For admission to the program, the departmental admission committee considers courses taken, grade-point average, supporting letters, GRE scores, professional experience, and English proficiency. Rather than setting rigid standards in each category, the committee examines the overall record as a whole. The best-qualified applicants are accepted up to the number of spaces that are available for new students.

Generally, additional mathematics and physics beyond the minimum requirements listed above, as well as courses in statistics, chemistry, and computer programming, will strengthen the student’s application. Courses in meteorology are not required for admission. Most students admitted to the graduate program have GPA's of 3.50 or higher; particularly good grades in the sciences are desirable. Two recommendations are solicited from persons familiar with the student’s academic competence, and the student is required to write a letter summarizing interests and goals. The General Test package containing the Mathematical Reasoning Test of the GRE is required of all applicants. A verbal and quantitative combined score of 1200 or greater is typical for the department’s students. All international students whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum TOEFL score of 550 points on the paper test, of 213 points on the computer-based test, or of 80 points on the Internet-based test together with a minimum score of 23 points on the speaking portion, is required for admission.

Master’s Degree Requirements

The degree is offered with both thesis and research paper options. For both options, a core curriculum is required that is composed of METEO 520, 521, 533, 535, and 580 that is supplemented by 5 elective credits from 500-level Meteorology courses, for a total of 18 credits.

All students must take a minimum of 12 additional elective credits for a total of 30 credits, which are distributed as follows. Students in the master’s thesis option must select 6 additional credits from 400- and 500-level course work in Meteorology or related disciplines, and 6 quality-graded credits of METEO 600 (quality-graded credits count toward the grade-point average; see http://www.psu.edu/bulletins/whitebook/$acadinfo.htm. Student in the master's paper option must select 6 of the additional credits from 400- and 500-level course work in Meteorology, together with 6 additional credits from 400- and 500-level course work in Meteorology or related disciplines if not used as electives above. METEO 600 credits cannot be used to fulfill any portion of these additional credits.

Finally, all M.S. students defend their thesis or paper in a public presentation that is evaluated by, and must be approved by, the students' committee. A minimum of three signatures is required for a master's thesis, including the thesis adviser and the department head or program chair.

For a minor in Meteorology, an M.S. student must select 6 credits of 500-level Meteorology courses in a course plan approved by the department.

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Studies for the Ph.D. degree are designed to accommodate the interests and capabilities of the candidate, and they are overseen by a doctoral committee, which also administers comprehensive and final oral examinations. Before being admitted to Ph.D. candidacy, a student must have the academic support of a faculty member and the student must pass each part of the two-part Ph.D. candidacy examination that is typically offered twice each year. In order to assess the student’s progress in assimilating the required material, both sections of the exam must be taken within one year of being admitted to the program and the student must pass the entire exam within two years of admission. Once a student passes a section of the candidacy exam, the student does not take that section again. Before being admitted to the comprehensive exam, a student must have passed the department’s competency exam in written and spoken technical English. Before being admitted to the final oral exam, a student must have completed 4 required credits: METEO 580 (1 credit) and 3 credits from at least two different graduate seminar courses. In addition, 6 credits per academic year from 400- and 500-level course work in Meteorology or related disciplines must be taken until the comprehensive examination is passed (METEO 580 and the elective courses apply to this requirement). One credit of METEO 590 is required each semester until the comprehensive exam is passed. There are no minimal credit requirements for quality-graded METEO 600 (research credits whose grades count toward the grade-point average). Students may earn up to 12 quality-graded credits, including those earned during the pursuit of an M.S. degree in Meteorology from Penn State. The student is expected to master the material in the M.S. core courses (METEO 520, 521, 533, and 535), but need not take those courses for credit.

Students interested in the emerging field of Astrobiology may wish to obtain a dual-title degree in Astrobiology and Meteorology. The pursuit of this dual title entails additional course work beyond the degree requirements set forth here (see the Graduate Bulletin http://www.psu.edu/bulletins/whitebook/programs/aboil.htm for further details concerning these course and other program requirements), as well as the participation of at least one Astrobiology program faculty member on the dissertation committee. The Astrobiology representative, who assists with the selection of courses, may be the adviser and have an appointment in Meteorology. In addition to passing the departmental Ph.D. Candidacy exam that all Meteorology doctoral students must take, all dual-title students must pass a second Candidacy Examination that assesses their potential in the field of astrobiology. The structure and timing of the second candidacy examination will determined jointly by the dual-title and major program. The field of Astrobiology should be integrated into the comprehensive examination. A Ph.D. dissertation that contributes fundamentally to the field of Astrobiology is required. A public oral presentation of the dissertation is required.

For a minor in Meteorology, Ph.D. students should select 15 credits of 500-level Meteorology courses in a course plan approved by the department.

Other Relevant Information

The program differentiates between instruction and research topics appropriate for M.S. students seeking positions of advanced responsibility in government or industry, those appropriate for M.S. students anticipating further study, and those appropriate for Ph.D. candidates who will work in advanced research laboratories or academic institutions.

