Academics

 

General Requirements MS

The Department offers two options for an M.S. degree, a thesis option and a non-thesis option.  In both options, students admitted to the M.S. program must complete four of the following six core courses, which represent the major subfields within atmospheric sciences:  

  • Atmospheric Chemistry (ATMS 420),
  • Dynamic Meteorology (ATMS 500),
  • Weather Systems (ATMS 505),
  • Climate Dynamics (ATMS 507),
  • Precipitation Physics (ATMS 510),
  • Atmospheric Radiation (ATMS 511). 

Additional requirements include:

  • Core Course GPA: Students must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) across the core courses (420, 500, 505, 507, 510, 511).
    • Students falling below this GPA in core courses are placed on academic warning.
    • If the GPA remains below 3.0 in the core courses after one additional semester, the student will be placed on drop status.
  • Minimum Grades in Core Courses: A grade of B– or higher is required in each core course.
    • S/U grades are not accepted in these courses.
    • Students who earn a grade lower than a B- in a core course may retake the course once. The higher of the two grades will be used in the GPA calculation.   
    • Failure to earn a B- or better on the second attempt disqualifies the student from completing the MS degree. 
    • Exception: For core courses not offered every year, such as 510 and 511, terminal MS students (i.e., MS students who do not continue to the PhD program) must earn a B– or higher in at least one of the two courses. This exception does not apply to PhD students or MS students continuing to the PhD program.
  • Timing of Core Courses: Students should complete the core requirements as early in their program as possible by completing at least one core course per semester until satisfying the requirements.
    • Non-core courses may be completed at any time prior to graduation.
    • A grade of W (withdrawal) in a core course counts as non-completion, unless the student obtains prior approval for withdrawal from the Director of Graduate Studies or the Department Head.  
    • Failure to complete at least one core course per academic semester until core requirements are met will result in academic warning.
    • If a student on academic warning does not complete a core course in the following semester, they will be placed on drop status.
  • Dropping Courses:
    • Graduate courses may be dropped before the 8-week deadline using Self-Service.
    • To request a late drop (after the deadline), students must first meet (virtually or in-person) with the Director of Graduate Studies or the Department Head. Late drop requests are not guaranteed to be approved.
    • If pursuing a late drop, students must submit a petition that includes a narrative and any supporting documentation.
    • The Graduate Affairs Committee will review petitions and notify students via email.
    • The final deadline for submitting a late drop request is the last day of instruction.
  • Seminar Participation:  CliMAS graduate students must enroll in the departmental seminar course (0 credit hour) during all academic semesters while registered. Students who are participating in off-campus academic or research opportunities may petition the department for an excused absence.
  • Professional Development: Students must successfully complete the Professional Development course (1 credit hour), typically during the first Fall semester.  
  • M.S. Committee: Each M.S. student will have a committee consisting of the advisor and at least two other faculty members.
    • At least one of the additional committee members must be from CliMAS.
    • The M.S. committee must be formed within one year from the student’s start date.
    • Each student will meet with their committee at least once a year after it is formed. During these meetings the student will present progress, discuss milestones and obtain feedback from committee members
    • The date of each meeting and its outcomes will be documented in the student’s annual review document.
    • The committee will review, the student’s annual progress, the M.S. thesis, and cast a pass/fail vote at the oral defense.
  • Time to Degree: The Department expects that most full-time candidates for the MS degree will be able to complete all the requirements in four to six academic semesters.
  • Time Limits: MS time limits are set by the Graduate College.