No matter your academic interests, you are bound to find climate change and sustainability courses at UMass Lowell to support your pathway.

Climate Change Initiative (CCI) faculty engage undergraduate, graduate, and post-doctoral students through a diversity of course offerings, research opportunities, and community engagement.

  • Developing and implementing effective solutions to environmental problems is a fundamentally political process. 

    The Political Science: Sustainability and Environmental Politics Concentration gives students an indispensable perspective on interactions between human societies and the natural environment. Students that major in Political Science and choose this Concentration engage with topics ranging from global environmental policy, comparative environmental politics across nations, obstacles to climate action, political communication, ethics and justice in environmental politics, and efforts to protect and restore biodiversity. Through their coursework and experiential learning, students will develop a nuanced understanding of the successes and constraints of policy, and will have the opportunity to develop their own solutions to the environmental challenges confronting us.

    The Biology: Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Option emphasizes organismal diversity, ecology, and evolution in courses with outdoor field experiences and hands-on lab courses. The EEOB Option is suited for students interested in professional or academic careers in conservation biology, veterinary medicine, environmental biotechnology, or graduate studies in ecology or evolutionary biology.

    The Environmental Science major (Bachelor of Science) has two options: Environmental Science and Geoscience. The Environmental Science option is for students focused on addressing human impacts on the environment and major environmental challenges including climate change, pollution, and sustainability. The Geoscience option is for students interested in the geologic environment including mineral resources, geochemistry, and paleoclimatology. Both Environmental Science and Geoscience options also provide training in hydrogeology, soil science, biogeochemistry, and geographic information systems (GIS).

    The Environmental Science: Sustainability Option (Bachelor of Arts) will help students build a strong foundation in environmental and sustainability science and the policy know-how to translate science into action. Courses cover natural and political sciences, economics, public health, and legal studies, equipping you for careers in environmental policy, governance, social equity, environmental sustainability, and climate change mitigation and resilience.

    The Liberal Arts: Environment and Society Concentration is an interdisciplinary concentration that provides students with the analytical and communication skills, as well as the scientific foundation needed to work in areas such as environmental planning, environmental policy, environmental philosophy, sustainable development, environmental education or social theory and the environment.

    The Meteorology & Atmospheric Science major is for students interested in meteorology, weather forecasting, climatology and air pollution, and fulfills the education requirements for federally employed meteorologists.

  • Climate Change and Sustainability is an interdisciplinary minor housed in the Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department. A student enrolled in this minor will gain an understanding of the basic science behind climate change as well as the social and economic consequences of climate change. Strategies for sustainability and climate adaptation will be addressed.
    • For more information you can contact Lori Weeden by email: Lori_Weeden@uml.edu (Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences).
    Energy Engineering allows students to attain a greater understanding of the role of energy in human society, establishing the basis for advanced studies and for addressing our most pressing energy challenges. This minor is offered for undergraduate degree programs and is particularly well suited to technical majors such as Mechanical Engineering and Physics.
    Environment and Society (E&S) is an interdisciplinary minor that provides students with analytical and communication skills, as well as the scientific knowledge needed to succeed in environmental policy, sustainable development, environmental education, environmental advocacy, and related fields. E & S students explore public policy, climate change, sustainability, resource rights, law and regulation, and the role of environmental issues in domestic and international conflicts. E&S students also engage in environmental research and service projects in collaboration with government agencies, non-profit groups, local businesses, and state and national parks.
    • For more information you can contact Vanessa Gray by email: vanessa_gray@uml.edu (Political Science).

  • The Energy Engineering program offers both Master's and Doctoral degrees, as well as a Graduate Certificate, in Energy Engineering. The Energy Engineering Program began over twenty-five years ago with a focus on solar energy, but over time has expanded to encompass several renewable energy technologies, including wind turbines, fuel cells and green combustion.
    The Environmental Studies master’s program at UMass Lowell provides students with a comprehensive education that includes policy, engineering and science. Customize your degree with a concentration in atmospheric science or geoscience. Students interested in weather forecasting, atmospheric pollution, wind energy and related topics should consider the atmospheric science option. Students interested in the geo- and environmental sciences should consider environmental geoscience. Numerous opportunities for experiential learning in the field are available.
    Marine Science and Technology - Students graduating with a MS or Ph.D. degree from the School of Marine Science receive a joint degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell. The degree programs are fundamentally grounded in a broad, integrated, interdisciplinary approach to the study of marine science. Students located at the four participating campuses are required to complete core courses in the areas of biological, physical, and chemical oceanography, as well as a course in policy/management to equip them for interdisciplinary studies and research before focusing upon an area of concentration.
    The Chemistry, Environmental Studies Option & Green Chemistry Options provide opportunity for advanced study and research training in chemistry, both general and specialized. Provision is made for the student to elect certain advanced subjects in related fields of mathematics, physics and engineering that address a wide array of topics related and focused on sustainability and environmental topics.
    The Physics, Atmospheric Sciences Option & Energy Engineering Options focus on sustainability, energy and climate change.
    The Sustainable Water Innovations in Materials – Mentoring, Education, & Research (SWIMMER) is a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship program at UMass Lowell that aims to train talented graduate students from multiple disciplines to transform the lifecycle of materials and their interaction with water ecosystems. Water resources are in a state of crisis both in the U.S. and globally, requiring multi-faceted solutions. Trainees will engage in technical and professional development to become skilled to address material and water challenges requiring technological innovation, understanding of socio-economic and political implications, and responsiveness to societal needs for environmental justice and inclusive decision-making.