Nov 10, 2024  
2024-2025 Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Catalog

Joint Major in Chemistry and Climate


Joint Major in Chemistry and Climate


Climate change is one of the grand challenges of our time and the field of chemistry has enormous potential to shape our collective future. Chemistry is central to many critical aspects of climate science and climate solutions, including innovations in clean energy technology, green materials, and improved representations of atmospheric and ocean systems in climate models across all scales. Chemical intuition supports the development of climate literacy, while coursework in climate science, impacts, interventions, and contexts adds breadth and perspective for students who wish to become knowledgeable in this highly interdisciplinary space.

Students pursuing the joint major in chemistry and climate will complete foundational coursework in chemistry, including laboratories, and will select chemistry electives that support their intended career path. Students will choose from a menu of climate courses that fulfill requirements across several dimensions of climate change. Foundational coursework in mathematics, computation, and physics will ensure students are prepared for advanced study in climate or chemistry programs.

Our program is distinct from an environmental chemistry or earth science 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.

Chemistry Courses


Climate Colloquium and Chemistry Seminar


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. 

 

This major is not an ACS-certified major; students wishing to obtain ACS certification can do so by taking both CHEM104 HM  and CHEM182 HM , a total of four chemistry laboratories, and a total of 8 credits of ACS in-depth chemistry electives. Students who wish to receive ACS accreditation in the joint major should speak with the Chemistry Department chair or associate chair.