We welcome you to CliMAS at Illinois!

Do you want to understand the power of mother nature? Are you curious about our changing climate? Do you want to learn how to predict severe thunderstorms? Are you interested in applying mathematics and physics concepts to find solutions that will benefit society? If your answer is ‘yes’ to any of these questions, consider a career in atmospheric sciences. 

Our department offers a major and a minor in atmospheric sciences within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Atmospheric sciences is a broad category that includes meteorology and climate. Our undergraduates have the opportunity to engage in world-class research experiences with our faculty, as well as obtain fellowships and scholarships along their academic journey.  Our graduates go on to successful careers in government, private industry, and academia.

Our department also offers Master's and Ph.D. degree programs as well as an Online Graduate Certificate in Weather and Climate Risk and Data Analytics within the Graduate College. Our graduate admissions process follows inclusive admissions practices. We value the contributions of all people to the mission of the department and to the university, and strive to ensure that the department is free of bias and is inclusive to all.

JOIN THE ILLINOIS CliMAS FAMILY

Our faculty are leading scientists and award-winning lecturers that will help you along your educational journey in our programs. Champaign-Urbana experiences the four seasons of weather (from blizzards to severe thunderstorms), so there is no shortage of subject material to study just outside your window. The Department hosts several key pieces of research equipment, such as SCAMP, a System for Characterizing and Measuring Precipitation, and the Doppler on Wheels Mobile Radar Network. Both of them are used for education and for cutting-edge research. The University of Illinois, ranked by U.S. News and World Report as a Top 15 Public University, offers many opportunities outside the department to broaden your horizons.

DEPARTMENT ATMOSPHERE

Despite being on one of the largest campuses in the nation, our department strives to have an inclusive family-like atmosphere for our students. Our student-centered programs, small class sizes and a high faculty-to-student ratio give students beneficial hands-on learning experiences.  

Our graduate students are provided computational resources by the department. Their health insurance is provided by the university,  and tuition is waived. All graduate students receive financial support through research assistantships, teaching assistantships or fellowships, with a monthly stipend of approximately $2400. The average annual fees are approximately $850. Champaign-Urbana offers the advantages of a college town with a very reasonable cost of living. Our graduate program is amongst the top 3 programs with the highest effective income out of 39 U.S. Atmospheric Science graduate programs (https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0122.1).

WHERE DO OUR GRADUATES WORK?

Careers in atmospheric sciences span many employers from private companies to government organizations and universities. Check out our alumni page to stay in touch and up to date with other Illinois graduates. Also, check out our career pages for information on current job openings.

HOW DO I APPLY? WHAT FINANCIAL AID IS AVAILABLE?

Application for undergraduate admission and financial aid is available through the Office of the Registrar website. Connect here!

Information about the graduate application process can be found here and more information about financial aid for graduate students is listed here.