Joint Major in Computer Science and Climate

Climate change is one of the grand challenges of our time and the field of computer science has enormous potential to shape our collective future. Computer science innovation expands the possibilities for many climate-relevant areas including climate justice, clean energy system infrastructure, earth system data retrieval, and climate prediction. Given the prevalence of large, complex datasets in climate science, computational thinking supports the development of climate literacy, while complementary coursework in climate science, impacts, interventions, and contexts adds breadth and perspective for students who wish to become knowledgeable in this highly interdisciplinary space. Our philosophy supports graduates who are human-factor conscious, ethics aware, and impact literate.

Students pursuing the joint major in computer science and climate will complete foundational coursework in the principles of computer science, data structures, discrete mathematics, and professional computing practices as well as either computer systems or algorithms, and will select computer science electives that support their intended career path. Students will also choose from a menu of climate courses that fulfill requirements across several dimensions of climate change. Foundational coursework in thermodynamics, along with a choice of additional STEM breadth will ensure students are prepared for advanced study in climate or related programs. And, joint majors will complete a course in human-centered thinking, supporting the philosophical goals of this program.

Our program is distinct from a green computing program - like all Hixon Center joint majors in climate, coursework in the joint major is designed to help students develop a holistic understanding of climate change, with emphasis on the interaction of physical and human systems.

Foundation Courses in Computer Science and Mathematics

Two Kernel Courses in Computer Science

3 Credits of Computer Science Electives

The joint major requires three credits of upper-division Computer Science electives (numbered 100 or higher, and other than colloquium and Clinic which are also required for the major). A student taking CSCI144 HM /MATH164 HM must decide whether they would like to count it toward fulfilling their Computer Science elective requirement or their Climate foundational requirement; it cannot be used to satisfy both requirements. Courses cannot be double counted within the major.

The following courses have been approved to be taken as electives toward the Computer Science and Climate joint major. This list is not exhaustive, and students should discuss other possible elective courses with their faculty advisor:

Three Foundational Climate Courses

Thermodynamics: CHEM051 HM - Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics and Kinetics or ENGR082 HM - Chemical and Thermal Processes or PHYS117 HM - Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics
and
Choose 2 courses from the following (each course must be from a different bulleted list below):
- Probability and/or Statistics: MATH056 HM , MATH062 HM , MATH052 CM/PZ, MATH057 PO, MATH058 PO, MATH151 PO, MATH152 PO, PHYS117 HM , BIOL154 HM
- Electricity and Magnetism: PHYS051 HM
- Differential Equations: MATH082 HM , MATH102 PO/PZ/SC, MATH111 CM/SC
- Computational/Numerical Methods/Scientific Computing: CHEM080 HM , PHYS064 HM , PHYS105 KS, PHYS170 HM , CSCI144 HM , MATH164 HM , MATH165 HM , MATH264 CG, ENGR176 HM

Five Climate-Area Courses

CLES101 HM - Climate Dynamics
and
CHEM170 HM - Chemistry of the Oceans and Atmosphere or an approved substitute Climate Impact course (see note at the bottom of this page)
and
CLES120 HM - Games for Climate Change Literacy or CHEM192 HM or ENGR147 HM or PHYS147 HM (students who take CHEM192, ENGR147, or PHYS147 will need to take one additional credit to complete this major requirement)
and
POST114 HM - Comparative Environmental Politics or POST140 HM or POST168 HM or SOSC180 HM or ECON146 HM (this course may be double counted toward the HSA requirement)
and
ENGR180 HM - Human Centered Design or EA 185 PO

Colloquia & Capstone

Two semesters of Computer Science Colloquium:
CSCI195 HM - Computer Science Colloquium (should be taken in the junior or senior year)
and
Two semesters of Climate and Environmental Science Colloquium:
CLES199 HM - Climate and Environment Colloquium
Students studying abroad during their junior or senior years are excused from one semester of the Computer Science Colloquium requirement for each semester abroad.
and

6 credits of Computer Science Clinic:
CSCI183 HM - Computer Science Clinic I
CSCI184 HM - Computer Science Clinic II

Note:

New courses are coming online each year that expand the possible courses a student can take to fulfill major requirements. Major advisors have the full list of courses that can fulfill these requirements. Students are encouraged to speak with their major advisor to determine if a course will satisfy a requirement. These courses might include new climate courses developed at Harvey Mudd (primarily with the CLES course code), and appropriate courses offered by other Claremont Colleges.