Student Aid

Graduate assistantships available through this program and other forms of student aid are described in the STUDENT AID section of the Graduate Bulletin. Most graduate students are supported with teaching or research assistantships.

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

METEOROLOGY (METEO) course list

NOTE: Courses in the use of X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and spectroscopy in meteorological studies are listed under MATERIALS SCIENCE.

Integrated B.S./M.S. Program in Meteorology

The Department of Meteorology offers an integrated B.S./M.S. Program that is designed to allow academically superior students to obtain both the B.S. and the M.S. degree in Meteorology in five years of study. In order to complete the program in five years, students interested in the Integrated B.S./M.S. Program in Meteorology must apply for admission to the Graduate School and the Integrated B.S./M.S. program by the end of their junior year.

During the first three years, the student will follow the course scheduling of one of the options in the B.S. degree, normally the Atmospheric Sciences or the General Option (see the Undergraduate Bulletin). Students who intend to enter the Integrated B.S./M.S. Program are encouraged to take upper level classes during their first three years whenever appropriate. By the end of the junior year, students normally apply for admission to both the IUG Program and to the Graduate School. Acceptance decisions will be made prior to the beginning of the senior year and M.S. advising committees appointed for successful applicants. During the senior year, IUG students follow the scheduling of the selected B.S. Meteorology Option, with an emphasis on completing 500-level course work as appropriate. During the senior year, IUG students will start work on their theses or papers that are designed to meet the requirements of the M.S. degree in Meteorology. During the fifth year, IUG students take courses fulfilling the departmental M.S. degree requirements and complete their M.S. theses or papers. Typical scheduling plans for students pursuing the General or Atmospheric Sciences Options are given on the departmental Web site http://www.met.psu.edu. If a plan similar to one of these plans is followed, then the student will have completed all requirements for the B.S. in Meteorology by the end of the fourth year. If, for some reason, a student cannot continue in the integrated program, then this student will be able to receive the undergraduate degree upon completion of all of the B.S. requirements. Undergraduate tuition rates will apply as long as the student is an undergraduate, unless the student receives financial support, for example, via an assistantship requiring the payment of graduate tuition.

Admission Requirements

Students who wish to complete the Integrated B.S./M.S. Program in Meteorology should apply for admission to both the Graduate School and the Integrated B.S./M.S. Program by no later than the end of their junior year. In this case, successful students will be admitted formally into the graduate program in Meteorology just prior to their senior year, if their progress has been satisfactory. Admission prior to the senior year is also possible in some unusual circumstances. In all cases, admission to the program will be at the discretion of the Graduate Admissions Officer for the Department of Meteorology, who will determine the necessary criteria for all applicants. These criteria include the setting of the minimum required scores on the GRE and minimum cumulative GPA for consideration, the receipt of recommendation letters from three faculty and a letter of support from the department head, and the identification of an adviser who is willing to oversee the student's research project; normally, evidence of significant research potential must be provided in the application as well.

Degree Requirements

The total degree requirements are as follows: The new program will fulfill the present rigorous requirements of the existing M.S. Program. In particular, all IUG students must defend their theses or papers, as do all M.S. students, in a public presentation toward the end of their graduate program.

B.S. Degree Portion:

TOTAL B.S. REQUIREMENTS: 121 credits (12 double-counted with the M.S. Requirements)

General Education: 45 credits, 24 of which are included in the REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR

Requirements for the Major (All Options): 75 credits

Prescribed Courses: 56 credits
Additional Courses: 19 credits

Requirements for the General Option: 18-19 credits

M.S. Degree Portion:

TOTAL M.S. REQUIREMENTS: 30 credits (12 double-counted with the B.S. Requirements)

Prescribed Courses: METEO 520, 521, 533, 535 (12 credits)

Additional Courses: 18 credits

6 credits of 500-level course work
6 credits of 400- or 500-level course work
6 credits of METEO 600 (thesis option)
or 6 credits of 400- or 500-level course work

The Pennsylvania State University © 2004

The University reserves the right to change the requirements and regulations listed here and to determine whether a student has satisfactorily met its requirements for admission or graduation, and to reject any applicant for any reason the University determines to be material to the applicant's qualifications to pursue higher education. Nothing in this material should be considered a guarantee that completion of a program and graduation from the University will result in employment.

This electronic Graduate Bulletin is a version of the official bulletin of The Pennsylvania State University. It is suggested that users refer to this electronic bulletin when seeking the latest information about the University's academic programs and courses. Printed versions of the Bulletin are also official copies of the programs, courses, and policies in effect at the time of printing.

Last Revised by the Department: Spring Semester 2007

Blue Sheet Item #: 35-02-120

Review Date: 10/10/06

DATE LAST REVIEWED BY PUBLICATIONS: 9/19/06