The Washington University Climate Change Program (WUCCP) has compiled courses into climate-related guides to provide students who are interested in these topics with suggested courses that can be taken along any course of study. The Climate Curricular Guides are simply meant to assist students in course selection. There are no requirements for completion.

Courses in the Climate and Ecology Guide have been compiled to provide all students interested in ecology and climate change with a guide to relevant areas of study. We have included a wide range of courses from different schools and disciplines in order to provide various lenses through which climate change and its implications can be understood. We encourage you to look at courses both within and outside your school or major and encourage you to look at the specific course descriptions as you determine if a course may fit within your course of study.

Contact Information

If you have any questions feel free to contact the Climate and Ecology Guide leads Prof. Kim Medley, Director of The Tyson Research Center, at kim.medley@wustl.edu, Prof. Jonathan Myers, Associate Professor of Biology, at jamyers@wustl.edu, or Prof. Eleanor Pardini, Assistant Director and Senior Lecturer of Environmental Studies, at epardini@wustl.edu.

Please note:

  • Each course will vary in the amount of time dedicated to climate and ecology — please look at the course description and at our Curriculum Database for guidance.
  • Not every listing will directly relate to climate and ecology. Some classes may instead develop skills needed to tackle climate change as it relates to ecology.
  • Some courses may require prerequisites.
  • *Capstone courses are noted with an asterisk. Capstone courses often integrate project work. Some projects may be related to Ecology. Please check with the instructor. 
  • **Graduate courses are noted with a double asterisk. Not all graduate courses are open to undergraduates; please check with the instructor.

This is a work in progress. If we are missing a course, let us know! Please email climatechange@wustl.edu.

College of Arts and Sciences

Anthro 3030

Introduction to Human Ecology

Anthro 3181

Humans and Animals

Anthro 3618

Urban Ecological Anthropology

Anthro 3660

Primate Ecology, Biology, and Behavior

Anthro 3662

Primate Conservation Biology

Anthro 3880

Multispecies Worlds: Animals, Global Health, and the Environment

Anthro 4211

Paleoethnobotany and Ethnobotany

Anthro 4285

Environmental Archeology

Anthro 428W

Original Research in Environmental Anthropology

Anthro 434

Behavioral Research at the St. Louis Zoo

Anthro 481

Zooarchaeology

BIOL 1811

First-Year Opportunity: Research and Conservation in Zoos and Botanical Gardens

BIOL 2431

Ampersand: Pathfinder – A Sense of Place: Discovering Missouri’s Natural Heritage

BIOL 2950

Introduction to Environmental Biology

BIOL 2960

Principles of Biology I

BIOL 2970

Principles of Biology II

BIOL 3041

Plant Biology and Genetic Engineering

BIOL 3220

Woody Plants of Missouri

BIOL 347

Darwin and Evolutionary Controversies

BIOL 3501

Evolution

BIOL 370

Animal Behavior

BIOL 373W

Laboratory on the Evolution of Animal Behavior (Writing Intensive)

BIOL 381

Introduction to Ecology

BIOL 4023

How Plants Work: Physiology, Growth, and Metabolism

BIOL 4181

Population Genetics

BIOL 4182

Macroevolution

BIOL 419

Community Ecology

BIOL 4193

Experimental Ecology Laboratory

BIOL 4195

Disease Ecology

BIOL 472

Behavioral Ecology

BIOL 4936

Seminars in Ecology and Evolution

Chem 105

Introductory General Chemistry I

Chem 106

Introductory General Chemistry II

Chem 111A

General Chemistry I

Chem 112A

General Chemistry II

Chem 151

General Chemistry Laboratory I

Chem 152

General Chemistry Laboratory II

Chem 261

Organic Chemistry I with Lab

Chem 262

Organic Chemistry II with Lab

EnSt 115

Introduction to Conservation Biology

EnSt 250

One Health: Linking the Health of Humans, Animals, and the Environment

EnSt 364

Field Methods for Environmental Science

EnSt 365

Applied Conservation Biology

EnSt 375

Urban Ecology

EnSt 380

Applications in GIS

EPSc 108A

Oceans and the Atmosphere

EPSc 109A

Quantitative Reasoning in Environmental Science

EPSc 111

Introduction to Global Climate Change In the 21st Century

EPSc 201

Earth and the Environment

EPSc 323

Biogeochemistry

EPSc 385

Earth History

EPSc 386

The Earth’s Climate System

EPSc 413

Introduction to Soil Science

EPSc 429

Environmental Hydrogeology

EPSc 444

Environmental Geochemistry

EPSc 486

Paleoclimatology

Phil 235F

Introduction to Environmental Ethics

Brown School of Social Work

MPH 5005**

Environmental Health

MPH 5323**

TPS: Climate Change and Public Health

Interdisciplinary Programs

BEYOND 101

Earth’s Future: Causes and Consequences of Global Climate Change

BEYOND 140

To Sustainability and Beyond: People, Planet, Prosperity (P3)

McKelvey School of Engineering

EECE 210

Introduction to Environmental Engineering

EECE 311

Green Engineering

EECE 407

Environmental Biotechnology

EECE 505

Aquatic Chemistry

EECE 531

Environmental Organic Chemistry

Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts

LAND 501**

Landscape Architecture Design Studio III

LAND 502L**

Landscape Architecture Design Studio II: Planning and Preservation

LAND 541A**

Plants & Environment

LAND 551A**

Landscape Ecology

LAND 553**

Integrated Planting Design

LAND 560A**

Trees, Soils, and Systems: Introduction to Arboriculture