Meteorology, M.S.

Atmospheric science is focused on understanding Earth’s gaseous envelope, predicting its evolution and mitigating human impacts. The M.S. program at Florida Tech is uniquely interdisciplinary, drawing on expertise from the College of Aeronautics and the College of Engineering and Science. As such, the M.S. in meteorology can have special emphasis in areas such as marine meteorology, water resources, atmospheric chemistry, aviation meteorology or remote sensing. Collaborative research is conducted with specialists from the nearby NASA Kennedy Space Center, the USAF 45th Weather Squadron, the NOAA National Weather Service, the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Wind and Hurricane Impacts Research Laboratory (WHIRL) and local government agencies or corporations.

Admission Requirements

A student applying for admission to the graduate meteorology program should have an undergraduate major in the physical sciences or engineering. Preparatory coursework may need to be completed before starting the master of science program, and completion of such courses may require additional time. Any such requirements will be determined by the program chair and graduate faculty before admission. The prospective student will be advised of these requirements before acceptance.

Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation, a statement of objectives and résumé/CV for evaluation.

Degree Requirements

The master of science in meteorology requires the successful completion of 30 credit hours, including formal coursework, presentation of a graduate thesis seminar, and preparation and oral defense of a thesis. The thesis involves the completion of original research of publishable quality. The coursework will include 12 credits of required core courses or their equivalents, plus 18 elective courses which, for the thesis option, include 6 credit hours of thesis research under the supervision of a member of the graduate faculty.  Equivalent coursework may be substituted for required core courses as recommended by the student’s advisor, approved by the program chair and indicated on the program plan. Students are required to attend the graduate seminar. A nonthesis track is an option at the discretion of the advisor. The nonthesis track requires a minimum of 30 semester credit hours of coursework and a final program examination. The final program examination for the nonthesis track comprises both written and oral components.

Students with bachelor’s degrees in meteorology normally take the core courses plus electives emphasizing their areas of special interest. Students with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than meteorology are required to complete the core and other graduate courses in addition to appropriate courses necessary for certification as a professional meteorologist by the American Meteorological Society (see undergraduate curriculum).