METEOROLOGY GRADUATE STUDENT GUIDE

DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY
COLLEGE OF MINES AND EARTH SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

Approved Feb 15, 2007

This document is intended to be complementary but subordinate to the policies of the University of Utah Graduate School.

I. The Department

The Department of Meteorology is composed of 13 faculty, 10 research staff, 30 graduate students, and 100 undergraduates who come from all over the world.  They are attracted not only by our program, but also by the quality of life offered by Salt Lake City and its spectacular surroundings.  We take great pride in the personal attention our faculty give to each student and provide graduate research opportunities across a broad spectrum of the atmospheric and related sciences. We offer a comprehensive program with global reach, regional expertise, and world-class research opportunities.

Current expertise and research interests include a broad range of observational, modeling, and theoretical studies of tropical convection and hurricanes; boundary layer modeling; fire weather prediction and fire modeling; mountain meteorology; weather analysis and prediction; parameterization, remote sensing, and modeling of clouds; aerosol physics and air pollution; numerical modeling, data assimilation, and predictability; and climate change. For more information about the research interest of our faculty visit our website at www.met.utah.edu.

The Department offers graduate courses and research opportunities leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Class sizes are small and offer easy and frequent interaction with the faculty. The graduate program has been carefully designed to provide students with a solid foundation in a broad spectrum of the atmospheric sciences while allowing students to specialize for their thesis research.

II. Admissions

Applicants should be highly motivated, have good analytical skills, and have a background in a relevant field such as meteorology, environmental science, engineering, physics, applied mathematics, or computer science. Incoming graduate students should hold a B.A. or B.S. degree with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and are expected to have passed basic courses in math (through partial differential equations), calculus-based physics, chemistry, and computer science equivalent to those required for a meteorology B.S. The combined GPA of these courses should exceed 3.0.

For advanced processing, the Department prefers to receive completed applications by 31 December (priority deadline). Late applications may be accepted, but research assistantships may no longer be available. The selection process is very competitive, and not all qualified applicants can be admitted.

Prospective graduate students apply for admission to graduate study through the University Admissions Office and the Department of Meteorology. A complete summary of how to apply is available at (http://www.met.utah.edu/academics/graduate/graduate_welcome/how_to_apply). 

Applicants should take the Graduate Record Exam and have the scores sent directly to the department. International student applicants whose first language is not English must score at least 500 on the written Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), 173 on the computer-based TOEFL, or 61 on the TOEFL iBT.

III. Financial Assistance

A research assistantship is normally offered to students who are admitted to the program and typically includes a tuition waiver, subsidized student health insurance benefit plan (http://www.utah.edu/graduate_school/hip.html), and financial compensation that currently ranges from $20,000 to 22,000 per year. Continuing support is conditional on student performance and availability of funds. Tuition waivers are limited to two years (four semesters) for the completion of a M.S. and five years (ten semesters) for the completion of a Ph.D. Students who enter the Ph.D. program with an in-subject Masters degree may receive up to three years (six semesters) of tuition waivers. Students who enter the Ph.D. program with an out-of-subject Masters degree, or who the Department believes requires additional preparation, may receive up to five years (ten semesters) of tuition waiver if a petition for tuition-waiver extension is approved by the Dean of the Graduate School during the student's first year of course work. Domestic students must apply for residency after their first year of course work to receive future tuition waivers.

IV. General Requirements

In order to provide flexibility to prospective students that have diverse backgrounds, the department recognizes four different classifications of incoming students:

A. students entering with a B.A., B.S., or Ph.D. degree not closely related to meteorology, atmospheric sciences, mathematics, engineering, physics, or the physical sciences (typically requires taking undergraduate courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and meteorology prior to admission);

B. students entering with a B.S. degree in meteorology, atmospheric sciences, mathematics, engineering, physics, or the physical sciences;

C. students entering with an M.S. degree in meteorology, atmospheric sciences, mathematics, engineering, physics, or the physical sciences;

D. students entering with an M.S. degree in meteorology or atmospheric sciences with an exceptional background in the atmospheric sciences.

