Minor in Climate Change and Sustainability Policy
Overview
The development of this minor is a result of a funded project through a CONSORTIUM AGREEMENT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEMPUS PROJECT “Development of an Interdisciplinary Minor Program on Climate Change and Sustainability Policy-CLIMASP” (Reference No. 543879-TEMPUS-1-2013-1-GRTEMPUS-JPCR) (Grant Agreement No. 2013-5043/001-001).
CLIMASP minor curriculum is designed to provide undergraduate students from different majors the flexibility to select courses to enhance their interests in climate change and to enrich their major field of study with professional skills in climate change adaptation policies and planning.
CLIMASP offers students a unique inter/multidisciplinary understanding of climate change. It provides a shift from a strict disciplinary orientation focused on natural sciences to other issues related to science, engineering, education, economics, sociology, architecture, etc. In fact, choosing a minor combined with a major enables student to pursue an area of interest with considerable employment possibilities by acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills.
Mission and Objectives
Mission
The mission is to provide a quality education in Climate Change and Sustainability Policy that combines theory and practice for undergraduate students and to satisfy industry demand for graduates with special education in sustainability that helps them enter the market force or pursue graduate studies.
Objectives
- Develop capacity-building workshops for building interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder driven climate change curricula responsive to societal needs;
- Develop an undergraduate interdisciplinary program on climate change and sustainability policy in each partner country university;
- Integrate, implement and assess the CLIMASP program as an integral part to existing undergraduate academic degrees and;
- Contextualize the Europass supplement diploma in the partner universities and the region.
Student Learning Outcomes
Student Outcomes (SO) describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the time they graduate. These relate to the skills, knowledge, and behaviors that students acquire as they progress through the minor. CLIMASP aims at:
- Solving climate change and sustainability policy problems using knowledge of applied mathematics, science, and economics, etc.
- Acquiring analyzing, and using technical data to design for climate change and sustainability policy.
- Integrating professional, ethical, social, and environmental considerations into climate change and sustainability policy design and problem solving.
- Developing the ability to communicate results effectively and providing experience in team efforts.
- Acquiring the habit of continuous learning to maintain technical competence and keep abreast of contemporary issues.
Minor Requirements and Eligibility
Minor Eligibility
Students from the Adnan Kassar School of Business (AKSOB), School of Architecture and Design (SArD), School of Arts and Science (SAS), and the School of Engineering (SOE) may choose to enroll in the CLIMASP minor. Students can enroll in this minor in their second year of study.
Minor Requirements
- To obtain this minor, the student is required to complete a minimum of 30 ECTS (18 credits). The Minor consists of: (i) 3 core courses (9 credits representing one course from each concentration area), (ii) at least 1 Course from CA 1, (iii) at least 1 Course from CA 2, (iv) at least 1 Course from CA 3.
- To receive this minor, the student must achieve a CGPA of at least 2.0 in the student’s courses related to the Minor.
- Some of these courses may count towards fulfilling the requirements and technical electives components of their programs of study. As a result, a student is expected to complete less than the actual minor requirements.
- To obtain the Euro Arab Pass with this minor, the student is required to complete a minimum of 45 – 60 ECTS (27 – 36 credits). In this case, the Minor will consist of: (i) 3 core courses (9 credits representing one course from each concentration area), (ii) at least 1 course from CA 1, (iii) at least 1 course from CA 2, (iv) at least 1 course from CA 3, (v) in addition to the capstone and internship (15 ECTS or 9 credits).
- As for the capstone and internship (15 ECTS or 9 credits), the student is expected to pay for 3 credits for the capstone and 1 credit for the internship.
Minor Curriculum
The inter-multidisciplinary CLIMASP courses consist of core courses, elective courses, and a required capstone course in the three concentration areas, namely:
- Climate Change, Environment and Society;
- Climate Change, Economics and Public Policy; and
- Climate Change, Science and Technology.
As these courses are form an integral part of the participating disciplines curricula, the CLIMASP minor is invaluable to students seeking a meaningful and rewarding complement to their main field of study. Upon completion of the minor along with their major, students will be granted the EuroArab Pass diploma provided they fulfill 45 to 60 relevant European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits. The CLIMASP minor program is administrated by the same Interschool Steering Committee that worked on the development of the minor.
Course Offering
Students from CA1 have to take at least 2 courses from CA2 and 2 courses from CA3, according to their preferences (electives); the capstone course will be equivalent to 15 ECTS that will focus on an independent study/internship (9 credits). The capstone can be a combination of an internship and directed studies project.
