The Climate Change Studies Minor is designed to complement existing programs offered at the School of the Environment, including Major and Minor programs in Environmental Science, Major and Minor programs in Environmental Studies, and various Minor, Major and Specialist programs offered collaboratively with other academic units. The School also stewards and administers the Certificate in Sustainability on behalf of the Faculty of Arts & Science.
The minor in Climate Change Studies can be paired with the School’s existing programs, providing students with opportunities to add depth to their existing areas of study. Importantly, the minor can also be paired with many other programs offered at the St. George campus. The minor gives students from rich and diverse scholarly communities the opportunity to add a vitally important breadth dimension to their studies. The minor is relevant to those who plan to engage directly in sustainability, environmental, and climate change work beyond graduation, as well as for those who desire to bring a foundation of climate change knowledge to other fields.
The total number of credits required for completion of the minor is 4.0, of which 2.0 credits are required courses, 1.5 credits are electives at the 300+level, and the remaining 0.5 credit is a capstone course. Students have the opportunity to add an area of emphasis through one of three pathways; (a) ethics/thought/communication/culture, (b) civil society/policy/politics, or (c) economics/resources/science. The elective courses, drawn from units across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, provide students with an opportunity to engage with climate change from interdisciplinary perspectives.
This is a limited enrolment program.
Variable Minimum Grade
A minimum grade is needed for entry, and this minimum may change each year depending on available spaces and the number of applicants. Eligibility is based on the following criteria:
For students who have completed between 4.0 and 8.5 credits:
- ENV101H1 with a grade of at least 65%.
For students who have completed 9.0 or more credits:
- ENV222H1 with a grade of at least 65%.
Obtaining this minimum final grade does not guarantee admission to the program.
For more information, please email the School of the Environment’s Undergraduate Administrator at ug.office.env@utoronto.ca.
(4.0 credits, including 1.5 credits at the 300+ level)
1. ENV101H1, ENV222H1, ENV200H1, ENV301H1
Note: Students may request to substitute an alternate science course for ENV200H1 by e-mailing the Undergraduate Administrator at ug.office.env@utoronto.ca; CHM210H1, ESS262H1, EEB240H1, ENV237H1, ENV238H1, GGR314H1, or PHY392H1 are recommended courses.
2. 1.5 credits from one or more of the groups below:
- Ethics/ Thought/ Communication/ Culture: AFR460H1, ANT364H1, ENV333H1, ENV362H1, ENV464H1, PHL273H1, TRN312H1
- Civil Society/ Policy/ Politics: ENV350H1, ENV441H1, ENV465Y1, GGR332H1, GGR349H1, HIS300H1, JHU473H1, PHL273H1, POL384H1, POL413H1, TRN350H1
- Economics/ Resources/ Science: ECO314H1, ECO414H1, ENV237H1, ENV238H1, ENV335H1, ENV462H1, FOR302H1, FOR303H1, FOR310H1, FOR410H1, PHY392H1, PHY492H1, RSM436H1, RSM466H1, TRN350H1
Note: Since the elective courses above are offered by various academic units, students are encouraged to carefully check the prerequisites and enrolment indicators and controls for the courses before enrolling.
Students may request to substitute 0.5 credit from requirement 2 with an alternate course by submitting a nomination form including: (1) the relevant pathway; (2) the course code and description; (3) the course syllabus (for completed courses); (4) a brief rationale (500 words max.) addressing why this course belongs to the pathway(s) mentioned, how it addresses climate change, and how it fills a specific gap in personal learning objectives within the Minor.
3. One course from ENV450H1 or ENV465Y1.
Note: If students complete ENV465Y1, 0.5 credit from the course contributes to group B in requirement 2.
