The combined program offers motivated and exceptional students the opportunity to achieve aspirations in an efficient program at Texas A&M, completing both the Bachelor of Science degree in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences Meteorology Program and the Master of Ocean Science and Technology degree in 5 years. The concurrent degree program will enable these motivated students to coordinate the required BS coursework and Master of Ocean Science and Technology coursework to complete the required credit hours for each degree without diminishing scope or quality of work and within 5 years.
Application and Eligibility
- Applications to the combined program will be submitted by June 15 after the completion of the student’s junior year. Applications submitted after that time will be evaluated on a case by case basis. GRE scores are not required for admission to the program
- Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.25. Applicants should also earn a C or better in all Chemistry, Calculus and Physics courses. Once admitted to the program, students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA on all graduate coursework.
- A faculty advisor will be assigned to each student. Students may seek additional mentors, but a formal committee is not required.
- Students admitted into the combined program must finish the entire 150 credit hours to obtain both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Students will graduate at the completion of the 5th year in the combined program coursework (150 credit hours) with both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
- Students admitted to the program will change from U4 to G7 status when they are admitted having completed at least 90 hours (end of spring semester, year 3).
- Students not accepted or not allowed to continue with the combined program will complete the 120-hour Bachelor’s degree under the standard 4 year curriculum. These students may still apply to the traditional graduate program.
Plan of Study Grid First Year |
Fall |
ATMO 201 | Weather and Climate 1 | 3 |
CHEM 119 | Fundamentals of Chemistry I | 4 |
ENGL 104 | Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
MATH 171
| Calculus I 1
or Engineering Mathematics I | 4 |
2,3,4 | 1 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 |
Spring |
ATMO 203 | Weather Forecasting Laboratory 1 | 1 |
CHEM 120 | Fundamentals of Chemistry II | 4 |
MATH 172
| Calculus II 1
or Engineering Mathematics II | 4 |
PHYS 206 & PHYS 226 | Newtonian Mechanics for Engineering and Science and Physics of Motion Laboratory for the Sciences | 4 |
| 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 |
Second Year |
Fall |
ATMO 251 | Weather Observation and Analysis 1 | 3 |
ATMO 363 | Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Pollution | 3 |
MATH 251 | Engineering Mathematics III 1 | 3 |
| 3 |
| Computer Applications in the Atmospheric Sciences | |
| Programming I | |
| Structured Programming in C | |
| 3 |
5,6 | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Spring |
ATMO 324 | Physical and Regional Climatology | 3 |
MATH 308 | Differential Equations 1 | 3 |
PHYS 207 & PHYS 227 | Electricity and Magnetism for Engineering and Science and Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory for the Sciences | 4 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 |
Third Year |
Fall |
ATMO 335 | Atmospheric Thermodynamics 7 | 3 |
ATMO 336 | Atmospheric Dynamics 7 | 4 |
STAT 211 | Principles of Statistics I 1 | 3 |
| 3 |
5,6 | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 |
Spring |
ATMO 435 | Synoptic-Dynamic Meteorology | 3 |
COMM 203
| Public Speaking
or Communication for Technical Professions | 3 |
2,3,4 | 6 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Fourth Year |
Fall |
ATMO 441
| Satellite Meteorology and Remote Sensing
or Radar Meteorology | 3 |
ATMO 446 | Physical Meteorology | 3 |
OCNG 604 | Ocean Observing Systems 3,4,8 | 3 |
OCNG 608 | Physical Oceanography 3,4,8 | 3 |
4,8 | 3 |
| Biological Oceanography | |
| Geological Oceanography | |
| Chemical Oceanography | |
2,3,4 | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Spring |
ATMO 456 | Practical Weather Forecasting | 3 |
OCNG 603 | Communicating Ocean Science | 3 |
OCNG 657 | Data Methods and Graphical Representation in Oceanography | 3 |
2,3,4 | 3 |
| Biological Oceanography | |
| Chemical Oceanography | |
| Geological Oceanography | |
5,6 | 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 |
Fifth Year |
Fall |
8 | 9 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 9 |
Spring |
OCNG 661 | Advanced Oceanographic Data Analysis and Communication | 3 |
8 | 6 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 9 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 150 |
The program includes a total of 156 hours with 6 hours being applied toward both the Bachelor of Science in Meteorology and the Master of Ocean Science and Technology.