Meteorology Program Philosophy

What will students gain from this program of study?

Students will gain an understanding of how the complex physical processes in the atmosphere produce weather from local to regional scales, how and why air masses, fronts, and wave cyclones develop, study the causes of development of severe weather such as supercell storms and hurricanes, and discover and explain the underlying causes of world-wide climate. Students will be able to investigate and assess the factors that lead to significant changes in the Earth's atmosphere such as global warming, ozone depletion in the stratosphere, and the factors that lead to air pollution with associated health problems in cities across the Earth. A student will be able to investigate and describe the complex connections and interactions between the Earth's atmosphere and world-wide ocean that has major impact on weather and climate. This includes describing and modeling events that have world-wide impact on weather such as the El Niño - Southern Oscillation and La Niña. Students will acquire an understanding and appreciation for improving and maintaining clean air in our cities, promote educational efforts on understanding weather and weather forecasting through public outreach programs, and promote the necessity to conserve our natural resources in the Earth's biosphere which play a critical roll in the complex interactions within the Earth's atmosphere and hydrosphere. Overall, a student will acquire a life-long sense of duty and commitment for maintaining and improving the quality of human life and of service toward promoting environmental stewardship for future generations. Students who complete the meteorology course requirements in Broadcast Meteorology will fulfill the educational requirements necessary to earn certification through either the American Meteorological Society (AMS) or the National Weather Association (NWA). However, all other requirements to earn the Seal of Approval for broadcasters from either the AMS or NWA are the responsibilities of the student, and are not part of the UIW degree programs. For complete information on the AMS Seal of Approval, please go to the AMS home page at http://www.ametsoc.org/ams, and for complete information on the NWA Seal of Approval, please go to http://www.nwas.org.

Is there anything unique or special about UIW's offering of this program?

The Meteorology program at the University of the Incarnate Word offers the only Bachelor of Science degrees in Meteorology and Broadcast Meteorology from San Antonio to Brownsville in South Texas. These programs provide a comprehensive liberal arts education with a unique core curriculum connected with a broad-based and in-depth education in the sciences. Meteorology courses taken in these majors are applicable toward partially fulfilling the academic requirements to earn the AMS or NWA Seal of Approval.

Who is this program designed for?

The Meteorology degree program is designed for students who wish to receive a comprehensive education in atmospheric science for the purpose of research into the dynamics of the Earth's atmosphere, weather analysis, and weather forecasting. This includes a study of the impact of air pollution on people and the environment, the threat of changing climate due to global warming, the hazards of ozone depletion in the Earth's stratosphere on life at the Earth's surface, the threat of changing climate due to global warming, severe weather, and world climates. The Broadcast Meteorology degree program is designed for students seeking careers in radio, regular TV, cable, and satellite television stations. A student who completes a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology or Broadcast Meteorology from UIW will also have completed the course work necessary toward fulfilling the requirements for the AMS or NWA Seal of Approval. The student would then work independently to fulfill Seal requirements through either the AMS or NWA.

What types of jobs/professions or post-graduate work can a student graduating from this program hope to get?

Meteorology is an interdisciplinary program which prepares students for entering a wide variety of professional careers as well as graduate programs in weather modeling and forecasting, air pollution studies, broadcast meteorology, hydrology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications in meteorology, and education. Government, industry, and private research groups may also provide entry level positions for meteorologists. University teaching and research positions in Meteorology requires earning a Ph.D. A student graduating from the Meteorology program may find employment with the National Weather Service as an applied or operational meteorologist. The military may provide opportunities with forecasting centers that include flight and airborne operations, ground support for the army, and naval meteorology. There are a number of private-sector companies that provide weather service to ocean shipping firms and port operators, electric and gas utilities, farmers, ranchers, and highway departments. Employment with research laboratories includes studies in global climate change including remote sensing and GIS applications. A high-profile career in meteorology includes media weathercasting for television, radio, and newspapers. Related careers in meteorology include marketing and sales of meteorological equipment made by companies involved in the design and manufacture of weather instruments.

Is there a program philosophy?

The Meteorology program philosophy seeks to develop in the student an appreciation of the Earth's fragile atmosphere through education and understanding of the Earth's atmosphere. The student learns to critically analyze and evaluate the interactions of the atmosphere with the oceans and biosphere, recognize the problems and issues of local and regional air pollution, the profound implications and long-term effects of global warming on the planet, the effects of severe weather, and the long-term effects human impact on weather and climate. The program offers the student the knowledge and skills to investigate adverse human impact on weather and climate, and recognize how to remediate or avoid these conditions to support the needs and requirements of all life on our planet. The spirit of Christian service is promoted by providing the student the intellectual tools necessary for making sound scientific decisions and ethical judgments and thus become enlightened citizens in society. Experiences in research activities through course work, seminars, and internships also promote within each student self-realization and spiritual guidance acquired through independent work, volunteered endeavors, and cooperative learning.