Program Overview

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Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, BS

The study of atmospheric and oceanic sciences includes all aspects of the atmosphere and physical oceanography, their mutual interaction, and their interaction with space and the rest of the earth system. Although a primary goal is to understand the atmosphere and ocean for the purpose of predicting the weather, atmospheric and oceanic sciences embraces much more:

• motions at large, medium, and small scales;
• past, present, and future climates;
• air chemistry and quality;
• clouds and precipitation;
• and solar and terrestrial radiation.

In many areas, new remote-sensing technology including satellites is used to provide circulation patterns at both global and local scales.

Many undergraduates take an elementary Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences course to meet part of their natural or physical science breadth requirements. Other students, who have had sufficient mathematics and physics preparation, take higher level Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences courses to complement their major work in other fields of natural science.

Students majoring in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences receive a thorough introduction to the basic concepts and tools in the core courses, which cover the physics and dynamics of the atmosphere and ocean. An array of elective courses are offered in the senior year, with tracks in the areas of weather systems, earth/environmental science, and general atmospheric and oceanic sciences, and applied atmospheric and oceanic sciences. Elective groups are tailored individually. Some students will want preparation for careers in areas such as operational forecasting, environmental consulting, and broadcasting. Others will seek preparation for graduate work leading to a broader range of careers.

How to Get in

• No application required. All students who meet the requirements listed below are eligible to declare.
• Courses required to get in: None
• GPA requirements to get in: None
• Credits required to get in: None
• Other: None

University General Education Requirements

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below.

• BreadthHumanities/Literature/Arts: 6 credits
• BreadthNatural Science: 4 to 6 credits, consisting of one 4- or 5-credit course with a laboratory component; or two courses providing a total of 6 credits
• BreadthSocial Studies: 3 credits
• Communication Part A & Part B
• Ethnic Studies
• Quantitative Reasoning Part A & Part B

College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science (BS)

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree requirements.

Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements

• Mathematics: Complete two courses of 3+ credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level in MATH, COMP SCI, or STAT subjects. A maximum of one course in each of COMP SCI and STAT subjects counts toward this requirement.
• Language: Complete the third unit of a language other than English.
• L&S Breadth: Complete:
  • 12 credits of Humanities, which must include at least 6 credits of Literature;
  • 12 credits of Social Science;
  • 12 credits of Natural Science, which must include 6 credits of Biological Science and 6 credits of Physical Science.
• Liberal Arts and Science Coursework: Complete at least 108 credits.
• Depth of Intermediate/Advanced Coursework: Complete at least 60 credits at the Intermediate or Advanced level.
• Major: Declare and complete at least one major.
• Total Credits: Complete at least 120 credits.
• UW-Madison Experience: Complete both:
  • 30 credits in residence, overall, and
  • 30 credits in residence after the 86th credit.
• Quality of Work:
  • 2.000 in all coursework at UWMadison
  • 2.000 in Intermediate/Advanced level coursework at UWMadison

Requirements for the Major

Course List

• Calculus (complete all):
  • MATH 221: Calculus and Analytic Geometry 1 (5 credits)
  • MATH 222: Calculus and Analytic Geometry 2 (4 credits)
  • MATH 234: Calculus--Functions of Several Variables (4 credits)
• Physics (complete one course from each group):
  • PHYSICS 207: General Physics (5 credits)
  • PHYSICS 208: General Physics (5 credits)
• Computer Sciences (complete one): 3 credits
  • COMP SCI 220: Data Science Programming I
  • COMP SCI 310: Problem Solving Using Computers
  • COMP SCI 320: Data Science Programming II
  • COMP SCI/E C E 354: Machine Organization and Programming
  • COMP SCI 412: Introduction to Numerical Methods
  • COMP SCI/I SY E/MATH 425: Introduction to Combinatorial Optimization
• Total Credits: 26

Core Sequence

• ATM OCN 310: Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean I (3 credits)
• ATM OCN 311: Dynamics of the Atmosphere and Ocean II (3 credits)
• ATM OCN 330: Physics of the Atmosphere and Ocean I (3 credits)
• ATM OCN 340: Physics of the Atmosphere and Ocean II (3 credits)

Quantitative Analysis

• Complete one: 3 credits
  • COMP SCI 412: Introduction to Numerical Methods
  • COMP SCI/MATH/STAT 475: Introduction to Combinatorics
  • COMP SCI/MATH 514: Numerical Analysis
  • COMP SCI/I SY E/MATH/STAT 525: Linear Optimization
  • MATH/STAT 309: Introduction to Probability and Mathematical Statistics I
  • MATH/STAT 310: Introduction to Probability and Mathematical Statistics II

Capstone

• ATM OCN 405: AOS Senior Capstone Seminar (1 credit)

