CURRICULUM

Climate Solutions & Strategies

A 14-week global certificate program from
Skill Up for Earth and the University of Oxford

Skills-first. Systems-minded. Justice-centered. Rooted in your context.

Program Overview

Green skills are in high demand these days. LinkedIn’s 2025 Green Skills Report shows that people with these skills are hired at a rate 47% higher than the overall workforce.

But which green skills do you need? 

Climate action requires a rare blend of scientific grounding, systems thinking, political and economic fluency, practical tools, and the capacity to lead and collaborate across differences. This program teaches foundational and future-oriented climate skills that employers, communities, and movements need and value, while also helping you identify how your existing skills can have the greatest impact.

Each week dives into specific practical skills and the whole program is anchored in four foundational competencies:

Systems Analysis

  • Learn to see climate change through an integrated lens that combines scientific, ecological, economic, and political perspectives.

  • Develop the analytical capacity to apply a systems lens to any climate problem you face.

Integrated Solutions

  • Frame and design solutions to address climate and poverty, health, equity, biodiversity, and other interconnected crises.

  • Practice identifying co-benefits and navigating trade-offs.

Communication for Climate Action

  • Strengthen your ability to persuade, educate, and inspire across teams, organizations, and communities.

  • Practice communicating complexity with clarity and credibility.

Leadership and Personal Resilience

  • Develop leadership skills especially relevant to climate work.

  • Learn approaches that help you sustain, support others, and act with courage and integrity. 

Structure at a Glance

100% online · Workload: 6–8 hours/week · Designed to work for all time zones
Small group experience supported intensively by skilled faculty


Weeks 1-12

MONDAYS

Self-paced learning

(2 hrs)

  • Multimedia lessons + optional global reading groups
  • Case-based learning, low-stakes quizzes
TUESDAYS

Live Expert Workshop

(1.5 hrs) 

  • Technical and other skills development

  • Taught by practitioner experts from Oxford & around the world

  • Offered twice to cover all time zones

WEDNESDAYS

Small-Group Studio

 (1.5 hrs)

  • Process and apply the week’s learning to your context

  • Case analysis, skills practice, context mapping

  • Multiple time slots available

THURSDAYS

Leadership, Resilience & Careers

 (1 hr)

  • Climate careers guidance

  • Leadership & resilience sessions

  • Peer networking

  • Attendance encouraged but optional

Required Assignments

There are three required assignments that build toward your Capstone Project.
  • Climate impact assessment for a community or organization.
  • Power & influence mapping for your chosen context and focus.
  • Solutions brief (visual or written) grounded in multi-criteria reasoning.

Capstone Project: Weeks 13–14

You’ll design a project aligned with your skills, sector, and opportunities. You will be supported by Oxford mentors, practitioners, your faculty, and peers. Examples include: strategy roadmaps, community resilience plans, storytelling projects, engineering prototypes, financial analyses, policy briefs, and more.

Graduation Requirements

  • Complete quizzes
  • Attend ≥8 of 10 studios (and review missed ones)
  • Attend ≥2 workshops live (and review others)
  • Complete all assignments + capstone project

AI Policies (CoMING SOON!)

The 14-Week Journey in More Detail

WEEK 1
WEEK 2
WEEK 3
WEEK 4
WEEKs 5—6
WEEK 7
WEEK 8
WEEK 9
WEEK 10
WEEk 11
WEEk 12
WEEks 13—14