Prospective Students - Graduate

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Areas of Study and Research

The Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ATOC) is an interdisciplinary program that provides an educational and research environment to examine the dynamical, physical, and chemical processes that occur in the atmosphere and the ocean. A major theme is the establishment of a physical basis for understanding, observing, and modeling climate and global change.

Graduate students admitted to ATOC will eligible to receive an advanced degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Graduate students outside of ATOC can pursue the Graduate Certificate in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences while earning a graduate degree from another department at CU-Boulder, or while taking coursework as a non-degree seeking student through Continuing Education’s ACCESS Program provided they have already earned a bachelor’s degree and meet the course prerequisites.

Degrees Offered

MS
For both thesis and non-thesis options, a total of 30 credit hours is required with at least 15 credit hours of ATOC courses numbered 5000 and above. Other specific course requirements are in the ATOC Graduate Handbook. For the thesis option, the final examination consists of an oral exam on the thesis. The non-thesis option requires the successful completion of a written final examination based on ATOC regular coursework requirements.

PhD
A total of 36 credit hours of regular coursework is required, of which 30 hours must be numbered 5000 or above, with at least 18 credit hours of ATOC graduate lecture courses including core ATOC course requirements, and a graduate-level course in applied or computational mathematics.  In addition, 30 credit hours of dissertation must be completed per Graduate School rules and requirements. Students must pass a two-part comprehensive examination before admission into candidacy. Part I of the comprehensive examination is a written exam based on core course material and is normally taken in the second year. Part II of the comprehensive examination is normally taken in the third year and is an oral examination based on an original research paper prepared by the student. After the PhD dissertation has been submitted, a final examination of the dissertation will be conducted.

Atmosphere Track and Physical Oceanography Track

All ATOC graduate students are required to take one of the two following ATOC core course tracks, or their equivalent:

Atmosphere Track (A-Track)

ATOC 5050: Intro to Atmospheric Dynamics

ATOC 5600: Physics and Chemistry of Clouds and Aerosols

ATOC 5235: Intro to Atmospheric Radiative Transfer and Remote Sensing

ATOC 5060: Dynamics of the Atmosphere

ATOC 5051: Intro to Physical Oceanography

ATOC 5151: Atmospheric Chemistry

Physical Oceanography Track (PO-Track)

ATOC 5050: Intro to Atmospheric Dynamics

ATOC/ASTR 5400: Intro to Fluid Dynamics

ATOC/ASEN 5215: Descriptive Physical Oceanography (previously Oceanography)

ATOC 5051: Intro to Physical Oceanography

ATOC 5061: Dynamics of Oceans

ATOC/GEOL 5270: Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry

All ATOC graduate students must select one of these tracks upon entering the program with a track selection form. The degree will be in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, regardless of track chosen. The master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation topic is not constrained by choice of track.

Admission

Graduate School Minimum Admissions Standards
Individual graduate departments may have additional or more restrictive standards by which they evaluate graduate applicants. However, the Graduate School at CU-Boulder has established minimum standards for graduate admission. Applicants must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree.
   
2. Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student’s scholastic record.
   
3. Have adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the chosen field.
   
4. Have at least a 2.75 (2.00=C) undergraduate grade point average. Note: Applicants who cannot meet this undergraduate standard may still secure regular admission if they have completed 9 semester hours of relevant graduate course work with at least a 3.25 average.

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Admissions Requirements
In addition to meeting the graduate school minimum admission standards, applicants to ATOC must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university.
2. Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student's previous scholastic record and letters of reference.
3. Have had adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the chosen field.
4. Have at least a 3.00 (B) undergraduate grade point average.

Minimum Standards for Applicants
Students with undergraduate degrees in the natural sciences (e.g., physics, chemistry, mathematics) and engineering are encouraged to apply. The general background expected of incoming graduate students includes:

• Undergraduate courses in calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, and computer programming.
• One year sequences of undergraduate physics (calculus based) and chemistry.

Upper-level undergraduate degrees in physics, chemistry, and mathematics are strongly recommended. Undergraduate courses in atmospheric science or oceanography are useful but not required as part of the undergraduate background. Students with undergraduate degrees in other fields, such as Biology, Environmental Science, Geography or Geology, are also invited to apply, provided they meet the standards given above. Exceptional students who might be lacking some math and/or physics coursework are encouraged to apply; these students will be considered on an individual basis.

Application Procedures
Information about the application process, instructions, and/or information about applying online can be found at: www.colorado.edu/prospective/graduate/apply/process.html

An applicant for admission must present complete application materials that include the graduate application; two official transcripts of ALL academic work completed to date; four letters of recommendation; test scores from the verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); a personal statement of academic interests (see the last item under "Additional Information" in the online application); and a $50 non-refundable application fee for domestic applicants or $70 for international applicants.

For admission in the fall semester with full consideration for financial assistance from the department, complete domestic applications must be received by February 1 and international applications by December 1. Late applications will be considered until all positions are filled.

 

 

 

Financial Support Available

Department financial support is in the form of teaching assistantships (TA), research assistantships (RA), and/or fellowship money.  Please include a short note with your application asking to be included in the pool for these forms of financial support from the department or indicating that you have your own financial support.

Application Information and Deadlines   Fall admission Yes Application deadline January 15 * International application deadline December 1*   Spring admission Yes Application deadline October 1 International application deadline October 1   Summer admission No

*For admission in the fall semester with full consideration for financial support from the department, complete domestic applications must be received by January 15 and international applications by December 1. Late applications will be considered until all positions are filled.

Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
University of Colorado at Boulder
311 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0311
Phone: (303) 492-6633
Fax: (303) 492-3524
E-Mail: atocasst@colorado.edu
Website: atoc.colorado.edu