About the Program
The University of California, Berkeley's Rausser College of Natural Resources introduced the Master of Climate Solutions (MCS) program, a 10-month, in-person course that gives working professionals the practical skills to take on climate problems.
The program targets individuals with over three years of experience from diverse educational and technical backgrounds, blending hands-on capstone projects, leadership training, and a strong emphasis on equity and climate justice.
Objectives
Increase Program Awareness
Put the MCS program in front of prospective applicants in the regions that mattered most.
Drive Website Traffic
Encourage prospective students to visit the program's webpage for detailed information and to explore the curriculum.
Boost Application Submissions
Increase the number of qualified applicants entering the admissions funnel for the MCS program.
Strategy
We ran two Google Ads campaigns, Search and Display, across four regions: Washington D.C., the wider United States, the U.S. West Coast, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
High-Intent Keyword Targeting
Keyword Targeting
Focused on high-intent keywords related to climate education, professional development in sustainability, and environmental leadership programs.
Ad Copy
Wrote ad copy around what sets the MCS program apart: hands-on capstone projects, leadership training, and a focus on equity and climate justice.
Location Targeting
We built a separate campaign for each region, which kept budgets clean and made it easy to track performance location by location.
Audience-Led Awareness
Audience Segmentation
Used custom intent audiences to reach people already researching climate solutions, environmental policy, and related fields.
Visual Creatives
Built banner ads featuring UC Berkeley and the MCS program, each carrying one clear call to action.
Geographic Focus
Display ads ran in the same four regions to keep the program in front of prospects through the consideration window.
Results
The campaigns brought cost per conversion down to $18.79, drove strong volume, and held a conversion rate well above higher-ed benchmarks.
- Conversions
- 1,802
- Total Ad Spend
- $33,855
- Cost per Conversion
- $18.79
- Conversion Rate
- 10.97%
Conclusion
Splitting Search and Display into separate, geo-targeted campaigns kept the MCS program visible in the four regions that mattered most, from Washington D.C. to the Bay Area, without wasting budget on the rest of the map.
At $18.79 per conversion and a 10.97% conversion rate, the program filled its admissions funnel efficiently. Tight targeting and clear messaging did the work.