Certificate in Climate Change
The Certificate in Climate Change Causes, Impacts, and Solutions gives students a foundational understanding of climate change’s causes, effects, and solutions so they can take action in their communities.
The program is open to students of all majors, and non-matriculated students as well. While some of the courses that count toward the certificate are in the sciences, the program is not exclusively for science majors. In fact, the program was designed so that students from any major can take any course — there are few to no prerequisites.
From Our Students
I think it's really important that we don't view a climate career as just something around the science of climate change or nonprofit work. I think working in urban planning, driving for public transit, [or] working at a sustainable and ethical fashion company can be climate careers as well. You can use the knowledge that you get in the Certificate program to challenge any workplace to be more sustainable and socially just.
Sam Montell
B.A. Environmental Studies, Climate Change Certificate
Explore the Courses
Which courses should you take? The certificate has various classes available to students across many different colleges and departments. Check out the Certificate Requirements and the courses that count towards the Certificate below.
Please note there are differences in Certificate requirements depending on the student's first year of enrollment at SFSU. Students, be sure to use the correct set of requirements for your situation.
| Course Name | Course Attributes | Advance Climate Justice course? |
| BIOL 318: Our Endangered Planet |
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| ENVS 130: Intro to Environmental Studies |
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| ERTH 335: Global Warming |
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| GEOG 160: Intro to Environmental Science |
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| RRS 276: Race, Activism, & Climate Justice |
|
Yes |
| WGS 578: Women, Globalization, & Ecology | Yes |
| Course Name | Course Attributes | Advanced Climate Justice course? |
| BIOL 161: Climate Change and the Oceans | ||
| BIOL 300: Nature Study |
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| BIOL/ERTH 577: Climate and Ecological Interactions | ||
| BIOL 617 Environmental Physiology | ||
| BUS 450 Greening of Business | ||
| CHEM 380: Chemistry Behind Environmental Pollution |
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| COMM 572: Communication and Environmental Justice |
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Yes |
| ENVS 130: Intro to Environmental Studies |
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| ENVS 460: Energy Justice & Sustainability | Yes | |
| ERTH 260: Physical Processes in the Atmosphere |
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| ERTH 335: Global Warming |
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| ERTH 365: Extreme Weather in a Warming World |
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| ERTH 535: Planetary Climate Change | ||
| GEOG 101: Our Physical Environment |
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| GEOG 160: Intro to Environmental Science |
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| GEOG 314: Bioclimatology | ||
| GEOG 435: Geography of Global Transportation | Yes | |
| GEOG 500GW: Physical & Human Dimensions of Climate Change |
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Yes |
| GEOG 666: Geography of Garbage: Recycling and Waste Reduction |
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Yes |
| IR/GEOG 428: International Political Economy of Food and Hunger | Yes | |
| IR 735: Seminar in Global Environmental Policy | Yes | |
| LS 401: International Development & Resource Justice |
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Yes |
| PLSI 354: Politics, the Environment, & Social Change |
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|
| RRS 276: Race, Activism, & Climate Justice |
|
Yes |
| USP 514: Sustainable Development |
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Yes |
| WGS 593: Gender, Health & the Environment |
|
Yes |
| Course Name | Course Attributes | Advanced Climate Justice course? |
| AA S 587: Asian Americans & Environmental Justice |
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Yes |
| BECA 502: Environmental Communication on Electronic Media |
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Yes |
| BIOL 161: Climate Change and the Oceans | ||
