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Meteorology and Climate Science
Understand Our Changing Climate
As a meteorology and climate science major, you will learn how to answer questions about weather and climate that are increasingly relevant and important to all of us. Will a hurricane change course and make landfall over a coastal city? How much snow will the Northeast get this winter? What do sea surface temperatures tell us about climate change?
You will receive training in meteorology, the science of the atmosphere, that will help you understand and address events is felt throughout various sectors of society—droughts resulting in water shortages, crop damage and increased wildfire potential, or water surpluses causing flooding. You will also study the climate, which is usually considered to be an average of weather conditions over a long period of time, along with understanding the variability of climate and its extreme events. Your studies in this area will include land-ocean-atmosphere interactions, as well as the role of the sun and astronomical forces. The skills you develop in weather and climate prediction are important skills used in the agricultural, tourism, disaster management, resource management, communication and renewable energy industries.
AREAS OF STUDY
- Atmospheric science
- Extreme weather
- Climate and climate change
- Climate modeling
- Physical and human geography
- Energy and environmental sciences
CAREER OPTIONS
- Broadcast Meteorologist
- Forensic Meteorologist
- Research Meteorologist
- Climate Scientist
- Emergency Manager
- Renewable Energy Scientist
- Environmental Consultant
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
- Atmospheric Science
- Climatology
- Meteorology
- Geography
- Environmental Science
- Public Policy
- Disaster Science and Management
What’s special about this program?
You will be joining a program with a solid tradition of climate research with strong connections between weather and various sectors of society such as renewable energy, disaster management and agriculture. You will have immediate access to climate and weather experts and resources through the Office of the Delaware State Climatologist and the Center for Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, both based at the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences along with the major. You will also benefit from strong, established partnerships with the National Weather Service, broadcast agencies and national climate centers. As a graduate of our program, you will satisfy the US Government’s requirements, which define “meteorologist” for the purposes of federal employment.
Get Involved
There are many opportunities on campus for students interested in the environment, such as serving as an EnvironMentor, going on extracurricular environmental field trips, and joining registered student organizations like Students for the Environment. You may be particularly interested in the UD chapter of American Meteorological Society, which you can follow on Instagram @bluehenweather.
Sample curriculum
Courses are recommendations, but subject to change year-to year. Please refer to the UD Undergraduate Catalog for a more accurate four year plan. Students should also reach out to their academic advisor for recommendations.
FALL |
SPRING |
|---|---|
MATH 241 - Analytic Geometry and Calculus A |
MATH 242 - Analytic Geometry and Calculus B |
Foreign Language Requirement 106 or Computer Science (3-4cr.) |
Foreign Language Requirement 107 or Computer Science (3-4cr.) |
ENSC 101 - Introduction to the Environment |
GEOG 220 - Meteorology |
ENGL 110 - First-Year Writing |
GEOG 221 - Meteorology Lab |
University Breadth |
University Breadth |
Credits: 16-17 |
Credits: 14-15 |
FALL |
SPRING |
|---|---|
MATH 243 - Analytic Geometry and Calculus C |
MATH 302 - Ordinary Differential Equations |
GEOG 271 - Introduction to Geographic Data Analysis |
GEOG 421 - Physical Meteorology |
PHYS 207 - Fundamentals of Physics I and PHYS 227 - Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory I |
Meteorology/Climatology Elective (3cr.) |
University Breadth (3cr.) |
GEOG 452 - Seminar in Climatology |
University Breadth (3cr.) |
University Breadth (3cr.) |
Credits: 17 |
Credits: 15 |
FALL |
SPRING |
|---|---|
PHYS 208 - Fundamentals of Physics II and PHYS 228 - Fundamentials of Physics Laboratory II |
GEOG 423 - Atmospheric Dynamics |
GEOG 453 - Meteorological Analysis I |
STAT 475 - Environmental Statistics |
GEOG 420 - Atmospheric Physics and Thermodynamics |
Meteorology/Climatology Elective (3cr.) |
GEOG 475 - Satellite Climatology or MAST 681 - Remote Sensing of Environment |
GEOG 452 - Seminar in Climatology |
Meteorology/Climatology Elective (3cr.) |
University Breadth (3cr.) |
Credits: 16 |
Credits: 15 |
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