Meteorology

Meteorology majors acquire the knowledge and skills needed to understand one of the most influential phenomena on our planet: the weather. As a meteorology major, you’ll acquire knowledge about both the scientific and human elements of weather systems, combining an understanding of atmospheric physics and forecasting with a significant focus on geospatial technology. This unique feature will allow you to better understand the impacts that weather has on the ground in the day-to-day lives of people. Students majoring in meteorology take courses in a variety of core areas that include geography, mapping and geospatial information science (GIS), human systems, math, physics, and statistics. Students must also complete degree requirements in the study of meteorology such as an introduction and survey of meteorology, weather analysis, severe weather, dynamic meteorology, synoptic meteorology, and physical meteorology. In addition, students are required to complete a field experience, which can include the annual Hokie Storm Chase trip across the Great Plains in late May, mountain and meteorological instrumentation field trips, internships, and undergraduate research. The curriculum meets the requirements of the National Weather Service and the standards of the American Meteorological Society.

Career options

• Climatologist
• Emergency management specialist
• Geospatial analyst
• Meteorologist
• Military weather officer
• Broadcast meteorologist
• Risk assessment coordinator