For Demi Tinning, studying a Master of Climate Change was an opportunity to make a difference in the world.

“After my undergraduate degree, I wanted to look at doing more study, but in a way that has real-world experience. Where what you do is tangible – I wanted it to count towards something.”

“I think that the Master of Climate Change is really good at that.”

Initially, she tossed up between pursuing further study in resource management or climate change.

“I ended up going with the Master of Climate Change program because it was so broad, you can fit any of your research and passions into it, and mould the program around your goals and interests.”

 “I wasn’t sure what specific path I wanted to take so I wanted a taster of everything.”

“In this Masters, I’ve been able to study the intersections between environmental and human health, natural hazards, earth science, biodiversity, international diplomacy, science communication, and also natural resource management.”

The Master of Climate Change has also given Demi the opportunity to undertake research projects, which has opened up her eyes to a new potential career path.

“I’ve been able to do two research-related courses – one through the Australian National Internships Program, and one through the ANU Climate Change Institute. I learnt a lot from these – they allowed me to write and research topics that I’d never really thought about before, and that I wouldn’t have looked into if I hadn’t been undertaking these projects.”

“I hadn’t really considered research as a career before, but I found that I really enjoyed these projects, which has made me start thinking along different career pathways.”

As Demi wraps up her final semester of the program, she finds it hard to pick just one favourite moment from her Masters.

“I can’t really think of one specific highlight, I’ve really loved all of the program!”

“One reason why I think the whole experience has been a highlight for me is because of the attention that the teaching staff give. During the COVID-19 lockdown, all my study plans changed, and I was worried that I might not even graduate this year, but they helped me out, and it turned out to not be a stressful situation at all in the end!”

“I’ve also loved meeting so many peers who are from all walks of life, and have such different perspectives to myself – I made friends from overseas that had completely different life experiences, and amazing jobs, and interesting experiences.”

And would she recommend the program to others?

“Yes! Climate change is such a broad issue, and the fact that it’s interdisciplinary means you can come into it from any area and see how you can apply your skills passions and goals.”

“It’s so valuable to encourage students to consider multiple perspectives, because these challenges are really complex.”

 “This Masters allows you to do that. It’s a really holistic approach, and it’s really important to approach such a big problem this way.”

The Master of Climate Change program has been recently updated, and now takes just 18 months full-time. To find out more, please visit the Programs and Courses page.