All undergraduates at Florida State University must demonstrate basic computer skills competency prior to graduation. As necessary computer competency skills vary from discipline to discipline, each major determines the courses needed to satisfy this requirement. Undergraduate majors in meteorology satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of "C–" or higher in MET 3220C.

The State of Florida has identified common program prerequisites for this University degree program. Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites, but may not be admitted into the program.

At the time this document was published, some common program prerequisites were undergoing revision. Please visit http://facts23.facts.org/navigation/detail_ext/cpp_intro.do?pageId=060304 for a current list of state-approved prerequisites.

The following lists the common program prerequisites or their substitutions necessary for admission into this upper-division degree program:

1. MAC X311
2. MAC X312
3. PHY X048/X048L or PHY X048C
4. PHY X049/X049L or PHY X049C

Please review all college-wide degree requirements summarized in the "College of Arts and Sciences" chapter of this General Bulletin. A detailed handout for meteorology majors entitled Undergraduate Program in Meteorology is available in the departmental office.

Meteorology is a quantitative science requiring extensive preparation in mathematics and physics. Freshmen entering the program are urged to take as many advanced placement (AP), the College-Level Exemption Program (CLEP), or other exemption examinations as they can in order to realize maximum flexibility.

The Department of Meteorology offers a degree program that prepares students for a diverse number of careers, as well as graduate school. It is highly recommended that students meet regularly with their assigned academic adviser to tailor electives to the students' goals.

Meteorology majors are required to complete a graduation check with the academic coordinator at least one semester prior to graduation. Graduating students also must complete a written exit survey in their final semester, and if possible, an exit interview with the departmental representative. This interview will discuss information provided from the written exit survey. The College of Arts and Sciences will not approve graduation without receiving the written exit survey.

Required meteorology coursework. MET 2101, 2502C, 2700, 3220C, 3300, 4301, 4302, 4420, 4450, 4500C, and 4501C.

Required courses in mathematics begin with MAC 2311, which may not be taken without its prerequisite courses, MAC 1114 and MAC 1140 or 1147. The following courses, required of all meteorology majors, constitute a minor in mathematics: MAC 2311, 2312, 2313; MAP 2302 or 3305. MAP 3306 or 4341 is strongly recommended for those students wishing to attend graduate school.

All students must complete CHM 1045 and 1045L, STA 3032, PHY 2048C, and PHY 2049C and are encouraged to take PHY 3101. While PHY 3101 is optional, it strengthens one's background for MET 4450 and with PHY2048C and PHY2049C qualifies one for a physics minor. Computer science has arranged for a special optional minor for meteorology majors. Their general minor is recommended for anyone considering additional work in computer science See the "Computer Science" section of this General Bulletin for details. Students wishing to pursue a career as a meteorologist with the federal government should study http://tinyurl.com/5nbjpg for the Government's definition of a meteorologist to help them pick electives to maximize their opportunities.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree may be obtained by completing the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree requirements plus nine additional credits in humanities and history.

Two new degree programs in geosciences (teaching and nonteaching) are in the process of approval. Please contact Dr. Paul Ruscher at (850) 644-2752 or pruscher@fsu.edu for details.

All 2000- and 3000-level meteorology courses must be completed with a grade of "C" (2.0) or better to continue to the 4000-level courses. All other required meteorology, mathematics, chemistry, and physics courses must be completed with a "C-" or better. Students earning less than the necessary grade in one of these courses will be required to retake the course until the required standard is met. Retaking a course often delays graduation by one year. A student who has received more than five unsatisfactory grades (U, F, D–, D, D+) in courses required for a major in meteorology (chemistry, mathematics, meteorology, and/or physics) at Florida State University or elsewhere, whether repeated or not, will not be permitted to graduate with a degree in meteorology.

A grade point average of at least 2.0 is required for all meteorology courses numbered 2000 or higher. No more than a total of three S/U-grade only MET prefix courses may be used for the total semester hour requirement for a degree in meteorology.

All students, particularly those interested in graduate school, are encouraged to volunteer to assist with research in a faculty member's lab. This work requires a substantial time commitment and typically involves computer skills that are learned and polished through this experience. Qualified students can use this as the basis for an Honors in the Major senior thesis; for more information, see the chapter in this General Bulletin titled "University Honors Office and Honor Societies." Dr. Ahlquist Is the "honors liaison" for Meteorology. Several of our undergraduates have won the AMS Macelwane Award for their undergraduate research, and most were not in the Honors in the Major program. In that case, they can register for MET4905 Directed Individual Study (DIS) credit for this work, but that is not required.

