Arguably the biggest environmental challenge facing the globe, climate change mitigation and adaptation require a multidisciplinary understanding of the issues affecting the climate.
Coordinator: Associate Professor Stefan Arndt
Overview
Climate change mitigation and adaptation are increasingly being integrated into business management, government policy, and technology design, requiring expertise in a range of fields including international conventions, strategic government and business policy, climate science, energy technology, and economic analysis and management.
Effective solutions therefore require a new generation of policymakers, managers and scientists equipped with a multidisciplinary understanding of climate change issues.
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Designed for
Students with a wide range of academic backgrounds seeking an interdisciplinary perspective on climate change for work in policy-making or business advisory roles. Graduates will be well-placed to offer leadership through a solid understanding of: theoretical and practical applications of policy and science; technological limits, potentials and risks; and the value of addressing wide-ranging global environmental issues from a trans-disciplinary perspective.
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Career Outcomes
This stream presents an opportunity for students to establish extensive networks with fellow climate change professionals across a broad range of industries, sectors and fields of endeavour. Graduates of this major can expect to find employment in State and Federal Government authorities, environmental consulting companies, business advisory and strategic policy-making positions worldwide.
Example roles:
- Governance Officer
- Policy Officer
- Environmental Consultant
- Business Sustainability Advisor
View full list of Climate Change specialisation subjects in the University Handbook
Example study plan (200 point program)
Year 1 | Semester 1 | Sustainability Governance and Leadership | Climate Change Law | Climate Affairs | Environmental Impact Assessment |
Semester 2 | Environmental Policy | Social Impact Assessment and Evaluatoin | Climate Change & Agricultural Adaptation | Consumerism and the Growth Economy | |
Year 2 | Semester 1 | Political Ecology of Development | Forests, Carbon, and Climate Change | Social Research Methods | Environmental Research Project |
Semester 2 | Interdisciplinarity and the Environment | China Field Class | |||
Governance Officer,
International Union
for Conservation of Nature,
Costa Rica
“I chose the climate change specialisation because adaptation to climate change is one of the most critical environmental challenges for local communities. Since climate change is a multidisciplinary issue, I was looking for a Masters course that would offer me the flexibility to gain knowledge from a diverse range of disciplines. Shortly after graduating, I secured a job with IUCN working on a project to strengthen climate change governance frameworks in the Mesoamerican region.”