Except for exceptional candidates admitted directly to the Ph.D. program (category D), all entering students follow a similar progression of required courses and electives during their first year in the meteorology graduate program. This progression includes:

1. completing the graduate core courses (METEO 6010 and 6020 during fall semester and METEO 6030 during spring semester);

2. completing a minimum of three elective courses numbered 5000 or above;

3. beginning a modest research activity under the direction of a member of the faculty (e.g., literature review or computer programming assignments);

4. taking the Qualifying Examination after the end of the spring semester.

The three courses that compose the graduate core course sequence have been carefully designed to provide a broad background in the fundamental topical areas of the atmospheric sciences. The two fall semester core classes (METEO 6010: Dynamic Meteorology and METEO 6020: Physical Meteorology) provide a detailed and advanced treatment of atmospheric motions and physical processes, while the spring core class (METEO 6030: Earth Climate System) integrates knowledge in these areas to examine the physics of climate and climate change.  Elective courses are selected in consultation with the faculty advisor or department chair and may involve study in meteorology and/or related fields such as mathematics, physics, engineering, or the physical sciences. Graduate students entering the program in the spring semester will likely be advised to wait until the subsequent fall semester to begin the graduate core course sequence.

V. Qualifying Examination

Two weeks after the end of the spring semester, an examination is conducted by the department faculty that serves as the Ph.D. qualifying exam and the M.S. comprehensive exam for students in categories A-C. This exam tests the student's knowledge of meteorology and their ability to solve problems analytically using scientific methods. The preparation, administration, and grading of the qualifying exam is overseen by the qualifying exam committee, which is comprised of a least four faculty members including the core-course instructors. Unlike a final exam, where the testing is exclusively confined to course material, the qualifying exam questions typically cut across sub-disciplinary boundaries. In many instances, the approach taken by the student and the material the student draws upon in formulating an answer are the key items that are being tested. The exam consists of 8 questions and is given over two four-hour periods. Questions are typically not limited to specific subject material on any given day. While review of core course notes and exams should be a large part of the preparation, the qualifying exam is best prepared for by studying previous exam questions kept on file in the department office and by re-doing problem sets that may have been assigned as homework.

Qualifying exam results will be communicated to the students as soon as practical after completion of the exam. Each faculty member will be given the opportunity to review the responses of the students with the outcome of the examination determined by the department faculty. The possibilities are:

1. Terminal Pass: The individual is encouraged to complete the requirements for the M.S. degree, but will not be advised to pursue further study. 

2. Pass: The individual is encouraged to complete the requirements for the M.S. degree. Following a successful M.S.defense, the student may elect to petition for continuation to the Ph.D. program. The Committee on Doctoral Advancement (CODA) will adjudicate the petition. 

3. Pass with distinction: The student may enter the Ph.D. program directly with the consent of the faculty and without completion of an M.S. thesis.

4. Failure: The individual will be advised to not continue in the graduate program. This outcome is rare, since only students with suitable academic records are admitted to the program. In addition, sufficient information and time is provided for students to prepare adequately for the examination.

VI. Specific Requirements for the M.S.

Candidates must meet the university requirements for the M.S. degree including a minimum of 30 semester credit hours (SCH) of graduate courses (i.e., numbered 5000 or above) and thesis. A minimum of 20 SCH must be in course work with the balance in thesis. There is a four-year time limit for completion of the Master's. The candidate is also required to maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and receive at least a B in the three meteorology core courses. Specific course requirements are:

1. Core courses: METEO 6010, 6020, and 6030

2. A minimum of 3 additional semester hours in meteorology courses numbered 5000 or above.

3. A minimum of 8 additional semester hours in meteorology or approved courses numbered 5000 or above.

Students are also required to complete and orally defend an M.S. thesis. After the result of the qualifying exam is known, if not sooner, the student should formally select a major professor who, together with two other faculty members, will constitute the student's Master's Supervisory Committee. When this has been done, the student submits to the department office a "Request for Supervisory Committee" form with appropriate signatures. This committee is responsible for approving the thesis subject and judging the M.S. thesis defense. At least two months prior to the semester of graduation, but not more than one year prior to graduation, the student must submit to the department office an "Application for Admission to Candidacy for M.S. Degree" listing all classes required by the committee for the proposed degree.  A thesis draft must be submitted to the committee chair at least three weeks prior to the defense, and to the remainder of the committee no later than two weeks prior. The draft must adhere to standard publication practices in terms of content, language, and style. The final thesis format must adhere to University guidelines.

