The Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science at Penn State is one of the oldest and largest in the country. It offers individually tailored graduate programs of academic study leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Together with a rich tradition of excellence in teaching and advising, the faculty has both a strong commitment to fundamental research and an active role in national and international scientific administration. We recommend that interested students obtain an undergraduate degree in meteorology/atmospheric science, physics, mathematics, engineering, chemistry, or one of the physical sciences.
Research and Teaching Specialties
The diverse teaching and research interests of the faculty and the varied research activities of students encompass the full range of specialty areas in the atmospheric sciences. Our faculty expertise includes:
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Pollution
- Atmospheric Boundary Layer and Turbulence
- Atmospheric Dynamics, Climate Science
- Cloud Physics and Radiation
- Mesoscale Meteorology and Severe Weather
- Numerical Modeling and Data Assimilation
- Oceanography
- Remote Sensing
- Space Weather
- Synoptic Meteorology
- Tropical Meteorology and Hurricanes
- Weather Risk
A general open-door policy by all faculty encourages students to interact with faculty from a wide range of specialties. The department's goal is to give you the broad-based knowledge and research tools to understand and solve contemporary problems in the atmospheric and oceanic sciences. Several members of the graduate faculty are associates of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, which was developed within the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences to foster interactions among faculty and students with diverse interests in the earth sciences. Other interdisciplinary projects are encouraged including those in applied mathematics, applied statistics, fluid mechanics, air pollution, biometeorology, and bioclimatology.
We offer graduate fellowships!
Dennis and Joan Thomson Distinguished Graduate Fellowship in Meteorology
We encourage both M.S. and Ph.D. applicants to our graduate program, but one Ph.D. applicant with an outstanding record of academic and professional achievement will be accepted into the program each year as the Dennis and Joan Thomson Distinguished Graduate Fellow in Meteorology. Other fellowships are available through the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and The Graduate School.
We have nearly100% job placement for our M.S. and Ph.D. graduates!
Use the links below to further explore our program
- Admission Requirements
- Assistantships Scholarships & Fellowships
- Cost of Study
- Deadlines
- Degrees
- Graduate Student Ambassadors
- How to Apply
- Job Placement
- Request More Information
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