Co-requisite majors: Earth Science (EART-MAJ).
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Human activity has already warmed the planet by ~1 degree Celsius relative to pre-industrial times. Atmospheric carbon dioxide and global temperature are on the rise, but what key Earth Science processes are changing and are they connected?
The Climate Science specialisation is aimed at providing students with a foundational understanding of the key physical, chemical and biological processes that influence and are influenced by changes in Earths climate. Students will develop skills in theoretical and practical skills through a range of statistical, modelling, laboratory and field approaches to understand past, present and future climate variability.
The Climate Science specialisation will complement students study for an Earth Science major and opens up possibilities for work in government agencies, the research sector and science education.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand current and historical developments of the science that underpins the theory of climate change.
- Use a variety of Earth Science observations (contemporary and reconstructed records) in combination with model outputs to understand the processes that influence the Earths climate system.
- Develop theoretical and practical skills required for Earth Sciences.
- Perform process-oriented, multidisciplinary studies to critically evaluate hypotheses and models on how our climate system and the life within operate.
- Write scientific reports and communicate efficiently with university staff, peer students and the wider community on Climate-related topics.
Other Information
This specialisation may only be undertaken in conjunction Earth Science Major.
Advice for first year students: You should enrol in EMSC1008, CHEM1101 and either MATH1003, MATH1013 or MATH1115 in your first year of study.
For students taking EMSC3050 as part of this specialisation, the topic or project must be in the field of Climate Science.
Students should seek further course advice from the academic convener of this specialisation.
Back to the topRequirements
This specialisation must be taken in conjunction with the Earth Science Major .
This Undergraduate Specialisation requires the completion of 24 units, of which:
6 units must come from completion of the following compulsory course:
EMSC2021 Fundamentals of Climate Science (6 units)
18 units must come from completion of 3000- level courses from the following list:
EMSC3019 Coral Reef Field Studies (6 units)
EMSC3027 Palaeoclimatology and Climate Change (6 units)
EMSC3032 Melting Polar Ice Sheets, Sea Level Variations and Climate Change (6 units)
EMSC3039 Climate Dynamics (6 units)
EMSC3050 Special Topics (6 units)
ENVS3013 Climate Change; Past, Present and Future (6 units)