| BIOL 300: Nature Study |
|
|
| BIOL 617 Environmental Physiology | ||
| BUS 450: Greening of Business | ||
| ENVS 470: Climate Politics & Policy |
|
Yes |
| ENVS 480: Climate Change Adaptation & Justice | Yes | |
| ERTH 260: Physical Processes in the Atmosphere |
|
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| ERTH 330: California Water |
|
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| ERTH 335: Global Warming |
|
|
| ERTH 365: Extreme Weather in a Warming World |
|
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| GEOG 314: Bioclimatology | ||
| GEOG 500GW: Physical & Human Dimensions of Climate Change |
|
Yes |
| IR/GEOG 428: International Political Economy of Food and Hunger | Yes | |
| RRS 276: Race, Activism, & Climate Justice |
|
Yes |
| USP 514: Sustainable Development |
|
Yes |
| WGS 593: Gender, Health & the Environment |
|
Yes |
| Course Name | Course Attributes | Advanced Climate Justice course? |
| BECA 502: Environmental Communication on Electronic Media |
|
Yes |
| BIOL 532: Restoration Ecology | ||
| BIOL 534: Wetlands Ecology | Yes | |
| BIOL 671: Ecology & Evolution of Marine Systems II |
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Yes |
| BUS 450 Greening of Business | ||
| COMM 572: Communication and Environmental Justice |
|
Yes |
| COMM/ENVS 675: Climate Ambassadors Practicum in the Climate Change Certificate | Yes | |
| ECON/FIN/ENVS 651: Student Managed Fund in Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Investments | ||
| ENVS 460: Energy Justice & Sustainability | Yes | |
| ENVS 470: Climate Politics & Policy |
|
Yes |
| ENVS 480: Climate Change Adaptation & Justice | Yes | |
| ENVS 530: Environmental Leadership & Organizing | Yes | |
| ENVS 570: Applied Local Sustainability |
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Yes |
| GEOG 314: Bioclimatology | ||
| GEOG 433: Geography of Urban Transportation | Yes | |
| GEOG 435: Geography of Global Transportation | Yes | |
| GEOG 500GW: Physical & Human Dimensions of Climate Change |
|
Yes |
| GEOG 666: Geography of Garbage: Recycling and Waste Reduction | Yes | |
| IR/GEOG 428: International Political Economy of Food and Hunger | Yes | |
| I R 735: Seminar in Global Environmental Policy | Yes | |
| LS 430: Future of the Forests |
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Yes |
| RRS 276: Race, Activism, & Climate Justice |
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Yes |
| USP 515/GEOG 667: Environ. Justice: Race, Poverty, & the Envir. |
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Yes |
| WGS 578: Women, Globalization, & Ecology | Yes |
| Course Name | Course Attributes | Advanced Climate Justice course? |
| BIOL 681: Climate Change: Applied Learning for the Real World | Yes | |
| COMM/ENVS 675: Climate Ambassadors Practicum in the Climate Change Certificate (offered Spring 2025) | Yes |
Interested in Earning the Certificate? Follow These Steps:
Offered Courses
Offered courses are listed in the section prior. Take a look to see what interests you.
For more information on offered courses, please visit the Academic Bulletin.
Changes to the Certificate
A revised curriculum for the undergraduate Climate Change Certificate is effective starting Fall 2023, increasing the units required from 12 - 18 to 13 - 22 units. The new curriculum includes an Applied Component in addition to the areas of Foundational, Causes, Impacts, and Solutions.
If the student's FIRST enrollment at SFSU began ON or AFTER Fall 2023:
Students must take 5 different courses, 1 in each of these 5 areas (13 - 22 units total):
- Area 1: Foundational courses
- Area 2: Causes courses
- Area 3: Impacts courses
- Area 4: Solutions courses
- Area 5: Applied Component courses
- Courses cannot be double-counted and each course can only fulfill one requirement area, except for Climate Ambassadors Practicum course COMM/ENVS 675, which can be counted as fulfilling the solutions area and applied component requirement.
At least 1 of the courses in Causes, Impacts, or Solutions must be designated as an Advanced Climate Justice course.
At least 9 units counted toward the Certificate must be upper-division level. (This means at least 9 units must be 300-level or above.)
At least 9 units counted toward the Certificate must be graded on an A–F basis.
At least half the Certificate units must be taken in residence at SFSU.
Certificate coursework must also:
- Have a minimum average GPA of 2.0.
- Have a grade of CR, C, or better.
- Be completed within 7 years from registration for your first Certificate course.
