Accurate weather forecasting can literally save lives. From hurricane hunting to severe storm prediction, meteorologists play an important role in today’s society.
Embry-Riddle’s Bachelor of Science in Meteorology program prepares students for fascinating careers in the National Weather Service, the U.S. military, commercial operations, aviation companies, and broadcasting. Students may also move on to advanced studies in atmospheric sciences.
Embry-Riddle students have the unique ability to focus on aviation-related careers if desired. Students combine theory with valuable hands-on experience to ensure they’re career-ready.
Our students benefit from both direct access to experienced faculty as well as state-of-the-art weather forecasting and observational equipment; all brought together in a small class setting. Students can also complement their studies with certifications or operations-focused minors that cover a variety of topics such as airline dispatching and operations, computational mathematics, flight, defense studies, unmanned aircraft systems science, communication and broadcast media, geographic information systems, and emergency management.
Meteorology graduates depart with a deep understanding of weather analysis, data collection, forecasting, and much more. Each of our degree programs meets the guidelines set by the American Meteorological Society (AMS), National Weather Service, and U.S. Air Force - ensuring our graduates have the professional skills necessary for immediate productivity.
Additionally, students can join co-curricular activities to enhance their college experience, with options such as the Weather Club or student chapter of the American Meteorological Society. These activities offer valuable networking opportunities at professional gatherings, including international meteorological seminars and conventions.
About Meteorology at the Daytona Beach, FL Campus
Students who are passionate about the weather have an opportunity to study all aspects of it in the Bachelor of Science in Meteorology. As part of the program, students explore and research a variety of atmospheric challenges ranging in scale from climate change to tornadoes in our world-class meteorology lab. This lab is complete with a full broadcast studio that features the same professional graphics-generation system used at numerous local television stations throughout the country.
The Bachelor of Science in Meteorology is housed in the Department of Applied Aviation Sciences in the College of Aviation. Embry-Riddle is one of a few universities in the U.S. that offers meteorology coursework approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for use in its airline dispatcher program. Students also have the ability to pair their meteorology major with powerful operations-focused minors to give them an edge over their competition. These minors include Communications and Broadcast Media, Airline Operations, Computational Mathematics, Geographic Information Systems, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Science, and Emergency Management.
The Meteorology degree meets all American Meteorological Society guidelines for B.S. in Meteorology as well as all U.S. Office of Personnel Management (e.g., National Weather Service) Qualification Standards for a meteorologist. Graduates will be competitive for professional careers in university research, government/military weather operations, broadcasting, and private industry.
The typical first-year Meteorology student will study General Education and Physical Science courses such as English composition, Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics, along with the Survey of Meteorology.
About Applied Meteorology at the Prescott, AZ Campus
The Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Meteorology provides a practical understanding of the physics and dynamics of the atmosphere. Emphasis is placed on applying theory to operational weather forecasting and decision-making for weather-sensitive industries, including possible hands-on experience as a meteorology intern.
The Bachelor of Science in Applied Meteorology degree is housed in the Department of Applied Aviation Sciences in the College of Aviation and prepares to graduate students for careers as meteorologists in the government, military, television, or the private sector, as dispatchers, or for graduate studies toward a career in research or academia.
The program meets all the requirements for undergraduate study in meteorology recommended by the American Meteorological Society, the National Weather Service, and the U.S. Air Force. All graduates also meet the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Qualification Standards for the position of a meteorologist.
Students use a state-of-the-art Meteorology Lab and computer-equipped classrooms to understand and forecast complex atmospheric phenomena ranging from severe thunderstorms and tornadoes to cyclones, fronts, and jet streams to global climate and how it is changing.
With some additional coursework, students in the Applied Meteorology degree program may choose to pursue an Emergency Response Meteorologist Certification, Aircraft Dispatch Certification, Fixed-wing or Helicopter Flight minor (leading to Commercial Pilot Certification), or a Defense Studies minor.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has one of the largest and highest-rated Air Force ROTC programs in the country. Since Applied Meteorology is a technical degree, substantial scholarships are available to eligible students through Air Force ROTC and the Army Cadet Command.
The program also routinely provides opportunities for students to study abroad every year, bringing meteorology out of the classroom and onto the world stage. The international curriculum allows students to investigate, discover, and study unique weather conditions on a global scale and see first-hand the multitude of ways culture interacts with climate. In recent years, our students have studied mountain meteorology in the Swiss Alps and tropical meteorology in the Amazon basin.
The student-led Weather Club is a student chapter of the American Meteorological Society and features valuable networking opportunities at professional meetings, along with more social activities like kayaking and hiking, with faculty often joining in the fun.