Program Overview
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Contact: Timothy Grover, Ph.D., Department Chair
Location: Ross Hall 3235
Telephone: 970.351.2647
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/earth-atmospheric-sciences/
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (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 be developed in consultation with and be approved by the student's academic advisor.
- A 2.0 grade point average in the courses taken as part of this major is required for graduation.
- In accordance with University Policies, coursework earned more than 10 years prior to the date of matriculation to UNC may not be used to satisfy any major or minor requirements. Any exception to this policy is at the discretion of the academic program.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits
To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 81 required major credits.
Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.
Written Communication — 6 credits
ENG 122 (3) and SCI 291 (3) are recommended to fulfill the Written Communication requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Written Communication courses
Mathematics — 3 credits
MATH 131 (4) and MATH 132 (4) are recommended to fulfill the Mathematics requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
CHEM 111 (4), CHEM 111L (1), MET 205 (4) and PHYS 240 (5) are recommended to fulfill Natural & Physical Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. Required Major — 81 credits
Take all of the following courses:
NOTE: MET 221 must be taken for twice, for a total of 2 credits.
Choose nine credit hours from the following courses:
Must be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor.
| MET 452 | Paleoclimatology | 3 |
| MET 462 | Extreme Mountain Weather | 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 Surface and Groundwater Hydrology | 4 |
| ESCI 491 | Geoscience Field Issues | 1- 6 |
| ESCI 496 | Earth Science Study Abroad | 1- 6 |
3. University-Wide Credits — 8 credits*
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for any degree at UNC; for this program, that will typically be 8 credits.
*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.
Program Notes
MET 221 must be taken twice, for a total of 2 credits. Federal government requirements for employment as meteorologists and Graduate School admission in the atmospheric sciences usually require MATH 335.
Four Year Plan
This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.
Year 1 – 28 credits
Fall Semester
| ENG 122 | College CompositionLAW1 | 3 |
| MATH 131 | Calculus ILAX1 | 4 |
| MET 205 | General MeteorologyLAS1LASL | 4 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
LAC Arts and Humanities: Choose U.S. Multicultural Studies (MS) or International Studies (IS) course.
Spring Semester
| CHEM 111 | Principles of Chemistry ILAS1 | 4 |
| CHEM 111L | Principles of Chemistry I LaboratoryLAS1LASL | 1 |
| MATH 132 | Calculus IILAX1 | 4 |
| MET 215 | Intro Meteorological Analysis | 2 |
| | LAC Social and Behavioral SciencesLAB1LAB2LAB3 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
LAC Social and Behavior Sciences: Choose U.S. Multicultural Studies (MS) or International Studies (IS) course.
Year 2 – 30 credits
Fall Semester
| MATH 233 | Calculus III | 4 |
| MET 221 | Weather Forecasting Seminar | 1 |
| MET 315 | Atmospheric Thermodynamics | 3 |
| PHYS 220 | Introductory Physics ILAS1LASL | 5 |
| SCI 291 | Scientific WritingLAW2 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Spring Semester
| CS 120 | Introduction to Programming | 3 |
| MET 320 | Physical Meteorology | 3 |
| PHYS 241 | General Physics II | 5 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Year 3 – 31 credits
Fall Semester
| ESCI 349 | Earth Science Professional Seminar | 1 |
| MATH 335 | Differential Equations I | 3 |
| | or | |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| MET 401 | Dynamic Meteorology | 3 |
| | LAC HistoryLAH1 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 2 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| ESCI 330 | Earth Science Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| MET 402 | Synoptic-Dynamic Meteorology | 4 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Year 4 – 31 credits
Fall Semester
| MET 221 | Weather Forecasting Seminar | 1 |
| MET 420 | Advanced Weather Prediction | 4 |
| MET 451 | Climatology | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 4 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Spring Semester
| MET 460 | Mesoscale Meteorology | 4 |
| | Major Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 4 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |