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MASTER'S DEGREE IN GEOSCIENCE

METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY FOCUS

For the Geoscience Masters, a minimum of 30 semester hours are required in all the Thesis concentrations, with 12 semester hours in core courses, 12 hours of electives, and 6 hours of Thesis. The Meteorology and Climatology concentration focuses on the skills required in a variety of climate, atmospheric science, and environmental fields. Students have greater flexibility in this track to focus on a suite of courses that prepares the student for employment in climate, media, forecasting, aviation, planning, environmental management, government, consulting, and myriad other areas. The Department requires that students have GEOG 121 (Meteorology), GEOG 391 (Statistics), and GEOG 317 (GIS) (or their equivalents) as part of their undergraduate coursework. If not, these courses are treated as deficiencies and MUST be taken in the first year as they are prerequisites for GEOS 520 Geoscience Data Modeling and the advanced climate courses. They do not count towards the 30-hour requirement for the Master's Degree. In addition, students must demonstrate proficiency in a research tool (satisfied by GEOS 502 and 520). Consult your advisor or the Graduate Handbook for more details

CORE REQUIREMENTS

 COURSE 18 HOURS
GEOS 500 Geoscience Research & Literacy 4 hours
GEOS 502 Geoscience Field Methods 4 hours
GEOS 520 Geoscience Data Modeling 4 hours
GEOS 599 Thesis Research/Writing 6 hours
RECOMMENDED ELECTIVES Atmospheric Sciences 12 hours
GEOS 522 Seminar in Physical Climatology 3 hours
GEOS 533 Seminar in Synoptic Meteorology 3 hours
GEOS 535 Seminar Dynamic Meteorology II 3 hours
GEOS 537 Mesoscale Meteorology 3 hours
GEOS 538 Physical Meteorology 3 hours
GEOS xxx Other approved Graduate Courses in Climate Studies 3 hours

Graduate Students are also required to participate in the Departmental Graduate/Faculty Seminar Program.

For more information about this track, contact your geography advisor, visit the Department office (EST 304), or call (270) 745-4555.

To send an email message to request more information, just click on: david.keeling@wku.edu

To return to the Department of Geography and Geology homepage, just click on the Department icon above.

This page last updated on 3/31/09.