If the student's FIRST enrollment at SFSU began BEFORE Fall 2023:
Students must take 4 different courses, 1 in each of these 4 areas (12-18 units total):
- Area 1: Foundational courses
- Area 2: Causes courses
- Area 3: Impacts courses
- Area 4: Solutions courses
At least 1 of the courses in Causes, Impacts, or Solutions must be designated as an Advanced Climate Justice course.
At least 8 units counted toward the Certificate must be upper-division level. (This means at least 8 units must be 300-level or above.)
At least 8 units counted toward the Certificate must be graded on an A-F basis.
At least half the Certificate units must be taken in residence at SFSU
*Students whose first enrollment at SFSU started BEFORE Fall 2023 have the option to CHOOSE if they want to complete the Applied Component Course or not.
- Note: Courses cannot be double-counted and each course can only fulfill one requirement area, except for Climate Ambassadors Practicum course COMM/ENVS 675, which can be counted as fulfilling the solutions area and applied component requirement.
Certificate coursework must also:
- Have a minimum average GPA of 2.0.
- Have a grade of CR, C, or better.
- Be completed within 7 years from registration for your first Certificate course.
Find Your Advisor
Here is where you can find the contact information for the Climate Change Certificate Advisors organized by College and departments.
For any advising questions you might have, we recommend that students interested in the Climate Change Certificate contact an advisor within their college or visit their departmental webpage to find out more about their office hours.
College of Science and Engineering |
|
| Name | |
| Derrick Groom | dgroom@sfsu.edu |
| Kevin Simonin | simonin@sfsu.edu |
| Lance Lund | llund@sfsu.edu |
| Tania Pollak | tnpollak@mail.sfsu.edu |
| Kai Burrus | lburrus@sfsu.edu |
| Aaron White | aaronwh@sfsu.edu |
| Adrienne Cool | cool@sfsu.edu |
| Jen Blecha | jblecha@sfsu.edu |
| Aritree Samanta | asamanta@sfsu.edu |
College of Health and Social Science |
|
| Name | |
| Aarthi Padmanabhan | apad@sfsu.edu |
| Pavlina Latkova | latkova@sfsu.edu |
| Amy Dorie | adorie@sfsu.edu |
College of Liberal and Creative Arts |
|
| Name | |
| Constance Gordon | cgordon@sfsu.edu |
| Logan Hennessy | loganh@sfsu.edu |
College of Business |
|
| Name | |
| Susan Cholette | cholette@sfsu.edu |
College of Ethnic Studies |
|
| Name | |
| Gopal Dayaneni | gopaldayaneni@sfsu.edu |
Climate HQ |
|
| Name | |
| Autumn Thoyre | athoyre@sfsu.edu |
Pay the Certificate Program Fee
- Log into your Student Account.
- Go to "Pay Graduate Fees Online" and complete the payment process.
- Download a copy of the receipt so you can use it in the following step.
Complete the following CAP Form
Be sure to read all of the instructions thoroughly before submitting.
Please Note:
- If you have not seen an advisor and your last name starts with the letter A-N, please enter Aritree Samanta (asamanta@sfsu.edu) as your advisor.
- If you have not seen an advisor and your last name starts with the letter O-Z, please enter Autumn Thoyre (athoyre@sfsu.edu) as your advisor.
- Otherwise, please enter the name of the advisor you have established contact with.
Please reach out to a Climate Change Certificate Advisor if you have any questions about completing the CAP Form.
After you click “Finish,” the form will automatically be sent electronically to the Advisor, Program/Department Chair, and Division of Graduate Studies for their signatures.
Deadlines for completing Certificate Forms:
- For Fall award of Certificate: Finish forms by December 15.
- For Spring award of Certificate: Finish forms by June 15.
- For Summer award of Certificate: Finish forms by August 15.
* Please Note: If you miss a deadline, it’s not too late to earn the Certificate. You can finish the paperwork the next semester and still earn the Certificate.
Learn More
Interest Survey
Fill out our survey and receive updates about the Certificate and Climate HQ.
Questions?
Our Frequently Asked Questions page contains many answers to common questions about the Certificate.
Certificate Steering Committee
The Steering Committee oversees the interdisciplinary curriculum of the certificate.