Yale Online Climate Change and Health Certificate Program

Yale Online Climate Change and Health Certificate Program for Working Professional

Overview

The Yale School of Public Health’s Online Climate Change and Health Certificate Program for working professionals provides a deep dive into three domains those in public health and related fields must master to help their communities and organizations address the adverse health impacts of climate change:

• An overview of climate change and health
• Climate change adaptation
• Climate change health behavior and risk communication

All components of the Climate Change and Health Certificate are online; there are no residential requirements. Learners will experience a blend of asynchronous (content viewed at their own pace) and synchronous (live discussions with faculty and peer) instruction to ensure a rich learning experience while providing the flexibility learners need to balance coursework with their careers.

Each week you can expect to spend about 5-7 hours working on the course. This weekly time commitment will be divided among the following activities:

• Viewing lecture videos
• Participating in discussion boards and learning activities
• Reading 2 to 3 articles
• Participating in required real-time small group discussions with faculty
• Completing short assignments.

After completing this program, learners will be able to:

• Explain the health impacts of climate change and the near-term benefits of mitigating greenhouse gases;
• Discuss the specific climate change and health issues faced by the Caribbean, South Asia, or Sub-Saharan Africa;
• Devise adaptation strategies to increase community or organizational resilience to the health consequences of climate change and improve health equity; and
• Communicate effectively about climate change and health to enhance adaptive capacity, motivate positive changes in climate-related behaviors, and promote civic engagement to support systemic change.

Overview of Courses

Introduction to Climate Change and Health: This course covers the basics of climate change and its adverse impacts on public health. It explores adaptation and mitigation strategies to reduce health risks and highlights their non-climate health benefits. The course has a focus on vulnerability and health equity.

Region-Specific Short Courses: These courses give learners the opportunity to focus on one of three regions of the world: South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, or the Caribbean. Following this course, students will be familiar with region-specific needs, concerns, and opportunities.

Climate Adaptation for Human Health: This course explores climate change adaptation strategies, focusing on health and equity. It covers defining key terms, using data to prioritize opportunities, and evaluating strategies at local national, and international levels.

Communicating Climate Change and Health: This course teaches effective communication about climate change and health, focusing on engaging diverse audiences in adaptation, mitigation, and advocacy. It covers best practices, challenges, and strategies for impactful climate conversations.

Key Dates & Deadlines

• Scholarship deadline: March 14, 2025
• Application deadline: March 28, 2025
• Admissions decisions: Rolling — apply early to secure your spot!
• Classes begin: March 31, 2025

Program Schedule

Spring 2025

The certificate consists of three six-week courses and one region-specific, three-week short course. The courses blend independent and real-time online learning.

Scholarships

Scholarships for completion of the certificate will be awarded based on merit to outstanding professionals working with low-income communities or those residing in low- and lower-middle income countries. Details on the scholarship process can be found in the application.

How to Apply

To apply to the certificate program, you must submit:

• A completed online application form
• A short personal statement
• Your resume or CV

Visit our Application Portal and click “Submit Application” to get started. Once you create a profile on Yale’s Global Learner Access Support System (GLASS) system, you may start the application and return to complete it at any time.

Official Announcement

Sagun Paudel, 2021-2022 (Alumni)

Climate Change and Health

• Environmental Health & Climate Change – Public Health Update
• Climate Change and Migration Archives | Public Health Update
• Health National Adaptation Plan (NAP) – Climate Change 2023-2030
• Climate Change Policy
• COP28 UAE Climate and Health Declaration
• Health must be front and centre in the COP27 climate change
• WHO unveils framework for climate resilient and low carbon
• COP28: Summary of the initiatives and financial commitments
• National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for Climate Change

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