In rare instances, a student may be encouraged to pursue the non-thesis M.S. option. This requires completion of a program of study that is approved by the M.S. Supervisory Committee and department chair and must meet university guidelines for thesis alternatives.

VII. Specific Requirements for the Ph.D.

Candidates must meet university requirements for the Ph.D., including a minimum of three full years (six semesters) of approved graduate work (i.e., courses numbered 5000 or above) inclusive of work required of the master's degree.  They must also maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, receive at least a B in all meteorology core courses, and gain admission into the Ph.D. program in one of three ways:

1. by passing the first-year qualifying exam with distinction;

2. by passing a written qualifying examination as administered by the student's Ph.D. Supervisory Committee after being admitted into the program as a category D student;  

3. by passing the qualifying exam and then gaining admission into the Ph.D. program through the recommendation of the Committee on Doctoral Advancement (CODA) following completion of the M.S.

CODA provides an independent assessment of the potential for a student to obtain a Ph.D. and consists of 3 faculty members, elected internally for a staggered three-year term.  To determine if a M.S. student is eligible for admission into the Ph.D. program, CODA considers the results of the first-year qualifying exam, the quality of the M.S. thesis, recommendations of the thesis advisor and Master's Supervisory Committee, and any other pertinent information, such as publications. No committee member can be either the student’s advisor or the department chair. If a committee member has a conflict, or is unable to attend, a replacement is appointed by the department chair. All relevant materials for consideration must be submitted to CODA no later than 90 days after a successful M.S. Thesis defense. CODA then has two academic weeks to provide a majority decision. If desired, a student may submit a written petition on any CODA decision to the department chair, who may then advise CODA and request that it reconvene, but may not vote.

Students are required to complete and orally defend a Ph.D. dissertation.  To oversee this effort, a Ph.D. Supervisory Committee should be selected as soon as possible in the candidate's residency and consists of a faculty chair and four additional faculty members, one from outside the department. When this has been done, the student submits to the department office a "Request for Supervisory Committee" form with appropriate signatures. At least two months prior to the semester of graduation but not more than one year prior to graduation, the student must submit to the department office a "Program of Study for the Ph.D." listing all classes required by the committee for the proposed degree. 

No later than two years after admission to the Ph.D. program, students must pass an oral comprehensive examination that is designed to test the student's specific knowledge and ability in the focused area of their Ph.D. research. In general, the student will prepare a written dissertation research proposal that will be delivered to the Ph.D. Supervisory Committee for review a minimum of two weeks before the exam date. During the oral exam, a 30-45 minute presentation will be given by the candidate to the committee members, followed by a question-and-answer period. In some cases a supplemental written component of the comprehensive exam may also be administered. This is at the discretion of the committee members. This written component should be given after the candidate has submitted the written formal proposal and before the oral portion of the exam. Results of the written exam will be available for review by all the committee members.

A draft of the Ph.D. dissertation must be submitted to the committee chair at least three weeks prior to the defense, and to the remainder of the committee no later than two weeks prior. The draft must adhere to standard publication practices in terms of content, language, and style. The final dissertation must adhere to University guidelines.

Ph. D. candidates are also required to complete a minimum of 14 hours of research (METEO 7970). At least one year (two consecutive semesters) of the Ph.D. program must be spend in full-time academic work (at least 9 SCH) at the University of Utah to fulfill the full-time registration requirement (residency) for the Ph.D.