Modeling and Assessment for Policy
MIT's Institute for Data, Systems, and Society offers this graduate course on how quantitative models inform policy decisions, with a focus on earth system governance. Lessons cover scientific assessment processes, integrated assessment models, public perception of quantitative information, and methods for handling uncertainty in policy-relevant modeling. Case studies and interactive activities walk through design choices modelers face when building tools meant to influence real decisions, not just academic exercises. The course materials, available through MIT OpenCourseWare, include readings, assignments, and case study documents used in the original MIT class. No certificate is offered, but the full curriculum is free to access and study independently, making it useful for anyone working at the intersection of science, data modeling, and environmental or public policy.