Earth Sciences B.S. – Meteorology Emphasis
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Contact: William H. Hoyt, Ph.D., Department Chair
Location: Ross Hall 3235
Telephone: 970.351.2647
Website: esci.unco.edu
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
Assigned advisor is available through the Ursa login; ursa.unco.edu; under Student tab Academic Profile channel and is term specific. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Core (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- University-Wide Credits
Program Description:
The UNC meteorology program has two goals: a strong foundation in the sciences preparing students for graduate school and providing the experience necessary to be ready to take a job in weather forecasting.
The science of meteorology seeks to understand the atmosphere and its phenomena by considering the forces that act on it, the processes that determine its behavior and the interaction between it and the earth beneath. This program provides a broad background in meteorology and stresses practical interpretation of weather data and the importance of meteorology to many aspects of human endeavor.
Graduates of the meteorology program will be prepared for entry-level positions as meteorologists with government agencies and private companies, as weather forecasters with the United States Air Force and as team members with firms concerned with environmental monitoring. Meteorology is also an excellent major for individuals planning careers in either civilian or military aviation. The program provides the background necessary for admission to graduate programs in the atmospheric sciences.
The course requirements assure that our graduates meet all of the requirements for certification with the American Meteorology Society (AMS) and the National Weather Association (NWA).
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
Program Requirements:
- The course of study for this major, including both required and elective courses, must total at least 60 credits and must be developed in consultation with and be approved by the student's academic advisor.
- At least one half of the credits in AST, ESCI, GEOL, MET and OCN courses must be numbered 300 or above. No more than 8 credits of AST, ESCI, GEOL, MET and OCN courses numbered below 200 may be counted toward the major.
- Science and mathematics courses approved for the Liberal Arts Core that are taken as part of this major may also be used to satisfy Liberal Arts Core requirements.
- A 2.0 grade point average in the courses taken as part of this major is required for graduation. (Secondary Teaching Emphasis: a 2.5 GPA is required in all major courses.)
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
Degree Requirements
1. Required Specified LAC — 34 credits
LAC area 1.a. — Elementary Composition
LAC area 1b. Intermediate Composition
LAC area 2 — Mathematics
LAC area 6 — Physical and Life Sciences
LAC — Electives
| CS 101 | Introduction to Computer Science | 3 |
Remaining LAC — 15 credits
See “Liberal Arts Core”.
NOTE: Students need to select courses from Areas 7 and 8 that also count in Areas 3, 4, or 5.
2. Required Major — 47 credits
Take all of the following courses:
Choose nine credit hours from the following courses:
Must be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor.
| MET 452 | Paleoclimatology | 3 |
| MET 465 | Radar and Satellite Meteorology | 3 |
| MET 495 | Special Topics in Meteorology | 1-4 |
| OCN 301 | Physical and Chemical Oceanography | 4 |
| ESCI 474 | Principles of Hydrology | 3 |
3. University-Wide Credits — 24 credits
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for this degree at UNC; for this degree, that will typically be 24 credits.
NOTE: Federal government requirements for employment as meteorologists and Graduate School admission in the atmospheric sciences usually require MATH 335.