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.
Students must take 5 different courses, 1 in each of these 5 areas (13 - 22 units total):
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Area 1: Foundational courses
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Area 2: Causes courses
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Area 3: Impacts courses
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Area 4: Solutions courses
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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:
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Have a minimum average GPA of 2.0.
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Have a grade of CR, C, or better.
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Be completed within 7 years from registration for your first Certificate course.
Printable Advising Sheet for Students who enrolled ON or AFTER Fall 2023.
Students must take 4 different courses, 1 in each of these 4 areas (12-18 units total):
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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.
Climate Change Certificate Printable Advising Sheet for Students who enrolled before Fall 2023.
For more information about the courses offered, please visit the Academic Bulletin.
Climate Change Certificate Courses
| 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 |
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Yes |
| USP 514: Sustainable Development |
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Yes |
| WGS 593: Gender, Health & the Environment |
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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 |
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|
| BIOL 617 Environmental Physiology | ||
| BUS 450: Greening of Business | ||
| ENVS 470: Climate Politics & Policy |
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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 |
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| ERTH 365: Extreme Weather in a Warming World |
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| GEOG 314: Bioclimatology | ||
| GEOG 500GW: Physical & Human Dimensions of Climate Change |
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Yes |
| IR/GEOG 428: International Political Economy of Food and Hunger | Yes | |
| PHYS 305: Physical and Astronomical Approaches to Climate Change Solutions |
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Yes |
| RRS 276: Race, Activism, & Climate Justice |
|
Yes |
| USP 514: Sustainable Development |
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Yes |
| WGS 593: Gender, Health & the Environment |
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Yes |
| Course Name | Course Attributes | Advanced Climate Justice course? |
| BECA 502: Environmental Communication on Electronic Media |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
| PHYS 305: Physical and Astronomical Approaches to Climate Change Solutions |
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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 |