Beginning this fall, University of California, Berkeley’s Rausser College of Natural Resources will begin accepting applications for a new Master of Climate Solutions degree.
The climate crisis exists in the space between science and industry, between governments and farmers, between theory and practice. It’s a place that’s hard to navigate and hard to get things done.
Starting from a multi-discipline foundation, courses will be led by experts from the university’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and the Energy and Resources Group.
“It is designed to bridge the gap between research, theory, and application,” said Mio Katayama Owens, the college’s assistant dean of international and executive programs. The 10-month, in-person program translates fundamental science for professionals.
What we really need are people spread throughout society and the economy who are in a position to take action on climate, and who are equipped with the tools to make the right choices.
James Sallee, professor and faculty director of the program
“New research on climate solutions is still critical, but we already know many of the things we need to do to address the climate challenge,” said James Sallee, a professor and faculty director of the program. “What we really need are people spread throughout society and the economy who are in a position to take action on climate, and who are equipped with the tools to make the right choices.”
What they’re looking for
The ideal candidate is someone who has three or more years of experience in the working world and wants to pivot their practice toward addressing climate, Sallee said.
“So much about climate relies on understanding quantitative facts to measure solutions,” he said. “We are looking for people who have touched the working world and are comfortable working with numbers or open to learning those skills.”
Students will have the option to select among three tracks: climate strategy and management, climate policy and politics or one that is self-designed. All students will do a year-long capstone program that gives them the opportunity to partner with real organizations across business, government and nonprofit sectors.
“We envision a situation where, for example, a city comes to us and says we have a climate action plan, but we don’t know how to deal with the importance of electric vehicle charging, or we don’t know how to think about climate adaptation issues,” Sallee said.
The university is also launching a new concurrent degree option in its Haas School of Business with retooled courses that incorporating thinking about climate change. In five semesters, students can earn both the Master in Climate Solutions and Master in Business Administration degrees. The next application deadline for the first MBA/MCS cohort is March 28.
