Climate Science at Durham University

Anthropogenic climate change and humanity’s response to it will define life on the planet for billions of people. The United Nations states that climate change is ‘the defining issue of our time’. Despite this there are few undergraduate degrees that focus on the broader climate problem: this course uniquely offers a big-picture approach that encompasses an appreciation of both recent climate and palaeoclimate change, and of the impact of climate change on earth and human systems. It provides a holistic perspective of climate science, and equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to lead society towards the mitigation of this emergency.

The degree acknowledges the breadth of the field of climate science by providing you with both the fundamentals and increased specialisation as you progress through the degree. Unlike other undergraduate courses that focus on a single aspect of climate science (e.g. meteorology), the Climate Science BSc course provides you with a solid background in diverse aspects of climate science that span geological time. The degree delivers opportunities to study the physical aspects of climate change, how past climates are reconstructed, the carbon cycle, geochemistry within a climate context, numerical modelling, physical geography (including glaciology), environmental geoscience, and the politics surrounding modern climate change. This allows you to choose a pathway through the degree of most interest to you. The degree is consistent with the relevant QAA Subject Benchmarking Statement criteria for Earth Science, Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies.

You will graduate with a thorough understanding of the climate problem and will have the scientific background needed to become informed leaders in society and business,or to thrive in postgraduate study. The degree will impart climate-specific knowledge, alongside transferable skills in mathematics, scientific writing, informatics, policy, critical analysis, and project management.