Micro-Program in Climate Change

Program Not Currently Available

Please note that admission to the Micro-Program in Climate Change is currently suspended. We are not accepting applications for the Winter 2026 semester.

The most recent offering of the Micro-Program (Winter 2025) was delivered entirely online (synchronous) – with the exception of one course (ESG 561) which will be offered in hybrid (synchronous) mode for those who are able or interested in being on the Bishop’s campus.

Scholarships Available

Several merit-based scholarships were available for the Winter 2025 session courtesy of generous support from Énergir and a program alumnus. There is no formal application process, and candidates will be considered based on the strength of their application.

Program Description

Finding solutions to the problems brought on by climate change requires educating a new generation of global citizens well-versed in the concepts, issues, and challenges associated with such a complex topic. Bishop’s University has responded to this need by developing a new graduate-level Micro-Program in Climate Change. The new program, the first English-language program of its kind in Quebec, will offer instruction from leading experts on the science of climate change, its impacts, and strategies for its mitigation. At the end of the program, it is expected that students will be able to:

  • Take a position and provide evidence to support arguments concerning major issues in climate change science
  • Develop an understanding of the causes and effects of climate change on local, regional, and international scales, in major regions of the world (poles, tropics)
  • Articulate a range of plausible solution strategies to confront climate change in terms of adaptation and mitigation

Graduates of the Micro-Program will be well positioned to compete for jobs in both government and the private sector. Moreover, the Micro-Program could be used as a springboard for further study, whether it involves graduate school in a climate or environment-related field, or a professional degree such as law school or an MBA. Indeed, the Micro-Program has been designed so that it will provide students with a solid understanding of both the scientific and non-scientific aspects of climate change and thus will be highly applicable to a range of career options.

Courses Offered

The Micro-Program consists of a broad range of courses covering cutting-edge topics in climate change science. The selection of courses we teach varies from year-to-year. In the Winter 2025 semester, the program offered ESG 526, ESG 550, ESG 561, and ESG 570. To complete the Micro-Program, students will do three of these three-credit masters-level courses (for a total of nine credits).

At present, the courses are only offered in the winter semester of each year. Students may take all three courses in one semester, or take courses over a period of several years. Students who take all three courses in the same semester will be registered as full-time students at Bishop’s University as this is a graduate-level program.

The purpose of this course is to examine the nexus of agriculture and climate change. What are the impacts that climate change is having on agriculture, and what are the impacts that agriculture is having on climate change? We will examine climate change projections, changing agricultural practices, and their impact of food security. We will also learn agriculture’s role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and discuss how agroecological and regenerative approaches to agriculture can build resilient systems, and help people adapt to climatic changes.

Usual instructor: Dr. Darren Bardati

People living in cities remote from the sea often forget about the role of the oceans in their economy and in the climate system. The course will examine society’s relationship with the oceans, especially in coastal zones. Oceans are the site of many important human activities, and thus are sensitive to pollution and modifications brought by climate change. The goal of the course is to increase students’ awareness of the major environmental issues presently affecting the oceans and the challenges facing decision makers when dealing with the impacts of climate change on the oceans (e.g., sea level rise, saltwater intrusions into aquifers, fisheries, etc.).

Usual instructor: Dr. Elisabeth Levac

This course will explore climate justice through various lenses: climate justice as mounting crises, climate justice as an ethical concept, climate justice as a political commitment, climate justice as a scholarly research area, and climate justice as a global movement.

The polar environments, especially the Arctic, are undoing change at a rate far faster than most other regions. Change at the poles has happened in the past and will continue to have important consequences for all Earth’s systems. This course will examine the development of these extreme environments and examine what can be expected for the future.

Usual instructor: Dr. Alexandre Langlois, Département de géomatique appliquée, Université de Sherbrooke

A graduate-level lecture/seminar course offered by regular and visiting faculty on topics related to their research interests in climate and environmental change. Topics are determined by the instructor therefore content of the course varies year by year. The course will be offered on an occasional basis.

This course introduces the concepts of energy and power and their units and reviews energy sources, fossil fuels, their environmental impacts, and resource consumption. The basics of heat transfer, energy conversion, and its efficiency according to thermodynamics are covered (including the concepts of temperature, specific and latent heat, the first and second law of thermodynamics, heat engines, and thermal systems). Other topics discussed include electromagnetic and blackbody radiation, the greenhouse effect, the Earth’s energy balance, the basics of electromagnetism, and electric power. Radioactivity, nuclear energy, and renewable energy sources are introduced.

Usual instructor: Dr. Valerio Faraoni

This course attempts to provide an overview of the tropics as a unique environment and one that poses special problems to its human occupants. The working assumption in the course is that the tropics comprise a far too complex and heterogeneous environment for simple generalizations to apply. However, by gaining some understanding of how its component systems work, one can be in a better position to identify the appropriate questions to be asked and experiments to be performed, so that site-specific solutions can be developed for management problems in different parts of the tropical world. The course will provide a review of tropical climatology, soils, and biomes, in addition to discussing more applied issues such as forestry and agriculture.

Usual instructor: Dr. Matthew Peros

Climate change is expected to affect human health in numerous ways. The most obvious health impacts are those associated with thermal stress and extreme weather events such as floods and hurricanes (premature deaths, infectious diseases; diarrhoeal disease). Global warming will also be associated with a spread of vector-borne diseases (such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, Lyme disease, etc.) and increases in seasonal allergies. The shrinking of the natural world also means we live in greater proximity with the animal world, increasing the probability of new virus emergence and pandemics. The course will examine the overall impact of environmental degradation, displacement and loss of livelihood on the general physical and mental health of populations.

Usual instructor: Dr. Elisabeth Levac

Our Faculty

Admission Requirements

Please note: Admission to the Micro-Program in Climate Change is currently suspended. The following information is provided for reference only.

Applicants to the program were required to go to the Bishop’s University Online Application page, under the Graduate section. Eligibility included at least a B average in the last two years of an undergraduate degree. Application materials included official university transcripts, a CV, a statement of intent (max 400 words), and two letters of reference. Letters could be uploaded or emailed to: admissions@ubishops.ca.

The application deadline for the Winter 2025 semester was November 15, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.

All questions about the program can be sent to Laura Rezlescu at scienceadvisor@ubishops.ca.

Information for International Students

Please note: Admission to the Micro-Program in Climate Change is currently suspended. The following information is provided for reference only.

International students were welcome in the Micro-Program in Climate Change. The language of instruction was English. Applicants needed to submit proof of English-language proficiency directly from the testing organization. Accepted tests included:

  • TOEFL (minimum overall score of 237 for computer-based or 90 for internet-based testing)
  • IELTS (minimum overall score of 6.5)
  • MELAB (minimum overall score of 85)
  • CAEL (minimum overall score of 70)
  • Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) minimum score of C
  • Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) minimum score of C
  • Pearson Test of English: Academic (PTE: Academic) minimum score overall score of 61

International tuition and fees were approximately $6000 CAD (subject to change). Bishop’s University did not offer tuition waivers, but a few competitive scholarships were available.

As the Micro-Program was under 6 months in duration, no Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) or study permit was required.