Minor in Climate Change & Society

Available Spring 2026

Students can begin taking courses for the minor in Climate Change and Society. In Spring 2026 students can meet with an Academic Advisor to declare the minor. See your Academic Advisor for support.

Minor Description

Climate change is the most serious challenge of our lifetimes, posing existential risks to ecological, economic and social systems on local, national and global scales. 聽This interdisciplinary minor curriculum supports students in understanding and responding to the challenges of climate change and in particular, to the environmental injustices that exacerbate its impacts and should drive our interventions. 聽

The minor includes core courses that introduce the scientific, social, political, health, and economic dimensions of climate change, and course options that involve students in developing solutions such as greenhouse gas mitigation strategies, climate adaptation projects, community engagement and support. Students in the Climate Change and Society minor will receive foundational training to support their understandings of the dimensions of the climate crisis, as well as fundamentals in environmental and social justice.

Students who may benefit from this minor include:

  • Students who want to develop specializations in understanding the impacts of Climate Change
  • Students who are looking for ways to signal a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary solution-based thinking
  • Students who are interested in aspects of climate change and possible responses by society

Students are advised to pursue minor coursework early in their studies to ensure enough time to meet core requirements. Not all courses listed below are offered on a regular basis or available to all majors.

Minor Requirements

CCS Core (15 credits)

Understanding Earth鈥檚 Climate System (5 credits) 鈥� take one of the following:

  • BEARTH 155聽Introduction to Climate Science
  • BEARTH 310聽Fundamentals of Weather and Climate
  • BEARTH 320聽Impacts of Climate Change

Climate Change and Social Justice (5 credits)鈥� take one of the following:

  • BIS 304聽Political Economy and the Environment
  • BIS 307聽Environmental Justice
  • BIS 356聽Ethics and the Environment

Responding to the Climate Crisis (5 credits) 鈥� take one of the following:

  • BEARTH 341聽Natural Hazards and Human Disasters
  • BIS 386聽Climate Change Adaptation Policy
  • BIS 456聽Climate Anxiety, Grief and Resilience

10 Credits of CCS Elective Coursework

Students can select 2 courses (10 credits) from the list below, without duplicating a core course.

  • B BIO 130 Introduction to Marine Life
  • BEARTH 155 Introduction to Climate Science
  • BEARTH 201 Mapping the Earth System
  • BEARTH 202 Modeling Global Systems
  • BEARTH 310 Fundamentals of Weather and Climate
  • BEARTH 318 Hydrogeology
  • BEARTH 320 Impacts of Climate Change
  • BEARTH 341 Natural Hazards and Human Disasters
  • B EDUC 493 Environmental Education
  • BES 362 Introduction to Restoration Ecology
  • BES 440 Remote Sensing of the Environment
  • BHLTH 320 Human Health and the Environment
  • BHLTH 411 Environments and Health
  • BHLTH 422 Native Art and Healing
  • BHLTH 423 Global Health: Critical Perspectives
  • BHLTH 429 Global and Local Health Inequalities and Interventions
  • BHLTH 430 Health Policies and Politics in a Global Context
  • BHLTH 444 Disaster Preparation: Promoting Community Resilience
  • BIS 185 Art and Climate Change
  • BIS 242 Environmental Geography
  • BIS 243 Introduction to Environmental Issues
  • BIS 246 Introduction to Sustainability
  • BIS 304 Political Economy and the Environment
  • BIS 307 Environmental Justice
  • BIS 356 Ethics and the Environment
  • BIS 359 Principles and Controversies of Sustainability
  • BIS 360 Pollinator Diversity and Conservation
  • BIS 386 Climate Change Adaptation Policy
  • BIS 392聽Water and Sustainability
  • BIS 395 Environmental Change in Washington State
  • BIS 405 Environmental Education
  • BIS 406 Urban Planning and Geography
  • BIS 408 Critical Physical Geography
  • BIS 456 Climate Anxiety, Grief and Resilience
  • BIS 458聽Energy, Environment and Society
  • BIS 459聽Conservation and Sustainable Development
  • BIS 468 Human Rights and Sustainable Development
  • BST 210 Social Justice in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
  • BST 446 Sustainable Energy
  • BST 445 Political Economy of Energy
  • B BUS 120 Introduction to Social Enterprise
  • B BUS 460 Sustainable Business

CCS Minor Policies

  • 15 credits of the Minor must be completed at 56吃瓜网 Bothell
  • 15 credits of the Minor must be upper division coursework (300-400 level)
  • No more than 10 credits can overlap with a student’s major

Questions?

If you have questions regarding the Minor in Climate Change & Society, please contact your Academic Advisor