B.S.M.A.S. in Meteorology

Overview

The Bachelor of Science degree program prepares students for further graduate studies as well as for non-academic professional applications. The program follows standards established by the American Meteorological Society (AMS), emphasizing a math and physics background for understanding the physical processes governing the motion and composition of the atmosphere.

Undergraduate students are encouraged to work with the faculty and are able to earn course credit and senior theses by conducting research under the supervision of leading scientists in their field. Research encompasses atmospheric dynamics, climate science, boundary-layer processes, cloud processes, and remote sensing. Focus areas include hurricanes (modeling, data assimilation and field observations), tropical meteorology, atmosphere-ocean coupling, climate, and climate change. Many faculty are active in fieldwork.

The Bachelor of Science in Meteorology prepares students for admission to graduate programs and for careers in teaching and research as well as for those who will pursue a technical career in this area in government or private industry.

Curriculum Requirements

¹

Students may earn a Math minor if a grade of C- or better is earned for three of the 200 level Math courses (must be taken at UM) and the quality point average for the three courses must be 2.5 or above; in the case quality point average is below 2.5, an additional mathematics course must be taken.

²

Equivalent Statistics course may be substituted with permission from the Meteorology Undergraduate Program Director.

³

Equivalent calculus based Physics sequence may be substituted with permission from the Meteorology Undergraduate Program Director.

Suggested Plan of Study with Math Minor

This is only a sample.  There are numerous ways students can create plans of study for the Meteorology major.  Students should feel empowered to use the information listed in the Academic Bulletin and the to take charge of their education, pursue their own academic interests, and create their own, unique plans of study.

Additional Major Curriculum Requirements

Students who wish to complete the additional major must complete the course pre-requisites in addition to any core major requirements. Please note that there may be financial aid implications if adding the additional major increases the length of a student’s degree beyond 120 credits. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with a financial aid representative before declaring the additional major.

If a student would like to add Meteorology as an additional major, they need to meet with the Meteorology Program Director before submitting their Academic Change Form to their Cane Navigator for processing.

¹

Students may earn a Math minor if a grade of C- or better is earned for three of the 200 level Math courses (must be taken at UM) and the quality point average for the three courses must be 2.5 or above; in the case quality point average is below 2.5, an additional mathematics course must be taken.

²

Equivalent calculus based Physics sequence may be substituted with permission from the Meteorology Undergraduate Program Director.

Note:

Your primary major must have a minimum of 24 credits of core major requirements.  They must be different than those used for this additional major.  

Mission

The mission of the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science is to deepen our collective knowledge of our planet through cutting-edge scientific research on the oceans, atmosphere, geology, biota, and the human dimension, while training the next generation of scientists. We transfer the knowledge gained to our students, the national and international scientific community, and to policymakers and the public.

The educational mission of the BS degree in Meteorology at the University of Miami is to graduate students with the ability and desire to integrate knowledge of meteorology into their future careers. 

Goals

Students completing this major will be able to master a broad set of fundamental scientific knowledge in Meteorology, acquire valuable technical skills and learn how to apply this knowledge to real-world problems, in a time of changing climate and increasing stress on Earth’s resources and environment. The program will provide the rigor, flexibility, depth and integration to enable students to:

• Pursue a course of study that provides both depth and breadth in Meteorology and related science courses. 
• Learn from the diverse and outstanding group of professors and researchers who are experts in their fields and have active research programs.
• Undertake active research experiences, which will allow them to gain a strong understanding of the scientific process and provide them with a set of valuable experimental and computational skills.
• Prepare themselves for graduate school and for successful careers in public and private industries.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to apply and use the equations that govern physical atmospheric processes and responses to explain fundamental principles and behaviors of the atmosphere and to solve quantitative problems.
• Students will be able to utilize and interpret observations and model output to evaluate atmospheric processes and phenomena.
• Students will be able to use a computer programming language to investigate weather and climate phenomena and to analyze and visualize data.
• Students will be able to carry out supervised research in the field of atmospheric science.
• Students will demonstrate an ability to effectively communicate scientific information.