Overview of capstone and how to officially register
Overview
The capstone experience will provide a mentored opportunity to explore a climate and health topic more deeply with a partner organization and experience an interdisciplinary approach to the characterization or management of a climate and health concern. Students should work with their thesis mentor to determine a capstone project & find a capstone advisor (if different). Please see below for examples of previous capstone projects, demonstrating the wide array of possibilities. All capstone projects must be reviewed and approved by CHanGE prior to starting work. For course credit, students must enroll in ENV H / GH / ATMOS / OCEAN 600, “Independent Study or Research” (Min 3 credits).
As part of the program, students will complete a checklist and submit to CHanGE upon completion of all courses & capstone, with signatures of approval from their capstone mentor & CHanGE.
Certificate registration process
To officially receive any graduate certificate, students must initiate the process by requesting the certificate in MyGrad Program for Students. First, the student must be coded into the certificate (which will be completed by the certificate program manager after submission of an application and acceptance into the program). Then, students can request the certificate during their final quarter (note: students need a faculty code from their home department mentor in order to register). After this, action is taken by both CHanGE and the Graduate School to recommend and then grant the certificate. Students can view the status of their certificate request via MyGrad. For more detailed instructions, visit here.
What makes a good capstone?
Details coming soon! Thank you for your patience.
Examples of previous capstone projects
Below, please find some examples of Capstone Projects previously completed by alumni of our Graduate Certificate in Climate Change and Health.
Partner organization: The UW Center for Disaster Resilient Communities (CDRC)
Description: This project focused on highlighting gaps in a subset of county-level hazard mitigation plans (HMPs) where public health information could be added to better protect the health and safety of Washington’s coastal, rural residents in emergencies. Inconsistencies in the incorporation of public health information in both the development and content of HMPs were identified across the sampled plans through content analysis. This finding demonstrated a need for equitable collaboration between emergency management and public health partners through the development of strong working relationships.
Partner organization: The International Committee on New Integrated Climate Change Assessment Scenarios (ICONICS) and The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Description: The student working on this project coordinated a team to code how academic literature and research uses the SSPs, which model how the world may evolve through 2100. The SSP Literature Database v2 that they examined, includes citations, abstracts, and analyses of 1,134 articles published between 2020-2021 that applied the SSPs. This work culminated in presenting at the plenary session of the Scenarios Forum to an audience of approximately 400 scientists. This work preempted the Scenario Evolution Process, which was recently launched in 2026, to assess how the SSP framework can be evolved to meet research and application needs.
Partner organization: World Meteorological Organization and World Health Organization Joint Climate and Health Programme
Description: This project supported the WMO/WHO team in developing the Global Health Health Information Network (GHHIN) structure, communications strategy, heat-health action plan, global inventory, and much more. The GHHIN accelerates heat action through empowering multi-disciplinary partnerships to reduce heat risks; generating evidence, knowledge, and standardized guidance and risk metrics; and supporting policy that minimizes societal consequences of heat. The student working on this project had the opportunity to meet leading researchers and policy experts on extreme heat and was invited back to help run the inaugural GHHIN meeting in Hong Kong in 2019.