Requirements for Certificate in Climate, Justice, Health, and Sustainability

The certificate required a minimum of 12 credit hours from all five categories. To ensure students have the appropriate number of credits at the end of the certificate. After completing a course in each category, you can take an additional course in any category (A through D) to a total of 12 credit hours.

  • One course from Category A: Climate, Health Equity and Sustainability
  • One course from Category B: Climate Science and Climate Data
  • One course from Category C: Adaptation, Mitigation, Emergency Response, and Sustainable Systems
  • One course from Category D: Community Resilience, Advocacy and Planning
  • One course from Category E: Climate and Health Practice Opportunity

To fulfill the certificate requirements, all students must achieve a grade of ‘B’ or higher in each course.

Please search courses within Wolverine Access for the most up-to-date term offerings.

At least one of the following courses (in category A) 

  • EHS 596 Climate, Justice, Health and Sustainability (Winter, 2 credits)
  • EHS 672 Health and Sustainable Foods and Products (Winter, 3 credits)

At least one of the following courses (in category B)

At least one of the following courses (in category C)

Category E (1-credit) Capstone Course (see below) 
*Suitable unless already taken to satisfy another category

Students are required to take a 1-credit independent study capstone course – EHS 578 – and complete a capstone project. Students are encouraged to be creative in developing their projects (traditional and non-traditional avenues should be explored). Students can work with any faculty across UM to create their capstone projects. Capstone projects could include translational research or practice products focused on climate change and health. Products and projects must have prior approval by the certificate director. Acceptable products and projects include the following examples: 

a. Interaction with practitioners or stakeholders (e.g., community leaders) to understand their climate and health issues and needs (including utilization of research in nonacademic settings) 

b. Create population-facing resources and tools needed by the stakeholders (directly or indirectly) 

c. Projects exploring how the climate work of an NGO or governmental agency advances health equity (e.g., relationship to EJ, health disparities, global inequities). 

d. Creating a report that highlights translational research efforts (e.g., white paper, literature review) on a specific climate change and health outcome 

e. Development of curriculum, factsheets, or communication tools for the target group 

f. Conduct an organizational needs assessment including organizational barriers and constraints in climate change adaptation 

g. Develop an evaluation plan (including logic models with outcomes, indicators and metrics) 

h. Draft a climate change policy brief or policy evaluation 

i. Climate change and health-associated research (research that improves our understanding of how climate impacts health) 

j. Draft a risk assessment and risk management plan

k. Create action plans incorporating action-oriented strategies for just and sustainable solutions 

l. Outline a proposed health equity project plan. The capstone project can have a practice or research focus. Successful completion of the capstone project is required for the certificate.