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Columbia
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Columbia University Program Link: |
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Mark A. Cane, Ph.D., Director Phone: (845) 365-8344 mcane@ldeo.columbia.edu David Downie, Ph.D., Associate Director Phone: (212) 854-3239 E-mail: dd113@columbia.edu |
The M.A. Program in Climate and Society uses an interdisciplinary approach to train professionals and academics to understand and cope with the impacts of climate variability and climate change on society and the environment. The International Research Institute for Climate Prediction, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Earth Institute and Columbia faculty in the Earth Sciences, Earth Engineering, International Affairs, Sociology and Economics contribute significantly to the program. The 12-month program emphasizes the problems of developing societies.
The program is designed to teach the necessary skills and needed background in the social and natural sciences to: policy administrators and other decision-makers in water resource management, agriculture, health, tourism and economics, especially from the developing world; policy professionals and administrators in the United States and elsewhere who want to pursue strategies in sustainable development; private sector professionals dealing with risk and decisions relating to environmental change; and educators, who are training a generation that can no longer ignore climate. It also serves recent graduates in the natural and social sciences interested in interdisciplinary environmental action or research. The program has an intrinsic interest in recruiting outstanding applicants from the developing world who plan to return to advance development in their own societies. At the end of twelve intensive months of study, graduates are prepared to obtain positions in government, business, nongovernmental organizations and teaching or to continue their academic careers in the social or natural sciences.
Masters of Arts in Climate and Society
Applicants should have completed a bachelor's degree in the physical sciences, engineering, social sciences, or planning and policy studies. Work experience in a related field is considered desirable. Students are selected for admission based on their academic background and related work experience. The General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam is required for non-native speakers of English. For more information, refer to: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsas/ps/main/pages/admis-info/index.html#N101AB. Students who live in countries where the GRE test is not available must include a note requesting a waiver.
In addition to the requirements listed below, all students must submit a Statement of Academic Purpose and 3 letters of evaluation from academic sources.
Degree: Master's Only
Deadline for Fall Admission: February 1
Deadline for Spring Admission: None
Resume/CV: Yes
Writing Sample: Optional
GRE General: Yes
GRE Subject: No
Miscellaneous: Some undergraduate-level coursework on climate or a related topic is preferred. Some previous social science courses or experience in policy and administration. Knowledge of calculus. Undergraduate-level courses in Introductory Statistics or Data Analysis.
For application materials, contact the M.A. Program in Climate and Society, 405 Low Library, Mail Code 4335, 535 W. 116 Street, New York, NY 10027; 212-854-9896; e-mail: climatesociety@ei.columbia.edu or the Office of Admissions, 107 Low Library, Mail Code 4304, 535 West 116 Street, New York, NY 10027.
Students complete two semesters of graduate-level interdisciplinary course work in the fall and spring terms and choose between an internship or thesis project in the summer term. The M.A. Program in Climate and Society requires a unique set of core classes especially designed for the program's students. The core provides a scientific basis for inquiry and stresses interdisciplinary problem solving. A professional development seminar, one social science elective, three general electives, and a choice between a summer internship or research thesis complete the required core.
Any approved course at the 4000 level or higher may be used to fulfill the social science elective course requirement in the fall term or to count as one of the three required general elective courses in the spring term. With permission of the program director, appropriate courses from other schools or departments (e.g., School of International and Public Affairs, Mailman School of Public Health, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science) may be counted toward the degree.
Fall Term
o Dynamics of climate variability and climate change
o Quantitative models of climate-sensitive natural and human systems
o Integrative Seminar on Climate and Society, I
o Professional Development and Internship Preparation
o Social Science Elective
Spring Term
o Integrative Seminar on Climate and Society, II
o Regional Climate and Climate Impacts
o General Elective I
o General Elective II
o General Elective III
Summer Term
o Summer Seminar
o Summer Research Project or Summer Internship
Students complete the twelve-month M.A. Program in Climate and Society in three semesters: autumn, spring, and summer. The schedule for the 2005-2006 academic year is:
Autumn Term: September 6 - December 22
Spring Term: January 17 - May 12
Tony Barnston Director of Forecast Operations Climate, Prediction, Dynamics; Lecturer (International Research Institute for Climate Prediction), Ph.D.
Volker Berghahn Professor (History), Ph.D., University of London , 1964.
