Columbia Climate School and HEC Paris Launch Innovative Double Degree Program
Photo: Bitterteayen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Columbia University’s Climate School and HEC Paris have announced a new cooperative double degree program. Students will be trained in international management, climate science and the implications of climate challenge on human society.
The teaching programs at the Columbia Climate School and HEC Paris each already boast an international reputation. Now, the two institutions have identified a one-of-a-kind opportunity to work together to develop a new double degree. The goal of this academic pathway is to prepare students to become decision makers in companies, NGOs and governments so they can address crucial climate issues. Dual skills in management and climate science will play a decisive role for managers and leaders in the years ahead in both the public and private sectors.
This multidisciplinary initiative provides students with a systemic understanding of climate physics and its biological and societal implications in conjunction with political science, economics, management, financial management, and quantitative analysis.
At the end of the program, students will be awarded two degrees: the MA in Climate and Society from Columbia Climate School and the Master in Management (MiM) from HEC Paris.
There are two ways to obtain this double degree, each starting with students studying on the HEC Paris campus:
- Students attend HEC Paris after the competitive exam for the preparatory class. Students take all the teaching courses in the pre-Master year and the first year of the Master over four full-time semesters.
- Students join the HEC Paris Master cycle in the first year, i.e. they complete two full-time semesters.
For both options, students are then encouraged to take an optional gap year when they will be actively involved in a broad spectrum of personal and business development activities, including jobs or internships. Afterward, students attend the entire MA in Climate and Society program run by the Columbia Climate School for three semesters.
Mingfang Ting, professor of climate and co-senior director for education at Columbia Climate School said, “Columbia Climate School strives to develop a diverse learning community deeply committed to addressing the challenges the world faces as a result of climate change. The program is particularly proud of the dynamic academic backgrounds represented in the degree, which includes students from the social sciences, natural sciences and humanities. HEC Paris students will build upon our strengths and bring unique lenses to our interdisciplinary learning environment given their strong foundation in management from an esteemed global business school.”
“We are really happy with this new double degree between HEC and the highly prestigious Columbia Climate School,” Yann Algan, dean of pre-experience programs at HEC Paris said. “The course is unique in that it combines the very best of our two institutions to provide a multidisciplinary perspective on climate issues, as well as the managerial and entrepreneurial methods for finding solutions to these challenges with a very strong impact on society. It’s a great opportunity for students from both institutions to undertake a transformative action on the climate at all levels and in every industry.”
About Columbia Climate School
Columbia University created the nation’s first climate school, marshaling the university’s longtime strengths in transdisciplinary research and innovation, as well the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the Earth Institute. The Climate School advances groundbreaking science, develops essential solutions, reaches key policymakers, and ensures students are equipped with the knowledge and tools to become the climate leaders of the 21st century. Columbia Climate School’s mission is to develop and inspire knowledge-based solutions and educate future leaders for just and prosperous societies on a healthy planet.
About HEC Paris
Founded in 1881, HEC Paris is a leading European Business School. Its ambition is to positively impact both businesses and society thanks to its three-pronged approach “Think, Teach, Act” and thus to contribute to a more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous world. With 160 research professors from all around the world producing and teaching unique knowledge to more than 4,500 students from 135 different countries, the HEC Paris campus serves as a real laboratory for innovation and exchange which is open to the world’s diversity and challenges. Inspired by its five core values (excellence, curiosity, entrepreneurial spirit, diversity and Responsibility), HEC Paris offers a complete range of training courses for the leaders of tomorrow.
