Oct 10, 2024  
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Atmospheric Science, MS


College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics  > Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences  > Atmospheric Science, MS

The Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences offers a wide range of courses leading to the Master of Science in Atmospheric Sciences degree. The Department will provide all its students with educational programs that encompass the fundamental principles of the atmospheric sciences and the body of knowledge associated with the application of these principles to the study of the atmospheric sciences. Masters level students will receive specialized instruction in the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of Atmospheric Science data and the application of Atmospheric Science methods to problem-solving. Students successfully completing the MS program will be prepared for a career as a professional atmospheric scientist.

For additional information, please visit Masters Science in Atmospheric Science Degree Program.

Admission Requirements


  • Candidates for the Master’s of Science in Atmospheric Science are required to have successfully completed a Bachelor’s of Science in Atmospheric Science equivalent to one at the University of Houston.
  • A complete graduate school application found here www.uh.edu/graduate-school/admissions/how-to-apply) must be submitted.
  • Scores from the General GRE examination taken in the last 5 years are optional.
  • Admission to our graduate program is based on a competitive selection process. Meeting the minimum requirements published does not guarantee admission to our program.
  • Domestic applicants with a lower cumulative GPA may be admitted conditionally. 
  • Letters of recommendation are also given considerable weight in the evaluation process.
  • Students who did not earn a prior degree from a U.S. institution or a country where English is the medium of instruction (see list in the General Admission Policy ) must meet minimum test scores to demonstrate English language proficiency. Visit http://www.uh.edu/graduate-school/admissions/international-students/ to learn more.  

The admissions committee and the department chair will evaluate the credentials of each applicant for the MS program, considering a broad range of criteria, including:

  1. Content of undergraduate and graduate programs and grades earned, particularly in the areas of Meteorology, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Geosciences, or related natural/physical sciences.
  2. A cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better in the last 60 hours of course work.
  3. Letters of recommendation from three (3) individuals (preferably faculty members), who are able to judge the candidate’s academic abilities and potential for scholarly research.
  4. GRE scores, if submitted (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing; advanced GRE is recommended but optional).
  5. English proficiency scores, when applicable.

In addition to these requirements, graduate admission may also be contingent upon a faculty advisor agreeing to supervise the applicant’s research. Therefore, prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact faculty members in the applicant’s field of interest prior to the application deadline.

Program Prerequisites


Candidates entering the Atmospheric Science MS program are expected to have the necessary science and mathematics background and should have successfully completed course work deemed equivalent to the following courses  at the University of Houston:

  • MATH 2331 (Linear Algebra)
  • MATH 2433 (Calculus III)
  • MATH 3363 (Intro. to Partial Differential Equations)
  • GEOL 1302 (Introduction to Global Climate Change)
  • GEOL 1350 (Introduction to Meteorology)
  • GEOL 3342 (Principles of Air Pollution)
  • GEOL 3378 (Principles of Atmospheric Science)

The department will determine what deficiencies -if any - are present, and the acceptable means of removing those deficiencies (e.g. course work within and/or outside the Department, directed study, research papers). Substitution of courses equivalent to those listed above as well as waivers of requirements will be considered on an individual basis. Applicants with a few deficiencies can satisfy those requirements while also taking graduate courses at the University of Houston; these requirements will be listed in an offer letter should the student be admitted. It is normally recommended that a student with 6 or more deficiency courses -e.g., those whose Bachelor’s degree was in another discipline-work toward a second Bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Science prior to graduate work.

Degree Requirements


The MS degree will be awarded after students have successfully completed requirements.

A minimum of 30.0 approved Credit Hours are required:

  • Formal Atmospheric Science courses at the 6000 level or higher Credit Hours: 15.0
  • Thesis courses (GEOL 6399 & GEOL 7399) Credit Hours: 6.0 
  • Elective course Credit Hours: 9.0
    • Courses can be selected from approved courses outside the area of atmospheric science, but relevant to the degree program, with prior permission of the Atmospheric Science Graduate Faculty Advisor.
    • No more than 6 hours of special problems courses can be counted towards the required 30.0 Credit Hour minimum.

Core Course Requirements


Minimum 9.0 Credit Hours

In order to ensure breadth, each MS student is required to take at least one course from each of the 3 core course categories below. 

Students are encouraged to consult with the Atmospheric Science Graduate Faculty Advisor to make their selections of the remaining graduate courses.

