate change elective options, partnering programs within the Faculty of Environment (subject to meeting pre-requisites and available capacity), and graduate programs offered by other faculties (subject to meeting pre-requisites and available capacity).

Students in the Master of Climate Change program can apply to transfer into the Master of Climate Change - Internship program option after completing at minimum the following three core courses: GEMCC 601, GEMCC 602, GEMCC 603. Admittance will be decided based on the student’s progress to date and is subject to approval.

Completion of a four-month climate change focused internship*.

*It is the student’s responsibility to seek out and confirm an organization with which they will undertake an internship. Master of Climate Change graduate students pay fees per term, and they are required to enroll and pay fees each term that they are active in the program. Terms during which students are working on internships are considered active terms.

Normally: 3 terms of full-time studies; 6-8 terms of part-time studies

A typical full-time course load is the 3 required core courses in the fall term, 3 electives in the winter term, one elective and the capstone project course in the spring term.

A typical part-time course load is 1 course (or occasionally 2 courses) per term. Students can begin working on elective options before the 3 required core courses are completed.

Normally: 3 terms of full-time studies; 6-8 terms of part-time studies

A typical full-time course load is the 3 required core courses in the fall term, 3 electives in the winter term, one elective and the internship in the spring term. Tuition fees are charged per term (not per course). Terms during which students are working on their internships are considered active terms and tuition fees are charged.

A typical part-time course load is 1 course (or occasionally 2 courses) per term. Students cannot complete the internship until they have completed the 3 required core courses.Tuition fees are charged per term (not per course). Terms during which students are working on their internships are considered active terms and tuition fees are charged.

Offered only online on a part-time basis.

Students must complete 4 courses from the following list:

• GEMCC 600 Fundamentals of Climate Change (offered only online; normally offered in the Fall term)
• GEMCC 620 Climate Data and Analytics (offered only online; normally offered in the Winter term)
• GEMCC 644 Climate Resilient Canadians and Health Systems (offered only online; normally offered in the Spring term)
• GEMCC 650 Business and Climate Change (offered only online; normally offered in the Spring term)
• GEMCC 652 Climate Change and Community Planning (offered only online; normally offered in the Winter term)
• GEMCC 660 Carbon Accounting and Management (offered only online; normally offered in the Fall term)

GEMCC 600 Fundamentals of Climate Change is required unless students can demonstrate equivalent competence (e.g. through undergraduate climate change courses and/or equivalent professional experience). Students choose 3 of the 4 remaining courses, or all 4 courses if they are able to demonstrate competence and opt out of GEMCC 600.