MSc Climate Change and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

1 Year On Campus Masters Program

University of Reading

Program Overview

The MSc Climate Change and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Reading equips students with skills in climate science, data science and AI to address climate- and environment-related challenges through data-driven solutions. It suits graduates from STEM or related backgrounds who want to combine climate knowledge with machine learning and data analytics to work on sustainability, climate risk, green finance, or environmental modelling.

Curriculum structure
In the first phase, students study core modules such as Climate Change: Causes and Consequences, Applied Data Science with Python, and Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, learning climate-science fundamentals, data-processing, statistical analysis, and ML techniques suited for environmental data. They then move into advanced topics like Climate Services & Decision-Making, Causality and Decision-Making in Climate Change, and optionally deeper data-science or climate-modelling units — enabling them to analyse climate datasets, understand uncertainty in models, assess climate impacts, and design AI-based climate solutions.  The programme wraps up with an independent Master’s Research Project, where students apply AI and data science to a real-world climate or environmental research or application problem.

Focus areas:
“climate science, data analytics, machine learning for climate change, climate risk & modelling, environmental decision-support, AI-driven sustainability”

Learning outcomes:
“understand climate change mechanisms; handle and analyse climate and environmental datasets; build and apply AI/ML models for climate/environment problems; assess uncertainty and make data-driven climate decisions; design and conduct independent climate-AI research or applications”

Professional alignment (accreditation):
Prepares graduates for roles in climate risk assessment, sustainability consulting, environmental data science, green finance, policy support, climate services, or further research in climate and AI — aligning with growing global demand for climate-aware AI specialists.

Reputation (employability rankings):
University of Reading ranks among the world’s leading institutions for atmospheric science; its climate-AI master’s is the first of its kind in the UK, giving graduates a distinctive interdisciplinary profile valued by employers and research organisations addressing climate change. 

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students gain practical skills by applying AI techniques to climate datasets using the University's meteorological facilities and computing resources, including access to real-time climate data. This applied learning is central to the curriculum:

  • Software: Training in Python and R with key AI and climate analysis libraries (TensorFlow, Xarray, Pandas).

  • Climate Data: Hands-on work with meteorological datasets and climate models.

  • Research Project: An individual dissertation using AI for climate change analysis.

  • Facilities: Access to the University's meteorological observatory and computing resources.

  • Research Context: Links to the Department of Meteorology and National Centre for Earth Observation.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the University of Reading's MSc Climate Change and Artificial Intelligence master Python programming, machine learning, climate data science, causality analysis, and decision-making under uncertainty, enabling AI-driven solutions for climate mitigation, impacts, and services like weather forecasting and policy support. The program equips alumni with skills for leadership roles via bespoke industry projects on topics like food security and extreme weather modeling, addressing demand for climate-AI experts. Typical job roles: climate data scientist, AI climate analyst, sustainability consultant, environmental AI specialist.​

  • University services: Careers service offers CV workshops, mock interviews, job fairs, and alumni mentoring tailored for climate-tech roles.​

  • Employment stats/salary: 100% student satisfaction; roles start at £35,000–£50,000 in growing climate AI sector.​

  • Partnerships: Microsoft, Freepoint, NIWA New Zealand, Met Office for real-world projects.​

  • Accreditation value: Reading's world-leading meteorology ensures lasting prestige in climate science.​

  • Outcomes: Careers in climate services, policy, research, or industry innovation.​

Further Academic Progression: Pursue PhD in climate AI, data science, or environmental modeling at Reading, extending dissertation research on climate projections.​

Program Key Stats

£31,650 (Annual cost)
£ 29
Sept Intake : 7th Sep


No
Yes

Eligibility Criteria

2.5
3 or 4 Years

N/A
N/A
N/A
6.5
100
2:2

Additional Information & Requirements

Career Options

  • Climate Data Scientist
  • Environmental AI Specialist
  • Climate Risk Analyst
  • Sustainability Data Analyst
  • Climate Modeling Specialist
  • Environmental Policy Advisor (AI focus)
  • Renewable Energy Analyst
  • Climate Tech Developer
  • Carbon Emissions Analyst
  • Environmental Research Scientist
  • Climate Resilience Specialist
  • Earth Observation Analyst

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