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Climate ScienceBeginnerFREE COURSE · CERTIFICATE

Climate Science & Systems Foundations

Build a rock-solid foundation in climate science — from the greenhouse effect to Earth's interconnected systems.

4.9(167 ratings)
2,050 enrolledUpdated 2026-08
8 weeks 8 modules · 39 lessons ~1 hours of learning English Certificate of completion
A
Taught by
Dr. Aisha Mwangi
Free$49FOREVER
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Certificate at 80%+ on the final test
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What You'll Learn

Explain the difference between weather and climate, and describe Earth as an interconnected system of atmosphere, ocean, ice, land, and life.
Describe the physical basis of the greenhouse effect and Earth's energy balance.
Explain the carbon cycle and other biogeochemical cycles, and how human activity has altered them.
Describe major ocean-atmosphere climate drivers such as ENSO and thermohaline circulation.
Summarize the multiple independent lines of evidence for climate change and the methods of attribution science.
Identify climate feedback loops and tipping points, and explain why they matter for future risk.
Explain how climate models are built, validated, and used to project future scenarios.
Distinguish between mitigation and adaptation, and evaluate real-world climate solutions.

About This Course

Climate Science and Systems Foundations is a comprehensive, self-paced online course designed to give learners a rigorous yet accessible understanding of how Earth's climate system works, the evidence for climate change, and the science behind mitigation and adaptation solutions. The course treats climate not as an isolated phenomenon but as the product of interacting systems the atmosphere, oceans, ice, land, and living organisms, and builds learners' understanding step by step, from foundational concepts through to applied climate solutions. The course is structured around eight modules, each combining focused lessons, a real-world case study, curated video resources, and a 15-question multiple-choice quiz. A comprehensive final assessment of 15 questions draws on material from across the entire course. Learners who achieve an overall passing score of 80% or higher on the final assessment earn a Certificate of Completion.

How it works

  • Enroll free in the Tapi Learn app — no payment, no ads
  • Learn lesson-by-lesson; pass each module quiz (60%) to progress
  • Score 80%+ on the final assessment to earn your certificate

Course Curriculum

8 modules · 39 lessons · ~1h total
What Is Climate Science?
2 min
Weather versus Climate
2 min
Earth's System: Five Interacting Spheres
2 min
A Brief History of Climate Science
2 min
Why Systems Thinking Matters
2 min

Your Instructor

A

Dr. Aisha Mwangi

Climate Scientist & IPCC Lead Author

Africa Climate Leadership Academy

Climate scientist with 15+ years at the IPCC. Lead author on three Assessment Reports and founder of the Africa Climate Leadership Academy.

IPCC Lead AuthorPhD Atmospheric Physics, Univ. of NairobiFounder, ACLA

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