UAlbany Introduces Three Environmental and Climate Science Majors

By Mirai Abe丨October 6, 2025

Photo Credit: Mirai Abe | The ASP

The University at Albany introduced three new academic programs: a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, and master’s and doctoral programs in climate science.  

The Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences (DAES) in the College of Arts and Sciences has received approval from the New York State Education Department to start the programs this semester.  

The programs were established to help educate and prepare future leaders to address the world’s rapidly changing climate and environmental challenges, according to the department chair. 

“UAlbany’s new programs in environmental studies and climate science allow students to study the interdisciplinary aspects of the environment and carry out world class research in climate science, training them to address some of the most challenging issues facing our planet,” said Kristen L. Corbosiero, the chair of DAES. "The Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences is providing students in these degree programs with experiential educational experiences and training opportunities that are preparing them for careers now and into the future.”

The undergraduate program in environmental studies requires 68 to 69 credits. It includes courses in several subjects, such as biology, chemistry, physics, statistics, and atmospheric and environmental sciences. 

“In the environmental studies program, in addition to learning about the kind of physical and biological sciences of the environment, students also can learn about the environment from other perspectives,” said Justin R. Minder, undergraduate program director of DAES in an interview. “From perspectives of public policy or from a perspective of history or anthropology, how societies interacted with the environment in the past and so on.”

Minder says UAlbany's environmental studies program offers “a strong understanding of the scientific parts of the environment,” as the department consists of faculty who are trained as scientists, helping educate students extensively in that field. 

Corbosiero added that her faculty members exhibit extensive knowledge in both academic and field experiences.

“Our classes are taught by world-renowned scientists, who are experts in their field,” Corbosiero said, “but also passionate about education and teaching the next generation of environmental and climate scientists.”

The bachelor’s program adopts an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to give students flexibility, while making sure they also acquire a strong foundational knowledge of science. 

“For those students, it’s important to learn the science, but they also need to see how the science fits in, again, with the public policy, with the politics, with all these different aspects of it,” Minder said. 

The environmental studies program also offers internships, fieldwork and research opportunities. Students can find these through a number of local organizations, such as the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority, and interdisciplinary research channels at UAlbany. 

DAES also offers opportunities for students to gain research experiences in its laboratory with faculty members, as in the past students studied renewable energy and air pollution in labs and did research about an endangered butterfly with Pine Bush Preserve, according to Minder.

The opportunities for environment-related occupations are on the rise both in the public and private sector, according to the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences website. Individuals not only with expertise in environmental science, but also with knowledge about various areas of subjects, such as business, communications, analysis, policy are highly demanded in the industry. 

The new bachelor’s program in environmental studies is designed based on this trend, and offers coursework that prepares students to thrive in the workforce. Students can gain more rigorous and professional skills by pursuing a master’s or PhD program in climate science.

“There are a handful of programs across the U.S. that offer advanced graduate studies in these areas, but in many cases, those studies take place within broader programs in atmosphere or ocean science,”  said Brian E. J. Rose, graduate program director and associate professor in DAES. “Climate Science as a distinct field of study is relatively new, and there are still very few graduate programs specifically targeted that way.”

Students in the climate science graduate programs can choose an expertise in climate dynamics or climate chemistry and physics. They will then conduct research in areas such as climate modeling, atmospheric chemistry, polar environments, paleoclimate reconstruction, ocean-atmosphere interactions, renewable energy, urban climate and applications of machine learning. 

“We are always looking for talented new graduate students, and most of our students receive full funding support while pursuing their graduate degrees,” Rose said. “Motivated students with solid quantitative skills and undergraduate backgrounds in physics, chemistry, atmospheric science or environmental science might find a home in our climate science graduate program.”

Students in the master’s program must complete a two-year study and a research-based thesis. Doctoral students in the climate science program must complete advanced coursework and original research leading up to a dissertation. 

Rose said graduate students can conduct research on various themes, such as the Arctic and Antarctic, tropical rainforests, midlatitude mountain ranges, or the global oceans by working closely with globally renowned faculty advisors.

Corbosiero said reactions from students and the local community have been positive. 

“We have several students enrolled already in the programs’ first year, and we expect strong growth over the next several years,” Corbosiero said. “The positive response and expected growth are due to students wanting to gain the knowledge and skills to solve the major environmental and climate problems we, as a society, are facing.”