Master's in Atmospheric Science Requirements

Admission Requirements

1. A four-year bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university. For U.S. degrees, accreditation must be by one of the six regional accrediting associations.
2. Completion of a minimum of 20 semester credits of appropriate undergraduate work, e.g., physics, mathematics, chemistry, engineering, and/or atmospheric science.
3. A cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 for all undergraduate work or a GPA of at least 3.00 for the last two years.
4. For international applicants only: Scores on the general portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
5. Satisfy the School of Graduate Studies’ English Language Proficiency requirements as listed in the graduate catalog.

Applicants will be evaluated on an individual basis and those with limited backgrounds in the aforementioned areas (physics, mathematics, chemistry, and atmospheric science) but with a distinguished record in other disciplines may be accepted on a qualified basis with the understanding that deficiencies would be remedied early in the program.

Degree Requirements

Students seeking the Master of Science degree through the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general degree requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies as well as particular requirements set forth by the Department of Atmospheric Sciences.

The Master of Science program requires that students complete a minimum of 30 credit hours. Approval of the thesis option will be granted based upon alignment of research interests with departmental faculty’s research interests and faculty availability. The non-thesis option requires the student to independently investigate a topic related to the major field and successfully complete a written comprehensive examination. This study need not be an original contribution to knowledge, but may be a presentation, analysis, and discussion of ideas already in the literature of the field. This non-thesis requirement ensures that students can investigate a topic and organize a scholarly report.

Required Courses: All students are required to complete at least one course from each of the core areas listed below in addition to completing ATSC 500 Introduction to Atmospheric Research. Non-thesis option students must also complete two credits of ATSC 997 Independent Study Report (Non-Thesis Option), and thesis option students must also complete 4-9 credits of ATSC 998 Thesis. A minimum of 21 credits must be from classroom courses (ATSC 575 or lower) for the thesis option and a minimum of 24 credits for the non-thesis option.

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Courses taken at the undergraduate level cannot be repeated for graduate credit.

Combined Degree Program B.S./M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences

The Atmospheric Sciences program offers a combined B.S./M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences program. The intent of the combined program is to allow qualified students to complete the requirements for both degrees in one year beyond that required to receive the Baccalaureate degree. Students may be accepted into this program upon completion of 90 credits toward the Bachelor’s degree and must apply prior to their fourth year of academic work. All requirements for both degrees must be met, and up to eight credits of prior-approved coursework may be double-counted toward each of the two degrees. Double-counted credits may not include required courses for the B.S. degree, but may include appropriate elective coursework.

 Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for the M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences, with the following additional criteria:

1.  3.0 GPA overall.

2.  Completion of 90 credit hours prior to year four, including a course in dynamic meteorology.

Degree Requirements

Degree requirements for the M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences, with the following additional criteria:

1. Up to 8 credits of graduate-level coursework can be double counted for the B.S. and M.S. degrees. These credits can only be taken after admission to the graduate program.

2. The B.S. and M.S. degrees will be awarded sequentially upon completion of the degree requirements.