Program Overview 

The Department of Atmospheric Sciences (ATMS) now offers an MS in Weather and Climate Risk and Analytics, designed to meet the demand for atmospheric scientists with post-graduate education in the:

• computational analysis/analytics of weather and climate data
• implementation and use of predictive models for the weather-climate interface
• assessment of weather- and climate-related risk

This particular skill set is different than, but complementary to that of traditional weather forecasting, and is particularly desirable in the private sector, which is the fastest-growing employment sector in the atmospheric sciences. This MS degree program is fully online, which precludes the need for an extended absence from a current position and/or familial responsibilities, and otherwise maximizes learning flexibility. 

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Coursework

Students completing the online Graduate Certificate in Weather and Climate Risk and Data Analytics must complete three courses, totaling 12 credit hours, from the following list:

ATMS 517: Data Science for the Geosciences (4 cr)

ATMS 520: Physical and Dynamic Meteorology (4 cr)

ATMS 521: Climate Analysis, Variability, and Prediction (4 cr)

ATMS 523: Weather and Climate Data Analytics (4 cr)

ATMS 526: Risk Analysis in the Geosciences (4 cr)

GEOG 407: Foundations of CyberGIS and Geospatial Data Science (4 cr)

Prior to enrolling in the courses, the student must develop a plan of study in consultation with the program’s academic advisor Prof. Alicia Klees.

Prerequisites

Students who wish to apply must meet the following requirements:

• Bachelor's degree, ideally in atmospheric sciences, meteorology, oceanography, or in a related field such as physics, mathematics, computer science, engineering. The degree must be from an accredited college in the United States or an approved institution of higher learning abroad
• GPA of 3.0 (out of 4.0) or higher for the last 60 semester hours in a Bachelor's program. Students who do not meet the degree criterion and/or GPA criterion may still be eligible for consideration. Such students are encouraged to contact Dr. Alicia Klees, Teaching Assistant Professor and program advisor, aklees@illinois.edu, to determine their possible eligibility.

Tuition and Fees

2021-22 Tuition and Fee rates via Illinois Online.

Application Deadlines:

Spring 2022: Monday, January 10th

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Course and Faculty Highlights:

ATMS 517: Data Science for the Geosciences

Prof. Alicia Klees, Graduate Certificate Advisor 

Affiliated Faculty

Alicia Klees, Teaching Assistant Professor & Graduate Certificate Advisor, aklees@illinois.edu

Brian Jewett, Research Scientist, bjewett@illinois.edu

Steve Nesbitt, Professor, snesbitt@illinois.edu

Bob Rauber, Professor, r-rauber@illinois.edu

Ryan Sriver, Professor, rsriver@illinois.edu

Jeff Trapp, Professor and Department Head, jtrapp@illinois.edu

Zhuo Wang, Professor, zhuowang@illinois.edu