Climate Change and Health

Our warming planet presents a growing threat to public health and will continue to generate increasingly severe impacts on the health of our communities. Leaders in the fields of domestic and global health such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Public Health Association and the World Health Organization have identified addressing the impacts of climate change on human health as a major priority and the need for those working in public health and related fields to be trained to address this mounting threat.

The Yale School of Public Health's Climate Change and Health Certificate will prepare public health professionals, clinicians, mental health professionals, health educators, policymakers, environmental professionals, government officials, advocates, and others to address the adverse health impacts of climate change.

Students in this program will be trained to address the mounting threat of climate change and to:

1. Explain the health impacts of climate change and the near-term benefits of mitigating greenhouse gases;
2. Devise adaptation strategies to increase their communities' resilience to the health consequences of climate change and improve health equity and;
3. 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.

All components of the Climate Change and Health Certificate are online; there are no residential requirements. The program consists of three courses, each running 6 weeks and 1 region-specific short course (students will choose 1 region). Students 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 students need to balance coursework with their careers.