“Unlike other climate courses”

At the School of Climate Change, hear directly from the experts as we tackle the challenge of the climate crisis from all angles.

8 Weekly Sessions

In-person lectures, discussions, and workshops held on Thursdays in Oxford city centre.

+2,000 Certificates

Over the last 3 years, +2,000 participants have completed the course and earned their certificates.

+10 Leading Experts

Sessions led by the experts: From leading researchers to COP participants and activists.

SoCC Participant

“Delighted is an understatement.”

SoCC Participant

“It is impossible for me to see the world the same as I did before participating in the School of Climate Change.”

  • The School of Climate Change is an in-depth ‘climate 101’ course that gives a holistic introduction to several aspects of climate, from the underlying physics of climate change to climate law, economics and governance. Taught by leading Oxford academics and organised by the Oxford Climate Society (OCS), the School of Climate Change is designed to equip participants with a comprehensive education on the fundamentals of climate change over eight weeks.

    At the end of the course, we award all our participants a certificate to acknowledge their newfound awareness of the climate challenge.

  • The weekly course consists of live lectures, Q&A sessions with lecturers panel debates and workshops. Our sessions are held every Thursday evening at 18:00-20:00 UK time.

    The Michaelmas course (October-December) is held in-person from Oxford city-centre. We also organise the occasional social for our cohort to get to know each other. Sessions are recorded and uploaded to our website.

    Our Hillary course (January-March) is held online, for an interactive and accessible online experience for those who cannot attend in-person.

  • There is no 'typical' SoCC participant - The course is designed to introduce participants to the fundamentals of the challenge at hand whilst providing Q&A space to get into the nitty-gritty. We are looking for a broad mix - climate newbies, old hands looking to hear from experts at the top of their fields, and everyone in between.

    You do not have to be a student at the University of Oxford to apply. All are welcome.

    To cover the cost of food and drinks, we will ask successful applicants for a £15 payment for the in-person course. For successful online participants, a £5 payment will be asked to cover costs of video-calling and recording. However, we have 'no questions asked' policy for financial hardship, which you can indicate at the end of the application form.

How it works

  • It is impossible for me to see the world the same as I did before participating in the School of Climate Change. For the first time ever I had the opportunity to be part of a group of inspiring and passionate individuals who understand the urgency of doing something, anything, to save our Planet....I would do it again a hundred times!

    SoCC Participant

  • I was astounded at how good the School of Climate Change was...The course was structured well with approaches towards the subject from a multiplicity of angles. The topics were thorough. The Q&A's were always engaging and I wanted to get involved...I met people from all over the world from a range of age groups and background who all cared passionately about tackling climate change.

    SoCC Participant

  • Delighted is an understatement. The course was well designed, formatted, delivered at an excellent pace, flow and by highly competent and engaging facilitators in an interactive process. The breakout rooms and the opportunities to engage with other participants provided even more profound insights into the cultures, perspectives and views towards applying the learning in different context. The course was extremely relevant, timely, and provided great insights and collaborative opportunities to address systemic issues associated to climate change.

    SoCC Participant

  • I loved that the programme offers such a welcoming and open space for discussion and debate, and that it is open to everyone...It's given me the opportunity to build on my knowledge of issues around climate change, to be challenged by my peers, to interact with some fantastic speakers, and perhaps most importantly, to build so many new friendships, no doubt with many of the future leaders on climate change.

    SoCC Participant

How to apply

We run application rounds twice a year - in September-October, and January.

Write application

Fill in our online application form in September/October or early January.

Get Accepted

Successful applicants will receive confirmation of their place one week before the school begins.

Attend School

Bring your questions and enthusiasm - this is how you will get the most out of the school!

Stay in the loop

Join our the Oxford Climate Society mailing list to be notified when applications open.

Want to know what we talk about? Have a look!

RESOURCES

Find recordings of our sessions, our student handbook, event reviews and more on our resources page.