| CLIMASP MINOR Option 1 (18 credits) | |
|---|---|
| CORE COURSES (9 CREDITS) |
ELECTIVE COURSES (9 CREDITS) |
| CA1: Climate Change, Environment and Society (1 course) | CA1: Climate Change, Environment and Society (1 course) |
| CA2: Climate Change, Economics and Public Policy (1 course) | CA2: Climate Change, Economics and Public Policy (1 course) |
| CA3: Climate Change, Science and Technology (1 course) | CA3: Climate Change, Science and Technology (1 course) |
| CLIMASP MINOR Euro-Arab Pass Option 2 (27 credits) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ELECTIVE COURSES | |||
| CA1: Climate Change, Environment and Society (1 course) | CA1: Climate Change, Environment and Society (1 course) | |||
| CA2: Climate Change, Economics and Public Policy (1 course) | CA2: Climate Change, Economics and Public Policy (1 course) | |||
| CA3: Climate Change, Science and Technology (1 course) | CA3: Climate Change, Science and Technology (1 course) | |||
| Capstone (15 credits) | Capstone** | Any CA (preferably CA 1) | ||
| Internship | ||||
| CLIMASP RECOMMENDED STRUCTURE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses (15 credits) | ||
| Course No. | Course Title | Cr. |
| CIE 522 | Environmental Impact Assessment | 3 |
| ECO320 | Environmental, Resource and Energy Economics | 3 |
| ENV230 | Sustainability in Practice | 3 |
| Elective Courses | ||
| CA1 Climate Change, Environment and Society (at least one course) | ||
| CA2 Climate Change, Economics and Public Policy (at least one course) | ||
| CA3 Climate Change, Science and Technology (at least one course) | ||
| Capstone (15 credits) | ||
| To be selected properly to meet the minimum concentration area requirements, if needed. | ||
| CA 1: Climate Change, Environment and Society | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course No. | Course Title | Cr. |
| ENV210 | Climate Change Risks to Ecosystems and Biodiversity | 3 |
| ENV211 | Conserving Biodiversity in a changing Climate | 3 |
| ENV222 | Social Aspects of Renewable Energy for Rural Development | 3 |
| CIE434 | Civil Engineering Profession | 3 |
| CIE 522 | Environmental Impact Assessment | 3 |
| EDU730 | Curriculum Design | 3 |
| CA 2: Climate Change, Economics and public Policy | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course No. | Course Title | Cr. |
| ENV223 | Financing Renewable Energy | 3 |
| ECO311 | Development Economics | 3 |
| ECO320 | Environmental, resource and Energy Economics | 3 |
| CIE525 | Environmental Policy and Management | 3 |
| CA 3: Climate Change, Science, and Technology | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course No. | Course Title | Cr. |
| BIO203* | Introduction to Ecology | 3 |
| BIO331* | Ecology | 3 |
| ENV200 | Introduction to Environmental Sciences | 3 |
| ENV220 | Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development | 3 |
| ENV224 | World Ocean Solutions | 3 |
| ENV225 | Energy In Buildings | 3 |
| ENV230 | Sustainability in Practice | 3 |
| ENV423 | Environmental Microbiology | 3 |
| DES523 | Environmental Systems I | 3 |
| DES524 | Environmental Systems II | 3 |
| MEE401 | Energy Systems & Sustainable Environments | 2 |
| MEE599 | Advanced Power Trains | 3 |
| MEE599J | Energy Audit | 3 |
| CIE424 | Water Distribution and treatment | 3 |
| CIE426 | Wastewater collection and treatment | 3 |
| CIE427 | Environmental Engineering - SOFT | 1 |
| CIE520 | Solid Wastewater Management | 3 |
| CIE521 | Hydrology | 3 |
| CIE526 | Environmental Remediation | 3 |
| CIE563 | Transportation Planning and Land Use | 3 |
| CIE582 | Infrastructures Management | 3 |
| CIE535 | Groundwater Hydrology and Pollution | 3 |
| CIE724 | Air Quality Management | 3 |
| CIE725 | Geo-Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| CIE730 | Irrigation and drainage Engineering | 3 |
| CIE788 | Fundamentals of GIS and Remote Sensing | 3 |
*Student may not take both BIO 203 and BIO 331 for credit (either one).
** Capstone Course (5 ECTS, equivalent to 3 credits)
Capstone Course [0-3, 3 cr.]
This course covers selected project using acquired technical knowledge, formal report, and presentation. The capstone project enables students to apply and synthesize the material learned in other courses, develop expertise in a specific topic related to the student concentration; work closely with experts in the field of study; and advance professional recommendations and solutions for implementation of climate change and sustainability policy. This course provides students with a design experience that is as close as possible to real life projects. Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor.
At the completion of the project, students will gain a fundamental understanding of alternative climate change and sustainability policy in their area of concentration and will be able to:
- Develop a case study of climate change and/or sustainable policy.
- Integrate knowledge and use various streams of knowledge and skills acquired in various courses, and concentrations.
- Describe the business requirements and success; and/or
- Critique past and current policies and codes.
Capstone Course Rules
Project topics can be faculty or student initiated. Faculty can post project topics for students to select from or receive project proposals from students. The project Template for proposing new academic programs 16 work can be individual or group project as approved by project advisor and program coordinator.
In the semester prior to conducting the project, students must identify a project topic and faculty advisor who is both familiar with the chosen topic and willing to guide and oversee the project. The student can also have a co-advisor from the student’s place of work or any expert with appropriate credentials.
Formal proposals must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the start of the semester in which the project is to be completed. The proposal must be approved by the minor coordinator prior to enrollment in the course. The project takes place over the course of one-semester and requires many hours of individual/group work (normally 6-8 hours per week). A faculty member can supervise no more than five projects in any one semester.
Deliverable 1 (Week 2): Communicate with instructor to define project topic.
Deliverable 2 (Week 6): Interim report.
Deliverable 3 (Week 13): Presentation.
Deliverable 4 (Week 14): Final report.
Grading Project Proposal: 10% Interim report: 30% Final Report: 30% Presentation: 30%.