MS: Atmospheric Science MS
Take your passion for weather and climate studies to the next level, working side-by-side with our knowledgeable faculty.
When you enroll in our graduate program, you’ll join a tight-knit group led by four faculty members who specialize in areas such as atmospheric and climate dynamics, weather analysis and forecasting, data analytics, mesoscale and tropical meteorology, and air-pollution and microscale meteorology.
Our program is an excellent place for graduate study because of our research excellence, close collaboration between faculty and students, friendly environment and open-door policy for questions.
Program Type
Program Format
Land Your Dream Job
Our faculty have a stellar track record at helping students find their dream jobs whether in research, operations, academia or the private sector.
Our alumni are working in leadership positions across the field. About one-third of our graduates work for the National Weather Service as forecasters or research scientists. Another third are in private-sector fields ranging from scientific research to data analytics. The remaining third are in the academic enterprise as faculty, researchers or instructors.
The Atmospheric Science M.S. program is a thesis-based program that prepares students for employment in weather, climate or data-driven fields, or for continued study in a PhD program. The M.S. program typically requires two years to complete for students entering with a B.S. in Atmospheric Science or a related discipline. Students are typically supported through Research or Teaching Assistantships.
Graduate students must successfully complete a thesis that advances understanding in the field under the supervision of an Atmospheric Science professor.
We strongly encourage all prospective graduate students to reach out to the faculty member whose research is of greatest interest to you. Reaching out helps you get more information about our program, learn more about potential research opportunities and determine if one of us would be a good mentor for you.
Applicants must meet UWM Graduate School requirements to be considered for admission to the program. Entering graduate students should have a general background in physics and mathematics, including calculus and ordinary differential equations. However, given the multidisciplinary nature of the atmospheric sciences, no specific coursework is required. We do not require GRE scores.
Admissions Process
Applications for fall admission must be completed by Jan. 31. Applications for spring admission must complete their application by Nov. 15. Limited funding is available to support spring applicants.
The fall admissions process typically proceeds according to the following timeline:
- Early February: Faculty meet to review applications and make initial admissions decisions.
- Mid-late February: Faculty recommendations are reviewed and approved by the School of Freshwater Sciences.
- By March 1: Official offer letters are sent to the initial group of admitted students.
- By April 15: Students who have received an offer from us must accept or decline.
We continue the admissions process on a rolling basis until all available positions are filled, which typically occurs by the end of April.
Application Requirements
The application has four required elements:
- A personal or research statement.
- Unofficial copies of your undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate transcripts.
- The names of the faculty member(s) with whom your research interests most closely align.
- Contact information for three references who have agreed to provide a letter of recommendation in support of your application.
For international applicants who completed their studies at a university where English was not the sole language of instruction, proof of English proficiency is also required. More details are available from UWM’s Center for International Education.
Further information is available from UWM’s Graduate School.
Students enrolled in the MS in Atmospheric Science degree program must complete a minimum of 30 credits, 12 of which are from Atm Sci courses at the 700-level or above, 6 of which are from approved graduate elective courses, 6 of which are from the Atm Sci 500/700 Statistical Methods in Atmospheric Sciences sequence, and 6 of which are from Atm Sci 990 (Master’s Thesis).
Students must also have a major professor to supervise their studies and direct them in completing thesis research. An acceptable thesis represents an original contribution to knowledge in the atmospheric sciences. Successful oral defense of the thesis upon its completion is required for graduation.
Financial support in the form of fellowships, teaching assistantships and research assistantships is awarded on a competitive basis. All applicants to the program will automatically be considered for each of these types of awards.
We typically do not admit students unless we can also provide them with an assistantship or fellowship, including tuition waiver. If you wish to be considered for admission without funding, contact the program chair.