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Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement (JTCCER)

 

A knowledge of climate change is required of all candidates for a Bachelor’s degree who are admitted to UC San Diego as a first-time, first-year student in Fall 2024 or thereafter.

 
About the Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement

The establishment of this new graduation requirement for incoming first-year students, beginning fall 2024, is designed to empower our students with the knowledge and skills needed to confront the urgent global challenge of climate change. UC San Diego has long been a leader in climate change research. The JTCCER builds upon the faculty’s commitment by expanding educational engagement with climate change across a range of disciplines and responds to the growing demand by undergraduates for climate-related courses and content. 
 
Starting with the first-year student cohort entering in fall 2024, candidates for the Bachelor’s degree will be required to complete a one-quarter course approved by the Academic Senate to fulfill the JTCCER.

 

A few important notes:

  • The requirement shall be satisfied by passing, with a grade not lower than C- or P, a one-quarter course expressly approved by the Undergraduate Council for that purpose. 
  • The JTCCER does not increase the number of courses required for graduation. Many courses approved to satisfy the JTCCER overlap with existing general education or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion courses, as well as courses that apply to major and minor requirements.
  • Incoming transfer students are exempt from completing the JTCCER. We will explore applying the requirement to transfer students in the future.
  • Satisfaction of the JTCCER does not apply to students matriculated prior to Fall 2024. Students not subject to the requirement, but interested in climate change are welcomed and encouraged to enroll in one of these courses but are not required to do so. The list of currently approved courses can be [found here].

See campus announcement for more info: https://adminrecords.ucsd.edu/Notices/2023/2023-11-16-3.html 

 

Current List of JTCCER Approved Courses: 

Please check the UCSD catalog for details on when courses are offered.

For Students - JTCCER Course Offerings Per Quarter (Winter 2026)

Here is the projected list of JTCCER courses for the Winter 2026 Quarter, as of 11/5/25.
Courses are contingent upon enrollment. 
Course Number Course Title Instructor
ANTH 10 Climate Justice                Garvin, Arianna Christina          
ANTH 109 ClimChng,CultHertage,&Vulnrabl Pending
ANTH 111 Religion&Ecology/Anthropocene  Bialecki, Jon Anthony              
ANTH 128A CAS: Community Engaged Resrch  Lewis, Leslie R                    
ESYS 102 The Solid and Fluid Earth      Haase, Jennifer Susan              
GLBH 130 Global Health & Climate Change Schonberg, Jeffrey                 
MCWP 40C CritWrit: Climate Change       Multiple
PHYS 12 Energy and the Environment     Sharma, Vivek A.                   
POLI 117R Bending/Curve: Climate Change  Forman, Fonna                      
PSYC 42 Psychosoc Fndtns/ Clim Crisis  Aron, Adam                         
SIO 30 The Oceans                     Multiple
SIO 40 Life and Climate on Earth      Barbeau, Katherine                 
SIO 102 Introduction to Geochemistry   Day, James M.D.                    
SIO 109R Bending/Curve: Climate Change  Forman, Fonna                      
SIO 115 Ice and the Climate System     Fricker, Helen A.                  
SOCI 149 Sociology of the Environment   Alvarez, Camila Huerta             
SYN 1 Communicating/Changing Planet  Pending
SYN 1R Communicating/Changing Planet  Pending
SYN 2 Inquiring/Changing Planet      Pending
SYN 2R Inquiring/Changing Planet      Pending
SYN 150 Defining Scope/Changing Planet Pending
SYN 150R Defining Scope/Changing Planet Pending
USP 2 Urban World System             Pezzoli, Keith                     
USP 128A CAS: Community Engaged Resrch  Lewis, Leslie R                    
USP 171 Sustainable Development        Chatti, Deepti                     

For Faculty- JTCCER Course Requirement Information

JTCCER Call for Courses

Faculty are encouraged to submit courses for consideration to fulfill the JTCCER requirement. It is essential to discuss how the proposed course is aligned with the mission and goals of the JTCCER Requirement. The course should have substantial contributions from least two of the four following categories: (1) Scientific Underpinnings, (2) Humanistic and Social Dimensions, (3) Climate Solutions, and (4) Project Based learning and about a Climate Change Topic. 

For Faculty interested in creating or submitting a course for JTCCER approval, please visit the Academic Senate website for course submission.