UW undergraduate students and others took observations
on the NOAA research vessel Ron Brown in the tropical
Pacific during the KWAJEX field experiment.
Introduction
Atmospheric Science encompasses a wide variety of topics such as weather forecasting, air pollution and air chemistry, climate change, cloud and precipitation physics, and boundary layer processes. The Department of Atmospheric Sciences provides a comprehensive and flexible curriculum in these and other areas. Each student is required to take a collection of core courses that provides essential background in the field. Then, for the remainder of their atmospheric studies, students are provided considerable latitude in putting together a program responsive to their needs and interests.
The department's undergraduate majors are prepared for a range of career options including weather forecasting, environmental meteorology, TV weathercasting, or further study at a graduate institution. With strong backgrounds in physics, mathematics and computer sciences, atmospheric sciences majors are also well equipped for a variety of alternative career paths. Students awarded a bachelor's degree by the Department are eligible for the rating of professional meteorologist given by the United States Civil Service Commission.
Because the Department also maintains a large graduate program, UW atmospheric sciences students can take advantage of a wide variety of opportunities to enhance their education. For example, some graduate courses are available to advanced undergraduates and employment and students can gain first hand experience in research with one of the department's research groups. Undergraduate students are welcome at the Department's many seminars and colloquia and are encouraged to join in the annual forecast contest. Undergraduates can also work on independent research projects under the guidance of a faculty member.
The University of Washington is the only higher education institution in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska to award undergraduate degrees in atmospheric sciences and has the most comprehensive undergraduate meteorology program in the western U.S. Major's classes generally range from 10-15 students and all are taught by department faculty.
The department has arranged a number of internships with
outside organizations. Internships with the Seattle National Weather
Service Forecast Office and several of the local television stations have
proven to be the most popular. Such internships provide valuable
real-life learning experiences outside of the classroom.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
About a third of our undergraduates typically participate
in department research projects, learning about the research process while
making important contributions. In addition, a number of undergraduates
have taken part in field programs, in which atmospheric data is collected
and analyzed in often exotic locations. For example, several department
majors were involved in the KWAJEX experiment which studied thunderstorms
in the mid-Pacific: some students took observations at Kwajalein
Atoll, while others helped on the NOAA research ship Ron Brown (see
picture below). Other students assisted in the COAST field
experiment in which they flew on research aircraft to study the interaction
of Pacific fronts with coastal terrain. More recently, a number of
undergraduates flow on the NOAA P3 aircraft (the "Hurricane Hunter") during
a study of precipitation processes over the Oregon Cascades. In addition
to helping with faculty research efforts, students can work on undergraduate
research projects under the guidance of atmospheric sciences faculty.
UW undergraduate students and others took observations
on the NOAA research vessel Ron Brown in the tropical
Pacific during the KWAJEX field experiment.
More examples of undergraduate research
Internships
Internships provide a valuable opportunity to test a student's interest in potential meteorological career paths and to extend his or her knowledge with real-life experiences. The department has arranged internships with a number of outside organizations. Internships with the Seattle and Portland National Weather Service Forecast Offices and with several of the local television stations have proven to be the most popular. Students can be awarded academic credit for internship experiences, which sometimes provide a stipend. Internships of propelled several students into successful careers in TV weathercasting and forecasting at the National Weather Service.
Scholarships and Employment
In addition to University scholarships, there are at least four departmental scholarships available each year, awarded for both academic excellence and financial need. These scholarships are provided by the Bruce Caldwell Memorial Fund, contributed by the parents and friends of Bruce Caldwell--a graduate of the department-- and the Atmospheric Sciences Endowment Fund, made possible by a generous, but anonymous donor.
There are also a number of employment possibilities in the department, ranging from assisting research projects to helping maintain the map room.
Department Facilities
The department receives a wide range of weather data and forecast model output through Internet links, including surface and upper air data, radar and satellite imagery, and forecast output from several major numerical weather prediction centers. It maintains interactive software for acquiring, displaying, and printing all forms of observations and model output, as well as instruments for taking local observations (see picture below). Students can view and analyze weather data on the department workstations or computers, including those in the student computer laboratory. The department maintains a map room on the sixth floor for viewing weather data in either print or electronic forms. The map room is used for some classes and is a frequent gathering place where students and faculty informally discuss the current weather situation. The Department classrooms also possess internet links and the ability to project high-resolution graphical information.
The Department maintains a full suite of meteorological
The Department map room is place where
sensors on its roof.
students and faculty gather to view the
latest weather information and forecasts.
Extensive computer resources are available for student
use. The department maintains a large network of UNIX workstations
for both general use and research projects. In addition, several
PCs are also available. These computers are linked to each other
and outside facilities over a high-bandwidth Internet connection..
The department also possesses massive computer resources for real-time
high resolution regional forecasting and long-term climate simulations.
The Undergraduate Computer Laboratory has twelve
SUN workstations and several PCs .
The department maintains an instrument's laboratory with a wide range of observing and data collection systems. Used extensively in the undergraduate instrument's class, this facility acquaints students with a wide range of instrumentation and modern methods for interfacing observing systems with computers. Students in atmospheric sciences also have access to a machine shop, several electronic labs, and an extensive weather data archive.
This Convair 580 aircraft has been used for field programs by the department's
cloud and aerosol physics group. Undergraduates have participated
in the group's research program.
Seminars and Meetings Open to Undergraduates
Learning possibilities for department
undergraduates don't end in the classroom. Each week there
are 6-12 seminars or talks on a variety of topics, and undergraduates are
welcome to attend all. Some opportunities include:
Closely Related Departments
and Programs
The UW is well-known for strong science departments and atmospheric sciences majors can take advantage of a wide range of courses in closely related fields. For example, there are extensive offerings in oceanography, geophysics, chemistry, and applied mathematics, to name only a few. For those students with interest in Climate and Global Change, the Program on the Environment, Program on Climate Change, and Astrobiology Program offers a number of exciting undergraduates courses.