Requirements for a minor in meteorology must be discussed on an individual basis with a meteorology faculty adviser or academic coordinator. The minor begins with MET1010, MET1010L, MAC2311, PHY2049C, MET2700, and MET2101, and options exist for the completion of the minor. Additional information is available from the academic coordinator in the Department of Meteorology, 404 Love Building. In no case may more than three semester hours in S/U courses apply toward a minor in meteorology.

A first-day attendance policy will be enforced. The department will drop anyone not attending class the first day.

ESC—Earth Science

ISC—Interdisciplinary Sciences

MAP—Mathematics Applied

MET—Meteorology

OCP—Physical Oceanography

SCE—Science Education

ESC 2200C. Earth Science for EC/EE Teachers (4).

ISC 3076. Science, Technology, and Society (3).

SCE 4939r. Seminar in Contemporary Science, Mathematics, and Science Education (1).

Note: For descriptions of the courses listed above, see interdisciplinary science courses listed in the appropriate departmental chapters of this General Bulletin.

MET 1010. Introduction to the Atmosphere (3). Structure of the atmosphere; weather processes and weather systems, including climatic processes. Credit may not be received in this course if student has already received credit in 2000-level or higher MET courses.

MET 1010L. Introductory Meteorology Laboratory (1). Prerequisites: MAC 1105 or equivalent and college-level algebra. Corequisite: MET 1010. Two (2) hours per week. Data analysis, instruments, and weather system models.

SCE 4835C. Teaching Earth and Space Science (3). This course examines the pedagogical content knowledge needed to teach earth/space science.

Required Courses for Majors

MET 2101. Physical Climatology (3). Corequisite: MET 2700. Global distribution of principal climatic elements with emphasis on physical causes. Statistical analysis of distributions of climatological variables.

MET 2502C. Weather Analysis and Forecasting (2). Prerequisite: MET 2700. This course is an introduction to meteorological observations, data, codes, and scalar analysis practices. Weather applications software systems and computing environments for meteorological analysis and weather forecasting techniques are examined.

MET 2700. General Meteorology (3). Prerequisites: CHM 1045C and MAC 2311. Corequisite: PHY 2048C. Atmospheric structure and composition; weather and circulation systems; physics of atmospheric processes, including thermodynamics of dry and moist air.

MET 3220C. Meteorological Computations (3). Prerequisites: MAC2312, MET 2101, and MET 2700. Solution of meteorological problems using computer and statistical programs; distributions of meteorological variables; meteorological programming.

MET 3300. Introduction to Atmospheric Dynamics (3). Prerequisites: MAC 2312 and MET 2700, both with a grade of "C" or better. This course will examine a variety of topics, including equations of motion, mass conservation, thermodynamics, vorticity, and geostrophic, gradient and thermal winds.

MET 4301. Atmospheric Dynamics I (4). Prerequisites: MET 3300 with a grade of "C" or better and MAP 2302 or MAP 3305. Corequisite: MET 4420. Acceleration in rotating curvilinear coordinates; momentum, continuity, and energy equations; geostrophic, gradient, and thermal winds; generalized coordinates; circulation and vorticity theorems; scale analysis; Reynolds stresses; Prandtl and Ekman layers; developing baroclinic systems.

MET 4302. Atmospheric Dynamics II (4). Prerequisite: MET 4301. Linear perturbation theory; sound, gravity, and Rossby waves; numerical weather prediction; baroclinic and barotropic instability; energetics. An introduction to theory of partial differential equations applied to meteorological problems also is presented.

MET 4420. Atmospheric Physics I (3). Prerequisites: PHY 2048C, PHY 2049C, MET 2700 with a grade of "C" or better, and MAC 2313. Classical equilibrium thermodynamics; first and second law, entropy, phase changes, potentials. Physics of moist air; physics of aerosols; condensation of water vapor on aerosols.

MET 4450. Atmospheric Physics II (3). Prerequisite: MET 4420. Microphysics and dynamics of clouds; growth of ice crystals. Radiative processes in the atmosphere; radiative transfer equation, absorption by gases, Rayleigh scattering. Remote sensing using radars and satellites.

MET 4500C. Synoptic Lecture-Laboratory I: Basic Analysis Techniques (3). Prerequisites: MET 2502C with a grade "C" or better, MET 3300, or instructor permission. Corequisites: MET 4301 or MET 5311, MET 4420, and CGS 3460 or another programming language. Analysis of scalar and vector fields, introduction to the three-dimensional structure of atmospheric systems, and thermodynamic diagrams.

