Program Overview
Introduction to the Atmospheric Sciences Program
The undergraduate program in atmospheric sciences provides students with a strong quantitative education in atmospheric, climate, and related sciences. This program aims to equip students with a deep understanding of the basic principles behind current and emerging issues in weather, climate variability, and climate change.
Program Overview
The atmospheric sciences degree prepares students for a wide range of career paths, including forecast and analysis, operations and research support in meteorology, numerical weather prediction, data analytics, and climate. The curriculum is designed to meet the American Meteorological Society's recommendations for a bachelor's degree in atmospheric sciences.
Admissions and Policies
University-wide admissions policies are outlined in the Undergraduate Admissions Policies section of the catalog. Students must fulfill all Requirements for Bachelor's Degrees, including the Mason Core. The university's writing intensive requirement for the major is met upon successful completion of CLIM 408 Senior Research (Mason Core).
Degree Requirements
The degree requires a minimum of 120 credits. The program is divided into several components, including:
- Atmospheric Sciences Core
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Physics
- Options (Meteorology or Computational Atmospheric Sciences)
- Required Electives
- Mason Core and Elective Credits
Atmospheric Sciences Core
The core courses include:
- CLIM 102 Introduction to Global Climate Change Science (Mason Core) - 4 credits
- CLIM 111 Introduction to the Fundamentals of Atmospheric Science (Mason Core) - 3 credits
- CLIM 112 Introduction to the Fundamentals of Atmospheric Science Lab (Mason Core) - 1 credit
- CLIM 301 Weather Analysis and Prediction - 4 credits
- CLIM 408 Senior Research (Mason Core) - 1 credit
- CLIM 411 Atmospheric Dynamics - 3 credits
- CLIM 429 Atmospheric Thermodynamics - 3 credits
- PHYS 475 Atmospheric Physics - 3 credits Total Credits: 24
Chemistry
- CHEM 211 & CHEM 213 General Chemistry I (Mason Core) and General Chemistry Laboratory I (Mason Core) - 4 credits Total Credits: 4
Computer Science
Students select one of the following:
- CDS 130 Computing for Scientists (Mason Core) - 3-4 credits
- CS 112 Introduction to Computer Programming (Mason Core) - 3-4 credits Total Credits: 3-4
Mathematics
- MATH 113 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (Mason Core) - 4 credits
- MATH 114 Analytic Geometry and Calculus II - 4 credits
- MATH 213 Analytic Geometry and Calculus III - 3 credits Total Credits: 11
Statistics
- STAT 250 Introductory Statistics I (Mason Core) - 3 credits Total Credits: 3
Physics
- PHYS 160 University Physics I (Mason Core) - 3 credits
- PHYS 161 University Physics I Laboratory (Mason Core) - 1 credit
- PHYS 260 University Physics II (Mason Core) - 3 credits
- PHYS 261 University Physics II Laboratory (Mason Core) - 1 credit Total Credits: 8
Options
Students select one of the following options:
Meteorology Option
This option is designed for students interested in weather and weather forecasting. Required classes include:
- CLIM 312 Physical Climatology - 3 credits
- CLIM 314 Severe and Extreme Weather - 3 credits
- CLIM 319 Air Pollution - 3 credits Total Credits: 9
Computational Atmospheric Sciences Option
This option prepares students in computational science, mathematics, and numerical modeling. Required classes include:
- CLIM 470 Numerical Weather Prediction - 3 credits
- MATH 214 Elementary Differential Equations - 3 credits
- Select one from the following: - 3 credits
- CDS 251 Introduction to Scientific Programming
- CDS 301 Scientific Information and Data Visualization
- CDS 302 Scientific Data and Databases (Mason Core)
- CDS 303 Scientific Data Mining Total Credits: 9
Required Electives
Students must select 9 credits from the following list, independent of courses taken in the selected option:
- CDS 251 Introduction to Scientific Programming
- CDS 301 Scientific Information and Data Visualization
- CLIM 312 Physical Climatology
- CLIM 314 Severe and Extreme Weather
- CLIM 319 Air Pollution
- CLIM 401 Midlatitude Synoptic Meteorology
- CLIM 409 Research Internship
- CLIM 412 Physical Oceanography
- CLIM 438 Atmospheric Chemistry
- CLIM 440 Climate Dynamics
- CLIM 456 Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation
- CLIM 470 Numerical Weather Prediction
- GEOL 420 Earth Science and Policy (Mason Core)
- GGS 354 Data Analysis and Global Change Detection Techniques
- GGS 379 Remote Sensing
- MATH 214 Elementary Differential Equations Total Credits: 9
Mason Core and Elective Credits
To meet the minimum of 120 credits, this degree requires an additional 48-49 credits, which may be applied toward any remaining Mason Core requirements and electives.
Mason Core
Some Mason Core requirements may already be fulfilled by the major requirements. Students should consult their advisors to ensure they fulfill all remaining Mason Core requirements.
Foundation Requirements
- Written Communication (lower-level) - 3 credits
- Oral Communication - 3 credits
- Quantitative Reasoning - 3 credits
- Information Technology and Computing - 3 credits
Exploration Requirements
- Arts - 3 credits
- Global Contexts - 3 credits
- Global History - 3 credits
- Literature - 3 credits
- Natural Science - 7 credits
- Social and Behavioral Sciences - 3 credits
- Just Societies (optional) - 1 credit
Integration Requirements
- Written Communication (upper-level) - 3 credits
- Writing Intensive - 2 credits
- Mason Apex - 3 credits Total Credits: 40
Program Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Apply mathematical tools to study atmospheric processes
- Construct and interpret weather charts, maps, and diagrams
- Demonstrate knowledge of the physical laws governing atmospheric phenomena
- Plan, execute, and communicate research in the atmospheric sciences
- Integrate atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics into an understanding of climate change
- Apply advanced mathematical and computational methods to simulation and analysis of atmospheric phenomena