About

Program Objective

As knowledge of the physical drivers and biological implications of climate change expands, demand is growing for better tools to understand the impact of this global process on human society. 'Social and Policy Aspects of Climate Change', a new M.A program at Tel-Aviv University,  focuses on the social, cultural, political and policy dimensions of the climate crisis.  

The new program caters for (a) persons wishing to pursue careers in social science research of climate change; (b) those looking for new career trajectories in a global labor market thirsty for climate expertise and (c) those seeking to generally expand their knowledge of a phenomenon that is already shaping the future of civilizations in the 21 century and beyond. Innovation research and practitioners capable of making snese and use of it are needed in the public sector (municipal, regional or national level planning, energy policy, transportation, green construction, education, healthcare etc); industry (emission reduction, regulatory standards, corporate social and environmental responsibility... ); and civil society.  

Program Highlights

• Headed by TAU's Professor Dan Rabinowitz, Department of Soociology and Anthropology, former Head of TAU's Porter School of Environmnetal Studies, author of, amongst other books, The Power of Deserts: Climate Change, the Middle East and the Promise of a Post-Oil Era (Stanford University Press, 2020), a leading voice in social and environmental civil society organizations in Israel and beyond.
   
• Enrolled students can choose between an M.A Studies program (36 credit hours, 3 semesters, October to September) and an M.A Research Program (29 credit hours, 6 semesters).
   
• Operated by TAU's School of Social and Policy Studies and accredited by the Faculty of Social Science, the program welcomes holders of undergraduate degrees in any discipline.
   
• The program includes several a-synchronous online courses (accompanied by in-person meetings each semester). 
   
• The first Master's level program in Israel to focus on climate change.
   
• Among only a handful of social science graduate programs in the world which are dedicated to the climate crisis.
   
• Forward-looking, innovative approach to climate research and education.
   
• Inter-disciplinary approach to climate change and sustainability, incorporating lecturers and mentors from Anthropology, Sociology, Geophysics, Law, Public Policy, Political Ecology, Development studies, Urban studies and more.
   
• Hands-on experience in government, industry and civil society organizations, in Israel and beyond, whose work spans climate mitigation and adaptation.
   
• Vibrant international cohort of students.