Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Why Study Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences?

By completing our Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences curriculum, you'll graduate prepared for a wide range of meteorology-related careers. The program provides requirements for those seeking entrance into the National Weather Service (NWS), private forecasting industry, and graduate school. Our unique coastal location offers the opportunity to study coastal weather phenomena, such as hurricanes, nor-easters, and sea-breezes, as well as regional climate change in a coastal-urban environment.

Areas of study:

• Climate
• Meteorology
• Waste Management
• Environmental Studies

Sample courses:

• Weather and Climate
• Intro to Climate and Climate Change
• Atmospheric Structure and Analysis
• Tropical Meteorology

Admission information

As a non-restricted major, there are no additional admission requirements for this program. Please review the general admission criteria related to how you are applying.

After Graduation

Your college decision isn't really about the next four years. We get it. It’s about what doors are opened by your degree and whether those opportunities are what you had envisioned for yourself. Nearly 95% of SBU grads go to professional or graduate school. Here's a snapshot of what life after graduation looks like for some of them.

Related Majors

Astronomy/Planetary Sciences

Fascinated by the stars and cosmos? Our Astronomy major is the perfect fit for you. Learn about galactic and extragalactic astronomy, nuclear astrophysics, stellar astrophysics, and cosmology. Get involved with research projects alongside our faculty and gaze into the solar system and beyond at our Mount Stony Brook Observatory (on the roof of our Earth and Space Sciences Building). Our department hosts Astronomy Open Nights including lectures and viewings.

Areas of study:

• Planetary Sciences
• Astronomy
• Galaxies
• Cosmology

Chemistry

Our Chemistry Department is the birthplace of MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technology and is designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark for the discoveries made by Prof Paul Lauterbur, recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize. Our faculty are leaders in their fields, and they work closely with students in and outside of the classroom and are pioneers of active-learning methods in chemistry that include peer teaching and mentoring. Our curriculum allows you to customize your degree program.

Areas of study:

• Biological Chemistry
• Chemical Physics
• Environmental Chemistry
• Marine & Atmospheric Chemistry

Earth & Space Sciences

The Earth and Space Sciences program features an interdisciplinary learning approach. You'll get a background in fields such as geology, astronomy, atmospheric and marine sciences, and then customize your degree plan to prepare for careers in biogeochemistry, astrobiology, scientific journalism, education or medical geology.

Areas of study:

• Astronomy
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Chemistry
• Geology

Marine Sciences

Get your feet wet (literally!) by studying Marine Sciences at Stony Brook. Conduct research on Long Island’s coastal waters or by embarking on a study abroad program in the Caribbean. In your classes, you'll learn basic biology, physics and chemistry of the ocean. Upper-division classes will help you gain a deeper understanding of particular groups of organisms (microorganisms, algae, marine invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals) and of habitats (salt marshes, rocky intertidal, barrier islands, dunes, estuaries, and the open ocean). You'll do hands-on research in our state-of-the-art laboratories and on our research vessels.

Areas of study:

• Biological Oceanography
• Experimental Marine Biology
• Marine Pollution
• Diseases of Aquatic Organisms

Physics

Recognized as one of the top 25 physics programs by "U.S. News & World Report," Stony Brook is an excellent place to learn about the physical composition of the world and universe. Our faculty conduct world-class experimental and theoretical research and you will have the opportunity to work closely with them on research projects outside of the classroom. The research ranges from the smallest to the largest scales and covers areas like the standard model and beyond, the quark gluon-plasma, atomic and molecular structures, quantum information and materials, to supernovae, galaxy formation, and cosmology. Much of our research is conducted in close collaboration with scientists at the nearby Brookhaven National Laboratory, one of the premier U.S. research laboratories.

Areas of study:

• Physics for Environmental Sciences
• Physics for the Life Sciences
• Physics for Scientists and Engineers

Stony Brook University, widely regarded as a SUNY flagship, is home to an exceptionally diverse student body of nearly 27,000 high-achieving students — including more than 17,000 undergraduates — from nearly all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Our energetic campus is ranked among the top 40 public universities by U.S. News & World Report .

We offer more than 200 academic programs, have an award-winning undergraduate research program, and are situated in a great location – only 60 miles east of New York City.

Wondering what makes a Stony Brook education unique? Here, you'll learn by doing. Each year, thousands of our students do research or independent projects alongside a faculty member, study abroad, volunteer in the community, intern in nearby New York City, or participate in another form of experiential learning. You'll apply the skills you learn in the classroom to real life, helping to prepare for your future and create a better world.

Our Faculty

Nobel laureates, Guggenheim fellows and MacArthur grant winners teach on our campus. Our faculty are leaders in significant national and worldwide projects, such as uncovering the causes of lobster mortality in Long Island Sound, searching for the origins of man in Kenya’s Turkana Basin and managing the national parks of Madagascar. We’ve made significant contributions to NASA initiatives, such as examining Martian minerals for evidence of life and other phenomena.

Stony Brook University is part of the management team of nearby Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), joining such prestigious schools as Princeton, Stanford and the University of Chicago on the list of major institutions that have a role in running federal research laboratories. In addition, BNL and Stony Brook collaborate with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory — one of the world’s pre-eminent private research institutes.

Going Beyond the Expected

Stony Brook is one of America’s most dynamic public universities. We are a center of academic excellence and an internationally recognized research institution that offers all students a world-class education.

Facts & Rankings

• Top 1% of universities in the world
  • QS World University Rankings, 2018
• Top 15 best value public college
  • Forbes magazine, 2019
• 18:1 student-faculty ratio
  • Stony Brook University
• Top 40 public university
  • U.S. News & World Report

Sixty Years and Beyond

Stony Brook University offers more than 200 undergraduate programs, more than 100 master’s programs, and more than 50 doctoral programs.

History

• 1957: Founded
• 2001: Became member of Association of American Universities

Location

• 60 miles: East of New York City
• 3 miles: From West Meadow Beach on the Eastern Seaboard
• 1,039 acres: On the North Shore of Long Island

Majors & Minors

• Most popular undergraduate majors:
  • Biology, Psychology, Business Management, Health Science, Computer Science,
  • Applied Mathematics and Statistics,
  • Economics, Biochemistry, Mathematics and Mechanical Engineering
• 60+ Majors
• 80+ Minors

Faculty

• 98% of tenured/tenure track faculty hold doctoral or highest degrees in their fields
• 2,330+ Inventions
• 700+ U.S. patents
• 10% of 300 Intel Science Talent Search competition finalists/semifinalists mentored by our faculty each year, making Stony Brook a major incubator of Intel talent in the country

Campus Residences

• 30 Residence halls
• 23 Apartment-style buildings
• 10,336 Students live on campus (9,233 undergraduate • 1,103 graduate)
• 83% Of freshmen live on campus