James Madison University James Madison University 45 courses 18 total credits
The program serves as an organizing framework for students interested in climate science and will broaden disciplinary expertise for advanced study, graduate programs and/or employment. The minor is structured in three tiers: 1) Introductory lecture and lab courses serve as an entry point to the program (4 credits total); 2) Content-specific courses build domain knowledge in climate science (minimum of 3 courses); 3) A minimum of one course focused on mathematical and/or data analytical skills provides tools necessary for working with scientific data; and 4) The remaining credit hours to fulfill the 18 credit-hour minimum requirement may consist of additional courses closely aligned with climate science, such as undergraduate research, internships and honors theses, upon approval by the program director(s). Students are encouraged to discuss with their advisors or the program director(s) how climate science may interface with their primary degree program(s). The Climate Science Minor requires a minimum of 18 credit hours, and no more than six credits from the minor may be used to double-count with a major or another minor.
| Total Credits | 18 credits |
Introductory Lecture and Lab: 4 Credit Hours
A total of four credit hours of introductory lecture and lab course(s) must be taken:
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 210 or GEOL 115 | Physical Geography or Earth Systems and Climate Change | 4 |
| GEOL 115L | Earth Systems and Climate Change Lab | 1 |
Content-Specific Courses: 9-10 Credit Hours
Choose a minimum of three courses from the following:
Programming Courses
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CS 149 or MATH 229 | Introduction to Programming or Introduction to Applied Statistics Using R | 3 |
Geospatial Courses
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 215 or GEOG 216 | Introduction to Geographic Information Science and Cartography or Earth Observation and Satellite Navigation Systems | 3 |
Other Analytical Skills Courses
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOL 440 | Geophysics | 4 |
| GEOL 489 | Quantitative Methods in Geology | 3 |
| GEOG 447 | Climates Through Time | 3 |
| ISAT 420 | Environmental Analysis and Modeling | 3 |
| MATH 268 | Data Analysis and Visualization | 3 |
Other Course Options: 0-2 Credit Hours
Students who have not fulfilled the 18 credit hours1 with the above courses may fill the remaining credit hours with a course or research experience approved by the program director(s). Course content must include a focus on Earthβs climate system at any scale, and may include intersections with society, individuals and/or natural systems. Examples of course options include but are not limited to the following.
Click a course code or title to read the full course description.
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