Environmental Science of the Arctic
Gain the first-hand knowledge needed to debate one of the most controversial and critical global topics of our time.
Explore climate change theory through the lens of scientific climate history in the Arctic. See for yourself, alongside expert scientists in the field on your Study Tours, what is currently being researched in the changes occurring within the glaciers of Iceland, the ice sheet of Greenland, or the tundra of Arctic Norway.
IS THIS PROGRAM FOR YOU?
It’s a good fit if you study:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Environmental Science
- Geology
CORE COURSE OPTIONS
Climate, Glaciers, and Human Impact
Fall/Spring, 3 Credits
This course focuses on the natural science and societal aspects of climate change with emphasis on historic times. The course takes a journey from ancient times through to the present describing periods when the climate was strikingly different than it is today and revealing the mechanisms and feedbacks that govern the climate system. With Iceland as your case study, you gain a thorough understanding of general climate mechanisms, with a focus on the past 1,000 years and how civilizations have interacted with climate processes.
Week-Long Study Tour: Iceland
Core Course Week: Denmark
Prerequisites: One course in environmental or earth science at university level. One year of physics or chemistry at university level is recommended.
Ice Cores and Ice Ages
Fall/Spring, 3 Credits
This course focuses on the natural science aspects of climate change during the prehistoric times with focus on the glacial and the deglaciation. You gain an understanding of past climate variability, its underlying causes and mechanisms as a basis for separating natural and anthropogenic climate change and for making useful projections of future climate and assessing its impacts. The course focuses on pre-human times, and the 100,000 year old Greenlandic ice sheet provides an ideal case study.
Week-Long Study Tour: Greenland
Core Course Week: Denmark
Prerequisites: One course in environmental or earth science at university level. One year of physics or chemistry at university level is recommended.
Polar Biology
Fall/Spring, 3 Credits
In this course, you gain an understanding of biology of the polar areas, with a special emphasis on the Northern Hemisphere. You learn how organisms of the Polar Regions are evolutionarily adapted to cold terrestrial or marine habitats with strong seasonality. By studying theoretical and practical case studies, you gain insight into population dynamics and species richness within Denmark, and of the Arctic regions in Norway and Greenland.
Week-Long Study Tour: Arctic Norway
Core Course Week: Denmark
Prerequisites: One course in environmental or earth science at university level. One course in biology or ecology at university level is recommended.
Visit our website for a complete list of the 250 additional electives available to you!
