Master of Science in Environmental Studies - Atmospheric Option

Candidates for the program should have a baccalaureate degree in sciences, mathematics, or engineering from an accredited program an generally a 3.000 GPA or higher. Students entering the program should have a minimum a year of college Physics, a year of college Chemistry, and Calculus I & II. Candidates who do no meet all these requirements may be admitted with the approval of the Graduate Program Coordinator. Such students may make up course prerequisite deficiencies while in the program, although these credits will not count toward the total required for the master's degree.

Application Requirements

General requirements for all applicants are a completed application packet supplied by the Graduate Admissions Office which includes:

  • Graduate Admission Application form: Online Application
  • A Statement of Purpose
  • Two letters of recommendation pertaining to academic ability and/or professional performance
  • Official Transcript(s)
  • Application Fee
  • International applicants must also submit an official TOEFL score
  • Applications may be downloaded or submitted electronically from the Graduate Admissions website.
  • For Fall 2023 and beyond applications, the GRE is no longer required.

Applications for the Master of Science (MS) in Environmental Studies, Atmospheric Science Option, are accepted year round, but it is recommended that completed application be submitted several months before expected matriculation.

The M.S. program requires the completion of 30 credits, 3 in Policy/Economics, 9 in core courses, and 18 in elective courses. Six credits may be achieved by completing a Master's Thesis. The thesis involves original laboratory or theoretical work, usually publishable in accredited and peer reviewed technical journals. With the Graduate Coordinator’s approval, the thesis work may be performed at home or at the student’s employment facilities. The thesis advisory committee will consist of a Principal Advisor who is the member of the EEAS faculty, and two additional members chosen from EEAS or associated UMass Lowell faculty. One member of the committee, as approved by the Graduate Coordinator, may be from outside the University, with the approval of the Graduate Coordinator. Students may elect to take additional courses instead of writing a thesis.

Most of the courses will be offered in the evening, usually from 6 to 9 p.m., once per week. This enables working students to complete the course requirements while the student is employed. A maximum of 5 years is allowed for completion of the master’s degree, including the thesis.

Curriculum

Area I. Policy / Economics (Elect 1): 3 credits

  • ENVE.5270 or PUBH.5500 Environmental Law and Policy (3 credits)
  • ECON.6150 Environment and Natural Resources Economics (3 credits)
  • ENVI.5200 Methods in Environmental Impact Assessment and Analysis (3 credits)

Area II. Core Courses: 9 credits

  • ATMO.5010 Boundary Layer Meteorology (3 credits)
  • ATMO.5080 The Climate System (3 credits)
  • ATMO.5100 Regional Weather and Climate Modeling (3 credits)

Area III. Elective Courses (Elect 3 from either IIIA or IIIB: 9 credits

  • IIIA. Atmospheric Science
    • ATMO.5020 Advanced Synoptic Meteorology (3 credits)
    • ATMO.5030 Remote Sensing (3 credits)
    • ATMO.5110 Solar Terrestrial Relations (3 credits)
    • ATMO.5150 Atmospheric Structure and Dynamics (3 credits)
    • ATMO.5160 Mesoscale Atmospheric Dynamics (3 credits)
    • ATMO.5240 Simple Atmospheric Models (3 credits)
    • ATMO.5290 Advanced Forecasting (3 credits)
    • ATMO.5400 Tropical Meteorology (3 credits)
    • ATMO.5500 Satellite & Radar Meteorology (3 credits)
    • ATMO.7330 Master's Research in Atmospheric Science (1-6 credits)
    • GEOL.5010 Paleoclimatology (3 credits)
  • IIIB. Energy and Environment

Elective from Area III (Elect 1): 3 credits

  • Thesis Option: thesis (6 credits)
    • ATMO.7430 Master's Thesis in Atmospheric Science (1-6 credits)
  • Non-thesis Option
    • 2 courses from Area III.

Total Credits = 30 credits

Other Appropriate graduate level courses within or outside the department may be substituted for the above with the approval of the student's advisor and the Graduate Coordinator or designee.

For information on the Master's in Environmental Studies, visit the Department of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

updated 3/16/2023

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