Climatology is the science of climate, which is usually considered to be an average of weather conditions over a long period of time. Study of climatic forces requires going beyond the atmosphere to include land-ocean-atmosphere interactions, as well as the role of the sun and astronomical forcing. Weather and climate prediction are important skills and services that are used in the agricultural, tourism, disaster management, resource management, and renewable energy industries, to name a few. As anthropogenic changes in atmospheric forcing become more widely apparent, the public communication aspects of meteorology and climatology have become even more relevant.

The meteorology and climatology degree program is housed within the College of Earth, ocean, and Environment (CEOE) in the Department of Geography (GEOG). The curriculum covers a broad spectrum of atmospheric and environmental topics, and exposes students to sophisticated technology meant to help monitor, analyze and predict short-term conditions and long-term trends. The program’s situation within CEOE allows its students to learn about the impact of weather and our changing climate on environments and organisms around the world.