Mark A. Cane Professor, Ph.D., MIT, 1975.
Anthony Del Genio Adjunct Associate Professor (NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies), Ph.D., UCLA, 1978.
Maxx Dilley Research Scientist, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University.
David Downie Associate Director, Program in Climate and Society; Director, Global Roundtable on Climate Change. Ph.D., University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), 1996.
Dana Fisher Assistant Professor (Sociology), Ph.D., University of Wisconsin (Madison), 2001.
Lisa Goddard Research Scientist, Lecturer (International Research Institute for Climate Prediction), Ph.D., Princeton.
James Hansen Associate Research Scientist Applications Research (International Research Institute for Climate Prediction), Ph.D.
Patrick L. Kinney Associate Professor (Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health), Ph.D., Harvard, 1986.
David H. Krantz Professor (Psychology), Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1964.
Klaus Lackner Professor (Earth and Environmental Engineering), Ph.D., University of Heidelberg (Germany), 1978.
Upmanu Lall Senior Research Scientist (Earth and Environmental Engineering), Ph.D., University of Texas, 1981.
Sylvie Le Blancq Assistant Professor (Environmental Health Sciences), Ph.D., London University, 1983.
Simon Mason Research Scientist Forecasting and Prediction Research (International Research Institute for Climate Prediction), Ph.D.
John C. Mutter Deputy Director/Associate Vice Provost of the Earth Institute at Columbia (Earth and Environmental Sciences), Ph.D., Columbia, 1982.
Mary Northridge Associate Professor (Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health), Ph.D., Columbia.
David Rind Adjunct Professor (NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies), Ph.D., Columbia, 1976.
Andrew Robertson Research Scientist (International Research Institute for Climate Prediction), Ph.D., University of Reading, 1984.
Cynthia Rosenzweig Research Scientist (NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies), Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, 1991.
Anji Seth Associate Research Scientist Climate Diagnostics, Modeling (International Research Institute for Climate Prediction), Ph.D., University of Michigan.
Shiv Someshwar Research Scientist, Lecturer (International Research Institute for Climate Prediction), Ph.D.
Awash Teklehaimanot Adjunct Professor (Epidemiology), Ph.D., Purdue University.
Madeleine Thomson Research Scientist (International Research Institute for Climate Prediction), Ph.D., University of Liverpool, 1989.
Mingfang Ting Doherty Senior Research Scientist: Lecturer, Ph.D., Princeton, 1990.
M. Neil Ward International Research Institute for Climate Prediction (IRI), Director of Decision Systems Research, Information, Training, Downscaling, Ph.D.
Paige West Assistant Professor (Anthropology, Barnard College), Ph.D., Rutgers University, 2000.
Stephen Zebiak, Senior Research Scientist (International Research Institute for Climate Prediction), Ph.D., MIT, 1984.
Tuition and Fees: Tuition for the 2005-2006 academic year total about $39,019. A complete list of applicable fees will be provided on your billing invoice.
Estimated Cost of Attendance 2005-2006 Academic Year: Three semesters of tuition (total tuition for the entire M.A. Program): $36,369; Fees (including health insurance): $2,650;
Living expenses: $15,000; Personal expenses: $4,000; Books/Supplies: $1,500; Total estimated cost of attendance for the entire degree: $59,519.
Financial Aid: Applicants to the program who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are typically eligible for federal Stafford student loans. All interested applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available at all colleges and high schools, and online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their FAFSA form. Following admission, all students who submitted a FAFSA form will be advised by the School of their eligibility for federal aid via an award letter with the forms and materials needed to apply for Stafford loans. Additional financing support in the form of private loans can help to meet the full cost of tuition. Students enrolled in the program are eligible to have prior federal student loans deferred during their term of study.
Scholarships: A limited number of full and partial scholarships will be available to students in this program for the academic year beginning in September 2005. Full scholarships will cover full tuition and fees (including health insurance) for the 2005-2006 academic year. Partial scholarships will cover a portion of tuition and fees.
In addition to scholarships, a number of program-related work opportunities will be available to all students in the program who are receiving financial aid.
Scholarships are granted on the basis of merit and need. There is no special application, other than the application to the program through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University. Scholarships are available to students on the basis of merit and need, regardless of citizenship. U.S. applicants should fill out the FAFSA form as soon as possible.