Category 1 (Atmospheric Dynamics and Physics)


Category 2 (Atmospheric Chemistry)


Category 3 (Atmospheric Measurement and Modeling)


Thesis Requirement


6.0 Credit Hours

There is only a thesis option available for the MS in Atmospheric Science degree; All students must complete and defend a thesis acceptable to the department.

Department/Program Policies


Scholastic Requirements

Graduate students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.00 in all course work to be considered in good standing. Students not in good standing cannot receive a graduate degree and can be declared ineligible for support with a graduate assistantship (IA, TA or RA).

Research (Thesis) Advisor/Committee

  • Advisor
    • A formal thesis topic and thesis advisor must be chosen prior to the completion of 15 semester hours.
    • The student and the advisor will together plan the remainder of the student’s course work.
      • The 30 required hours are a minimum and, for a specific area of interest, it may be necessary for the student to complete additional course work.
    • The initial selection of an advisor is not binding on the student or the faculty member.
      • The student may change his/her thesis advisor pending approval by the Geology Graduate Faculty Advisor, but it is the responsibility of the student to review his/her degree plan and prepare for potential changes in the department and/or faculty support with the new advisor.
      • In addition, if the student has already formally proposed their project, they may have to present another thesis proposal of their new project(s).
  • Committee
    • Students must specify a thesis committee and have the names on file in the NSM Office of Academic Affairs at least one term prior to their graduation.
    • The committee must consist of
      • a minimum of two faculty members who have their primary appointment within EAS and
      • one approved external member, outside of EAS, from industry, or other academia, who is acceptable to the department and approved by the College.
    • A faculty member with a joint appointment in the major department is considered as an outside member unless he/she chairs the committee. In this case, an additional external member outside the major department is required.
    • After these minimum requirements for committee members are satisfied, additional committee members may be approved from industry or academia, but at least 50% of the committee must be tenured/tenure‐track faculty at the University of Houston.
    • Research faculty or instructional faculty may serve on thesis committees, but not chair the committees. However, a research professor may serve as a co‐advisor with a tenured/tenured‐track faculty.

Thesis Proposal

Students must present a thesis proposal.

  • Timeline and Scheduling
    • All full-time students and students financially supported by the University must propose prior to the end of their second term in the program
      • by the first Monday in November in the Fall term, or the first Monday in April in the Spring term.
    • Scheduling of the thesis proposal is done by each applicant through the department academic advisor.
    • Proposals (and re-proposals) can be scheduled Monday‐Friday, with starting times between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., during the Fall and Spring terms.
    • Proposals cannot be presented during Summer sessions, vacations, reading days, weekends, or final examination periods (nor over spring break or inter‐term breaks).
    • Two hours should be allocated for the thesis proposal presentation and questions.
  • Presentation
    • Proposals are preceded by the distribution of a 5 to 10 page (10 page suggested maximum for text) written description of the thesis project to the thesis committee.
    • A one page abstract must be posted and distributed to all EAS faculty members at least seven calendar days prior to presentation, and a copy of the full proposal filed with the department academic advisor at that time.
    • The proposal abstract must contain the title, time and place of the proposal, and the names of the committee members.
    • The thesis advisor and at least one other member of the committee must initial the abstract prior to posting, indicating that they approve of the presentation of the proposal.
    • Upon successful presentation of the proposal, a copy of the complete proposal with the thesis advisor’s signature indicating approval must be placed in the student’s permanent academic file.

Thesis Defense

Upon completion of the research and the writing of a thesis deemed acceptable by the thesis committee, a defense of the thesis is scheduled by the student.

  • A public defense of the complete thesis research will be presented to the faculty-at-large and may be attended by any other interested parties.
  • Preparation
    • An abstract, which lists the time and place of the defense, must be distributed to the department faculty and posted publicly at least seven calendar days prior to the scheduled date.
    • The thesis advisor and a least one other departmental committee member must initial the notice of defense, thus indicating that they approve of the defense.
    • An unbound copy of the thesis draft, including all illustrations, must be made available in the EAS office at least seven calendar days prior to the defense date for inspection by the EAS faculty.
  • Scheduling
    • M.S. defenses can be scheduled Monday‐Friday during the Spring, Summer, and Fall terms with starting times between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
    • Defenses cannot be given during vacations, reading days, weekends, or final examination periods (nor over spring break or inter‐term breaks).
    • Scheduling of defenses is done through the department academic advisor.
  • Decisions
    • A vote to pass by a majority of the thesis committee is required for successful defense of the thesis.
    • Once approved by the committee, the thesis must be submitted to the NSM Office of Academic Affairs no later than the deadline posted on the College website each term.