Employment After Graduation
Many of our students have gone on to successful careers in atmospheric sciences and other fields. Dozens have been employed with the National Weather Service or private weather forecasting firms. Others have gone to graduate school in atmospheric sciences, secured positions in local air qualilty/environmental consulting firms, or became weather officers or pilots in military service. A number of our students have gone on to to successful careers in TV weathercasting, using their internship experiences as an invaluable base. Other students have used the strong computer backgrounds they developed at the UW to secure positions in the software and computer industries.
More information on careers in the atmospheric sciences
can be found at the American Meteorological Web Site: A
Career Guide to the Atmospheric Sciences.
For Further Information
For addition information, a student should contact either Kathryn Stout, Academic Counselor ((206) 543-6471, email: kathryn@atmos.washington.edu), or Cliff Mass, Faculty Adviser (206) 685-0910 or email: cliff@atmos.washington.edu). Students are also welcome to stop by the Atmospheric Sciences counseling office located in 408B Atmospheric Sciences Building.
Kathryn Stout, Academic Counselor
Professor Cliff Mass, Undergraduate Advisor
The Atmospheric Sciences Academic Program
The Atmospheric Sciences major has been designed to provide students with considerable flexibility in designing a program consistent with their interests and needs. With the assistance of the undergraduate advisor and faculty, the student chooses courses to create a tailored program reflecting his/her interests and career goals. For those students wishing to explore the atmospheric sciences in less depth, a minor program is also available.
Entrance Requirements:
There are no entrance requirements. A student may declare Atmospheric Sciences as a major upon application and admission to the university.
Required Core Courses:
The atmospheric science major is designed to provide flexibility
in response to student interests and career goals. All students take a
collection of core courses that provide essential material that all atmospheric
scientists should master. A grade of at least 2.0 is required in the core
courses, with an overall average of at least 2.5.
CSE 142: Introduction to Programming
MATH 124, 125, 126; (or 127,128,129 or 134,135,136);
324 Calculus
AMATH 301: Introduction to MATLAB
AMATH 351, 353 Differential Equations
PHYS 121,122, 123 and labs 131,132, 133: Calculus-based
Physics
ATM S 301: Introduction to Atmospheric Sciences
ATM S 321: Physical Climatology
ATM S 340: Introduction to Thermodynamics and Cloud Processes
ATM S 358: Fundamentals of Atmospheric Chemistry
ATM S 370: Atmospheric Structure and Analysis
ATM S 431: Atmospheric Physics
ATM S 441: Atmospheric Motions
In addition to the core courses, a student will select additional elective courses, a minimum of 19 credits of coursework at the 200 level or above. These credits should be chosen to provide a coherent, customized program that reflects the student's interests and career goals. Elective selections must be approved in advance by the department. A grade of at least 2.0 is required for all elective classes that are applied to graduation requirements.
In order to provide guidance for elective selection, some groups of electives or "tracks" are given below. These examples are not meant to be exhaustive but to provide suggestions of possible course sequences.
Suggested Track 1: Atmosphere and the Environment
This track is intended for students interested in environmental applications of the atmospheric sciences, including air quality, atmospheric chemistry, human health, and hydrology. Students interested in a program including the social sciences should consider supplementing this track with classes associated with the Program on the Environment. Courses selected for this track are:
CHEM 142 (5), CHEM 152 (5) General Chemistry
plus a minimum of 3 courses from the following list:
ATM S 451: Instruments and Observations (5)
ATM S 458: Global Environmental Chemistry (4)
CIVE 350: Environmental Engineering -Water and Air Quality
(4)
CIVE 476: Physical Hydrology (3)
CIVE 480: Air Quality Modeling (3)
CIVE 490/ENV H 461: Air Pollution Control (4)
CIVE 493: Air Pollution Source Testing and Equipment
Evaluation (3)
CHEM E 468/CIVE 494/M E 468: Air Pollution Control Design
(3)
ENV H 311: Introduction to Environmental Health (3)
ENV H 449: Respiratory Effects of Air Pollution (2)
ENV H 472: Environmental Risk and Society (prereq: CHEM
162 or 203) (3)
M E 424: Combustion Systems and Pollutant Formation (4)
PHYS 341: Energy and Environment I (3)
PHYS 342: Energy and Environment II (3)
STAT 311: Basic Statistical Analysis (4)
Suggested Track 2: Meteorology
This track provides students with a strong background in dynamics, synoptic meteorology and weather forecasting, and provides the coursework required for entry into the National Weather Service and military forecasting careers. The elective courses selected for this track are:
STAT 311: Basic Statistical Analysis (4)
ATM S 442: Atmospheric Motions II (5)
ATM S 451W: Instruments and Observations (5)
ATM S 452: Weather Forecasting and Advanced Synoptic
Meteorology (5)
Other recommended courses for this option: General Studies 350 (Internship) or ATM S 492 (Research/Independent Study).
Suggested Track 3: Atmosphere and Ocean
For those interested in both atmospheric and oceanic studies. Please see the undergraduate adviser for course selection.
Suggested Track 4: Teacher Education Focus
The University of Washington Teacher Education Program has set up a special program for earth sciences undergraduates who are interested in teaching careers. A brochure about this program is available from Dr. Karen Schmitt (kschmitt@u.washington.edu). After taking the core courses, the student interested in this focus should consult with the atmospheric sciences adviser to select further coursework.
Honor's Program
Programs and requirements for honors students will be arranged on an individual basis with the undergraduate adviser.