From Awareness By NATASA MILAS
Graduate programs at U.S. universities address the necessity to establish a workforce that will be equipped to work on combating climate change.
T
he climate crisis is one of the major concerns among young people today, and they are responding by joining environmental organizations, participating in community projects and spreading awareness via different platforms including social media. Universities across the United States have established programs to study climate change, paving a way for youth to turn climate change awareness into a career. Graduate programs on climate change are relatively new but they address the ongoing necessity and desire to create a workforce at governmental, nonprofit or research agencies that will be equipped to work on combating climate change. Students interested in pursuing graduate-
32 MAY/JUNE 2021
level climate change studies at U.S. universities have many options. For instance, the Climate Science and Solutions Professional Science Master’s program at Northern Arizona University and the Master of Arts in Climate and Society offered by Columbia University. The program at Northern Arizona University is unique for its interdisciplinary approach and professional training. “There are several components that factor into our program’s interdisciplinary nature,” says John M. Fegyveresi, assistant professor of practice at the School of Earth and Sustainability and director of the Master’s in Climate Science and Solutions program at Northern Arizona University. “We require all students to take a core set of classes that