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Climate Science for Decision-Making (ATOC90002)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
Climate change is one of the most important issues of our time. This subject covers the basics of climate science - including climate change, natural variability, extremes, climate scenarios, and detection and attribution - and how this translates into impacts on society, ecosystems and economies. The subject focuses on the production of climate science and data and how its creation, analysis, and use informs decisions made from multiple perspectives and across multiple levels, including governments, industry and communities. The subject has a particular focus on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. To develop practical skills, students are required to apply knowledge from the course to develop and justify various stakeholder positions, policies, or business cases. Students will build climate profiles for relevant stakeholders in order to assess and debate how national or other circumstances frame responses at the local, state and international level.
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
- Identify the key components of the climate system, including their feedbacks, complexity and variability across a range of time-scales;
- Discuss the relevance of climate data, scenarios and uncertainties to decision-making;
- Analyse climate impacts on human and natural systems;
- Navigate and discuss climate science presented in the IPCC Assessment Reports, scientific peer-reviewed literature and the media;
- Debate differing international perspectives and policy options pertaining to climate issues; and
- Analyse and differentiate between climate policy positions based on varying understandings and uses of climate science.
Generic skills
- Demonstrate advanced independent critical enquiry and analysis and the ability to apply these in a negotiation setting;
- Apply a strong sense of intellectual integrity and ethics of scholarship;
- Produce high-level writing and verbal communication;
- Think critically and creatively, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning;
- Critically examine, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a range of disciplines; and
- Analyse and prepare evidence to support informed decision-making.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
This subject requires all students to actively and safely participate in laboratory activities. Students who feel their disability may impact upon their participation are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Subject Coordinator and Student Equity and Disability Support.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Analysis of each week's topic (8 x 250 words)
| Throughout the semester | 40% |
Written assessment/s - due Weeks 5, 9 and at the end of semester
| Throughout the semester | 40% |
Participation in a negotiation (session held during the final seminar)
| Week 12 | 20% |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Malte Meinshausen Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours One 3-hour participatory seminar per week Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 2 March 2020 to 7 June 2020 Last self-enrol date 13 March 2020 Census date 30 April 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 June 2020 Assessment period ends 3 July 2020 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
Students will be expected to devote 170 hours of study to this subject over the semester, including assessments and readings.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
TBA
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022