This US University Requires Students to Study Climate Change

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The Geisel Library at the University of California in San Diego
At UC San Diego, students must now take a climate change course in order to graduate. We ask: should climate education become mandatory around the world?

UC San Diego has taken a bold step in academic policy by introducing mandatory climate change education for incoming students. Beginning in the autumn of 2024, around 7,000 students will be required to complete coursework that contains at least 30% climate-related content.

The university's new climate curriculum covers four key areas:

  • The scientific foundations of climate change
  • Its human impacts
  • The strategies that can be used to mitigate it
  • Project-based learning, designed to give students some practical foundations in climate studies.
San Diego's University of California will be the very first college to make climate studies a requisite of graduation

How this new system is going to work

The university has carefully designed this requirement to integrate seamlessly into existing graduation pathways, insisting it won't overextend students. By the sounds of things, students will be able to fulfil these new requirements by taking just one course or academic module, which lasts for a quarter of the academic year. 

Some of the climate-adjacent courses that UC San Diego is offering include The Astronomy of Climate Change and Indigenous Approaches to Climate Change. Importantly, many of these courses also fulfil diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements, so these courses will provide students with ways to meet multiple graduation criteria.

Gen Z are more climate conscious than any generation before

Addressing Gen Z's climate concerns

This initiative aligns with growing climate awareness among younger generations. Recent data shows that 85% of Gen Z are significantly concerned by climate-related issues, far more than any other age group.

The university's approach responds to this generational shift, preparing students for a future where climate considerations will likely impact their career paths.

Climate education: A necessity for the future

According to a recent survey of LinkedIn's vast global database, the demand for green skills in professional settings has never been higher. The study suggests that unless education and training is suitably ramped up, the demand for green talent will outstrip supply twice over by 2050.

Therefore, having compulsory training in climate studies will stand the students in excellent stead for the future of the working world.

Luc Lapointe is the CEO and founder of The BC Lab, an organisation that finds funding to achieve the UN SDGs. He believes that UC is "taking the lead" by implementing this mandatory education. "Let's see how many universities follow the lead from San Diego," he says.

Luc Lapointe, CEO and founder of The BC Lab | Credit: Luc Lapointe

Likewise, Thomas Hügli, Senior Sustainability and Biodiversity Expert at AXA, believes the new measures will "better prepare students for a future shaped by climate change".

Thomas Hügli, Senior Sustainability and Biodiversity Expert at AXA | Credit: AXA

Should climate education be mandatory?

The UC San Diego initiative raises an important question: should climate change education become a universal requirement in higher education?

Well, if the LinkedIn survey is anything to go by, then this education will be more than valuable.

There's also a real need for informed civic participation in climate-related policy decisions. If governments are making critical decisions that could impact our planet's health, then the electorate should be able to understand and engage in climate discourse.

There's also a glaringly obvious argument to be made in favour of climate education: the effects of unfettered climate change will be universal, so why shouldn't climate action education be universal too?

Still, there are some arguments against the directive, including potential ideological concerns and questions about academic freedom. But despite these challenges, the pressing nature of climate issues and their widespread impact across disciplines suggest that some form of climate literacy may become increasingly necessary for preparing students for future challenges.

Sarah Gille is an oceanographer and she was part of the committee responsible for creating UC San Diego's new plan for climate education.

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She is focused on the San Diego project for now, but certainly hopes to see it expanded across the US in the coming years.

“If we can do something that’s bigger, we can potentially create a generation of college graduates who are better prepared for the future.”

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