Electives

• 11 credits
  • ATM OCN 401: Topics in Meteorology
  • ATM OCN 404: Meteorological Measurements
  • ATM OCN 425: Global Climate Processes
  • ATM OCN 441: Radar and Satellite Meteorology
  • ATM OCN 452: Synoptic Laboratory I: The Frontal Cyclone
  • ATM OCN 453: Synoptic Laboratory II: Mesoscale Meteorology
  • ATM OCN/ENVIR ST 520: Bioclimatology
  • ATM OCN 522: Tropical Meteorology
  • ATM OCN/PLANTSCI 532: Environmental Biophysics
  • ATM OCN 573: Research Computing in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
  • ATM OCN 575: Climatological Analysis
  • ATM OCN 610: Geophysical Fluid Dynamics I
  • ATM OCN 611: Geophysical Fluid Dynamics II
  • ATM OCN 630: Introduction to Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
  • ATM OCN 637: Cloud Physics
  • ATM OCN 640: Radiation in the Atmosphere and Ocean
  • ATM OCN 660: Introduction to Physical Oceanography
  • ATM OCN 681: Senior Honors Thesis
  • ATM OCN 682: Senior Honors Thesis
  • ATM OCN 691: Senior Thesis
  • ATM OCN 692: Senior Thesis
  • ATM OCN 698: Directed Study 2
  • ATM OCN 699: Directed Study 2
• Total Credits: 27

Residence and Quality of Work

• 2.000 GPA in all ATM OCN and major courses
• 2.000 GPA on 15 upper-level credits in the major, taken in Residence.
• 15 credits in ATM OCN, taken on campus

Honors in the Major

Students may declare Honors in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Major in consultation with the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences undergraduate advisor.

Requirements

To earn Honors in the Major in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major (above) and the following additional requirements:

• Earn a 3.300 University GPA
• Earn a 3.400 GPA for all ATM OCN courses, and all courses accepted in the major
• Complete the following additional coursework:
  • ATM OCN 610 or ATM OCN 611 and
  • ATM OCN 681 and ATM OCN 682 for a total of 6 credits

Learning Outcomes

1. Recognize and describe the fundamental principles and processes associated with the dynamics and thermodynamics of geophysical fluid flows, the basic physics of clouds, aerosols, and precipitation.
2. Recognize and describe the fundamental principles and processes associated with radiation and atmospheric and oceanic radiative transfer.
3. Demonstrate critical thinking skills by identifying a problem, identifying the required information to solve that problem; and formulating and interpreting solutions to that problem using appropriate analytical and/or computational techniques.
4. Apply diagnostic tools to analyses and numerical model output to diagnose, describe, and interpret the fundamental dynamical and thermodynamical processes at work in synoptic-scale, mesoscale, and large-scale weather systems and climate circulations.
5. Apply fundamental radiative transfer theory to interpret remotely-sensed observations of atmospheric and oceanic phenomena.
6. Design and conduct experiments and/or analyze data to test hypotheses in an area of atmospheric or climate sciences.
7. Demonstrate effective scientific communication skills through development and delivery of oral presentations (including poster presentations) and written reports and case studies.

Four-Year Plan

This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests.

First Year

• Fall:
  • MATH 221 (QR-B) (5 credits)
  • ATM OCN 100 or 101 (4 credits)
  • Communication A (3 credits)
  • Foreign Language (4 credits)
• Spring:
  • MATH 222 (4 credits)
  • ATM OCN/ENVIR ST 171 (Comm B) (3 credits)
  • Literature Breadth (3 credits)
  • Biological Science Breadth (3 credits)

Second Year

• Fall:
  • MATH 234 (4 credits)
  • PHYSICS 207 (5 credits)
  • Biological Science Breadth (3 credits)
  • Ethnic Studies (4 credits)
• Spring:
  • Humanities Breadth (3 credits)
  • PHYSICS 208 (5 credits)
  • COMP SCI 220 (4 credits)
  • Social Science Breadth (3 credits)

Third Year

• Fall:
  • ATM OCN 310 (3 credits)
  • ATM OCN 330 (3 credits)
  • Literature Breadth (3 credits)
  • ADV MATH/COMP SCI/STATS (3 credits)
  • Social Science Breadth (4 credits)
• Spring:
  • ATM OCN 311 (3 credits)
  • ATM OCN 340 (3 credits)
  • Biological Science Breadth (3 credits)
  • Humanities Breadth (3 credits)
  • Elective (3 credits)

Fourth Year

• Fall:
  • ATM OCN 400 or higher (3 credits)
  • ATM OCN 400 or higher (4 credits)
  • Elective (4 credits)
  • Social Science Breadth (4 credits)
• Spring:
  • ATM OCN numbered 400 or higher (3 credits)
  • ATM OCN numbered 400 level or higher (4 credits)
  • ATM OCN 699 (or elective) (3 credits)
  • ATM OCN 405 (1 credit)
• Total Credits: 120