Community Climate Adaptation

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

United States of America, Worcester

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949

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Worcester Polytechnic Institute

United States of America , Worcester

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Application Fee

USD 70

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake Deadlines24-Aug-2022

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 2 year(s)

Tuition Fee

USD 1,610 / credit

Next Intake 24-Aug-2022

Community Climate Adaptation

About

The Community Climate Adaptation MS degree program is a collaborative, research-based, joint-degree program offered through WPI's Department of Integrative & Global Studies (DIGS) and the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE). Students in the program will work within teams to use engineering, social science, and physical and biological science skills and expertise to address challenges of climate change impacts and capacities to adapt in communities around the world. Climate change is one of the Global Grand Challenges of our time. This problem doesn't separate well into silos; rather, climate change is perhaps best understood as an intensifier of a great number of existing problems. Communities from Worcester to Cape Town, and from Melbourne to Venice, are developing plans to help protect people and infrastructure from the impacts of a changing climate. From the Indian Himalaya to the Arabian deserts and from Icelandic glaciers to the Costa Rican cloud forest, the changing climate impacts each corner of the globe and is expanding many familiar community challenges to a scope and intensity unprecedented in historic memory. Research Research in the Community Climate Adaptation MS will involve teams of students who are situated at fieldwork sites in communities around the world. Students who will thrive in this program might come from technical or nontechnical backgrounds, and those with a wide range of academic and practical experience will bring their own expertise and perspectives to these collaborative projects. One-third of the credits in this graduate program will be earned with the team-based Graduate Qualifying Project (GQP) in which small groups of students engage with the global â€œGrand Challengeâ€ of climate change through the collaborative study of a specific topical theme that they examine with global scope and local implications. This transdisciplinary approach to community climate adaptation means that the research emphasis could range from water systems management, global health, or energy systems, to sustainable agriculture or collaborative resource or hazards management. Program Highlights A Team-based Approach As rapid global environmental change continues to have substantive effects worldwide, governments and civil society organizations need professionals who can address the technical, cultural, socioeconomic, and policy issues related to climate adaptation in a comprehensive and collaborative manner. Students from varied backgrounds and disciplines will build upon their knowledge together with faculty advisors and community partners connected with the resources, environment, climate, and people in a community or region. Using WPI's distinctive interdisciplinary, project-based educational approach, teams will develop place-based adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate change and engage in work that aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals in service of positive impacts at the local scale. Career Opportunities The specific program emphasis on Community Climate Adaptation supports graduates in acquiring theory and practice for jobs with NGOs, local/state governments, and other institutions or businesses. Today's communities must respond to actual and projected problems of infrastructure inadequacy; potential loss of land and economic assets; water resource and water quality impacts; differential health and social impacts; extreme weather events; coordination with multiple agencies; and compliance with local/state/federal policy decisions, as they navigate the environmental, policy, and built-environment constraints imposed by the reality of climate change. Addressing such problems will require innovative thinking about the technical, social-cultural, and economic dimensions of both problems and solutions, and this program is specifically designed to produce professionals trained for this 21st century career. Global Collaboration Students in the Community Climate Adaptation master's degree program will complete a minimum of 20 coursework credits and a 10-credit Graduate Qualifying Project (GQP) where they will partner with students, faculty, and community participants. The GQP offers an intensive project experience with breadth and depth across disciplines, sectors, and scale. Teams will collaborate with and work within communities and will be matched to amplify the collective team expertise and regional connections. Graduate Admissions Getting Admitted

Requirements

English Program Requirements

Any international applicant seeking to attend WPI on an F-1 student Visa must submit official TOEFL scores or IELTS scores. However, if applicants have two years of continuous full-time college study completed within the last five years, in a country whose official language is English, he or she can apply for a TOEFL/IELTS waiver.

TOEFLS are waived for individuals who have been in the US for three or more years working.

WPI requires a minimum TOEFL score of 84 or IELTS score of 7. The School of Business requires a GMAT score of 500 or its equivalent on the GRE. There are no minimum GRE scores, but the average for admitted international students over the past three years has been 150 verbal, 165 quantitative, and 3.0 analytical.

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

USD 1,610

Application Fee

USD 70

How to Apply

Are you wondering if WPI has the faculty expertise and the research opportunities you’re looking for? Are you curious to see if our graduate student community will give you the meaningful personal experiences and potential industry connections so important to you?

You want a grad school that helps you get ahead. From rigorous academic courses and labs to real-world work experiences and robust professional development—find out how WPI has everything you need.

1. Follow your passion

WPI has over 50 master’s and doctoral degree programs and a commitment to working across disciplines. Your impact will be greater thanks to meaningful collaborations with expert faculty and dedicated peers across campus.

2. Create your own journey

Can your love of biology and your penchant for numbers create a career-worthy, personalized academic path? Yes—you can do that at WPI. There are no silos here, and multidisciplinary study is the rule, not the exception.

3. Are we a good match?

Wondering if you’re a good candidate for WPI? Read over the application requirements or get in touch with the department or program you’re interested in. Sometimes it can be helpful to talk with grad admissions counselors—or come see us to get a feel for our beautiful hilltop campus.

4. Send in your application

If you think WPI sounds like a good place to advance your knowledge and reach your goals, use this interactive checklist to determine which documents you need. You can then start the application process by applying online. Call us if you have any questions or want to know more information before you start. Also check out Financial Aid information.

5. When will you know?

Each department works with Graduate Admissions on application decisions. When the decisions have been made, you’ll be notified by email as soon as possible. You’ll also hear from us about financial aid offers and enrollment deadlines.

6. Make it official

Once you receive an acceptance letter to WPI, you may login to accept your offer and start the process of joining the WPI community. Show your pride and get social. We love hearing from accepted students when they decide to join WPI.

7. Welcome to the herd!

We’re happy you’re joining WPI—congratulations on this decision! When you arrive for New Student Orientation, you’ll find a community of curious, innovative, and thoughtful students and faculty who share your high standards.