Recognizing both the critical nature and complexity of the climate and growth challenge, the University of Chicago formed the Chicago Curriculum on Climate and Sustainable Growth—a pioneering new approach to energy and climate education led by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth. The unparalleled Chicago Curriculum recognizes that to understand the climate and sustainable growth challenge, students must grapple with its foundational elements, complexities, and tradeoffs using a 360-degree approach. 

A Comprehensive Foundation in Climate and Energy

The Chicago Curriculum starts with a foundational set of courses that explore the climate and growth challenge from all angles. The courses range from climate science, economics and politics to energy technologies, humanistic approaches to climate, international perspectives and climate impacts and adaptation.

Experiential Learning

Fostering learning beyond the classroom is an essential component of what makes the Chicago Curriculum truly unique. That is why, after taking a set of foundational courses that explore the climate and growth challenge from all angles, students will take this toolkit of knowledge with them as they travel to several locations key to understanding global perspectives surrounding the climate and sustainable growth challenge. 

For example, students could go to rural India or sub-Saharan Africa to experience life with little electricity and see what it is like to live on the frontline of climate damages; to West Texas to see the potential local economic benefits and pollution challenges of living in an energy boom town; to New York City to meet with capital allocators who are focused on private returns to their investments; and to national capitals around the world to meet with policymakers and witness how they balance the costs and benefits of climate policies. 

Specializations

Once students have a strong foundation of knowledge in all aspects of the climate and sustainable growth challenge and a widened perspective, they go on to specialize in areas of interest such as climate science, economics and politics, technology, or finance. This allows students to gain an in-depth understanding of a discipline they’re interested in pursuing for a career. 

Modular Design for Adoptability

A carefully developed modular design allows the Chicago Curriculum to be adopted by other universities and used in multiple contexts. In this way, the Curriculum not only fundamentally alters students’ understanding of the world’s climate and energy challenge and the solutions needed to address it, but also profoundly and globally alters climate and energy education and ultimately the workforce through an engaged network of domestic and foreign universities.

Degree Programs