MET 4501C. Synoptic Lecture-Laboratory II: Four-Dimensional Structure (4). Prerequisites: MET 4301 or MET 5311, MET 4420, MET 4500C, and STA 2122 or equivalent. Synoptic calculation and four-dimensional analysis of weather systems.

Elective Courses for Majors

MET 3520r. Current Weather Discussion (1). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisite: MET 2700. Discussion of facsimile analysis and prediction materials. Three meetings per week. May be repeated to a maximum of four (4) semester hours.

MET 3940r. Weathercasting (1). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisite: MET 1010. Corequisite: MET 2700. Practice in preparing and presenting weathercasts for radio and television. May be repeated to a maximum of four (4) semester hours.

MET 3949r. Cooperative Education Work Experience (0). (S/U grade only.)

MET 4159r. Selected Topics in Meteorology (1–3). Prerequisite: MET 2700 with a grade of "C" or better. Corequisites: MET 2101, MET 3300, instructor permission. Selected topics in meteorology and climatology not covered in other courses. May be repeated for different material to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours.

MET 4400C. Meteorological Instrumentation and Observations (3). Prerequisites: PHY 2048C and MET 2700, both with a grade of "C" or better. Two (2) hours lecture, three (3) hours laboratory. Theory and practice of calibration and operation of basic sensors. Measurement of temperature, heat flow, fluid flow, pressure, and moisture.

MET 4450. Atmospheric Physics II (3). Prerequisite: MET 4420. Microphysics and dynamics of clouds; growth of ice crystals. Radiative processes in the atmosphere; radiative transfer equation, absorption by gases, Rayleigh scattering. Remote sensing using radars and satellites.

MET 4705. Operational Meteorology (2). Prerequisite: MET 4500C. This course introduces observational analysis products used in operational weather forecast offices. Topics include applications of radar and satellite data, the various applications of numerical weather prediction, and types of weather forecasts.

MET 4900r. Honors Work (1–6). May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.

MET 4905r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.

MET 4945r. Meteorology Internship (1–9). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisite: Instructor permission. May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours. Supervised internship individually assigned to accommodate student's background and objectives. Credit proportional to scope and significance of work.

Dynamical Meteorology

MAP 5431. Introduction to Fluid Dynamics (3).

MAP 6434r. Advanced Topics in Hydrodynamics (3).

MET 5311. Advanced Dynamic Meteorology I (3).

MET 5312. Advanced Dynamic Meteorology II (3).

MET 5340r. Large-Scale Atmospheric Circulations (3).

MET 5406. Satellite Observations and Their Applications in Numerical Weather Prediction (3).

MET 5541r. Dynamical Weather Prediction (3).

MET 6308r. Advanced Topics in Dynamical Meteorology (3).

OCP 5256. Fluid Dynamics: Geophysical Applications (3).

Physical Meteorology

MET 5403C. Meteorological Instruments and Observations (3).

MET 5407. Fundamentals of Atmospheric Data Assimilation (3).

MET 5411. Radar Meteorology (3).

MET 5421. Radiative Transfer (3).

MET 5425. Advanced Atmospheric Physics I (3).

MET 5451. Advanced Physical Meteorology II (3).

MET 5455. Cloud Physics (3).

MET 5471. Planetary Atmospheres (3).

MET 6480r. Advanced Topics in Physical Meteorology (3).

Synoptic Meteorology

MET 5505C. Advanced Synoptic Lecture Laboratory I (3).

MET 5506C. Advanced Synoptic Lecture Laboratory II (4).

MET 5510C. Midlatitude Synoptic Scale Systems (4).

MET 5511C. Meso-Meteorology Lecture Laboratory (4).

MET 5533. Tropical Meteorology I (3).

MET 5534. Tropical Meteorology II (3).

MET 6561r. Advanced Topics in Synoptic Meteorology (3).

Climatology

MET 5105. Global Climate System (3).

MET 5135. Dynamic Climatology (3).

MET 6155r. Advanced Topics in Climatology (1–3).

Other Courses

MET 5090r. Applied Time Series Analysis (3).

MET 5905r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only.)

MET 5906r. Directed Individual Study (1–3).

MET 5910r. Supervised Research (1–5). (S/U grade only.)

MET 5920r. Colloquium: Topics in Meteorology Research (1). (S/U grade only.)

MET 5930. Master's Seminar (2).

MET 5979r. Supervised Teaching (1–5). (S/U grade only.)

MET 6906r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only.)

MET 6930r. Doctoral Seminar (1).

OCP 5271. Turbulence (3).

OCP 5551. Physics of the Air-Sea Boundary Layer (3).

For listings relating to graduate course work for thesis, dissertation, and master's and doctoral examinations and defense, consult the Graduate Bulletin.