Skip to Main content Open mobile menu Close mobile menu
UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF THE ATMOSPHERE TO PREDICT THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE FUTURE IN WEATHER.

Climate and Meteorology (CLaSP)

cli·mate and me·te·o·ro·lo·gy

The study of the atmosphere, including its physical and chemical processes and characteristics.

Also Known As: Meteorologist, Space Engineer, Atmospheric Chemist, Weather Analyst, Planetary Scientist, Risk Management Specialist, Atmospheric Scientist, Climatologist, +10,000 more

A female student laughs as she bends away from a blue and green lit wall map she is writing on.

WHY CLaSP AT MICHIGAN?

Big Research: Students work with world-renowned faculty on projects ranging from climate modeling, weather forecasting tools, data analysis, and much more!

Small Community: The relatively small class size means that students get a lot of hands-on experience in the classroom and form close connections to their peers and faculty.

Diverse Environment: Our students, faculty, and staff come from all over the world. We strive for inclusivity and value all individuals, perspectives, contributions, and ideas.

 

A student shines a flashlight on a glass bowl with a pink slimy substance at the bottom.

What do Climate and Meteorology Engineers do?

We observe weather patterns and figure out what’s to come on all kinds of scales: from local to national to global weather and from the weather of today and tomorrow to the climate of the next tens and hundreds of years. We gather data to understand, to inform the public, and to influence national science policies to combat climate change.

ACADEMIC CONCENTRATIONS

  • Climate Science and Impacts Engineering

    Be a pioneer in this ever-changing world by focusing on climate science and data analytics. We will prepare you to represent climate change to professionals in many varying areas of expertise, from consulting in companies, working in industry, local governments and science policy, or in higher education.

    Classes: Climate Physics, Statistics, Climate/Climate Change, Energy/Sustainability

  • Meteorology

    This isn’t your daily weather report- this concentration isn’t just about presenting the data, it’s about predicting weather far before it ever happens. Develop computing skills to do weather prediction modeling and analysis and prepare for an ever-dynamic and ever-fluid field in weather forecasting.

    Classes: Clouds & Precipitation, Remote Sensing, Boundary Layer Meteorology, Meteorological Analysis

  • Concentrations for Climate and Meteorology majors are mandatory to declare and will be indicated on your transcript.

Concentrations for Climate and Meteorology majors are mandatory to declare and will be indicated on your transcript.

Graduate receiving hood during ceremony

Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Studies Program (SUGS)

Complete your bachelor’s and master’s Degrees in only five years with SUGS by taking some graduate-level classes during your undergraduate years, so you can save yourself one semester and complete the masters with only two additional semesters.

LEARN MORE

Sample Course List

First-Year

First-Year

  • Fall Semester
    • CoE Core Calculus I (Math 115)
    • CoE Core Engineering 100
    • CoE Core Chemistry (125/126 and 130 or 210 and 211)
    • Elective Intellectual Breadth
  • Winter Semester
    • CoE Core Calculus II (Math 116)
    • CoE Core Engineering 101
    • CoE Core Physics (140 and 141)
    • Elective Intellectual Breadth

Sophomore Year

Sophomore Year

  • Fall Semester
    • CoE Core Calculus III (Math 215)
    • CoE Core Physics (240 and 241)
    • Major Requirement Earth and Space System Evolution (CLIMATE 320)
    • Elective Intellectual Breadth
  • Winter Semester
    • CoE Core Differential Equations (Math 216)
    • Major Requirement Earth System Analysis (CLIMATE 323)
    • Major Requirement Earth and Space System Dynamics (CLIMATE 321)
    • Elective Intellectual Breadth

Junior Year

Junior Year

  • Fall Semester
    • Major Requirement Radiative Transfer (CLIMATE 380)
    • Major Requirement Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (CLIMATE 401)
    • Major Requirement Instrumentation for Atmospheric & Space Sciences (CLIMATE 324)
    • Major Requirement Concentration Course
    • Elective General Elective
  • Winter Semester
    • Major Requirement Atmospheric Thermodynamics (CLIMATE 350)
    • Major Requirement Weather Systems (CLIMATE 414)
    • Major Requirement Data Analysis & Visualization (CLIMATE 423)
    • Elective Technical Elective

Senior Year

Senior Year

  • Fall Semester
    • Major Requirement Earth System Modeling (CLIMATE 410)
    • Major Requirement Concentration Course
    • Elective Technical Elective
    • Elective General Elective
  • Winter Semester
    • Major Requirement Capstone Design (CLIMATE 455)
    • Major Requirement Concetration Course
    • Major Requirement Concetration Course
    • Elective Technical Elective

Individualized schedules will be made by students in consultation with an advisor who will tailor their classes to better fit the student's needs.

Practice Your Purpose

Apply the skills you are learning in class to the real world.

Student Engagement

Climate Blue Logo
Climate Blue
A black and white historic photo of men in heavy coats gathered at the center of a sailboat.
Greenland Expedition
5 students gather in heavy winds to pose as a tornado forms in the background
Tornado Camp

Professional Development

Students in the Michigan Geophysical Union hold award certificates
Michigan Geophysical Union
GUStO Logo
GUStO - CLaSP Graduate and Undergraduate Student Organization
AMS Local Chapter Logo
American Meteorological Society
Students gather and smile for a photo in the fall with leaves all over the ground.
Congress of Parties - United Nations Climate Change Conference

Research

Gretchen Keppel-Aleks headshot
Gretchen Keppel-Aleks & Allison Steiner: Atmospheric Biosphere Interactions
READ MORE
Joyce E Penner headshot
Joyce Penner & Perry Samson: Atmospheric Chemistry, Aerosols, & Air Quality
READ MORE
Christiane Jablonowski headshot
Christiane Jablonowski & Richard Rood: Atmospheric Dynamics
READ MORE
Eric A. Kort headshot
Eric Kort & Mark Flanner: Climate, Climate Modeling, & Climate Change
READ MORE
Ángel F. Adames-Corraliza headshot
Ángel Adames-Corraliza: Clouds & Precipitation
READ MORE
Quentin F. Stout headshot
Quentin Stout: Numerical Methods & Scientific Computing
READ MORE
Jeremy N. Bassis headshot
Jeremy Bassis & Ashley Payne: Paleoclimate
READ MORE
Xianglei Huang headshot
Xianglei Huang & Chris Ruf: Radiative Transfer, Remote Sensing & Instrumentation
READ MORE
Igor Sokolov headshot
Igor Sokolov: Statistical Methods & Data Assimilation
READ MORE

Alumni Biographies

Each of these alumni are real people who were once in your shoes, deciding a major. Explore their path and how a Michigan education set their life in motion.

  • Chris Bedford headshot
    • Christopher Bedford
    • Sailing Weather Service, LLC
  • David Wright headshot
    • David Wright
    • University of Michigan
  • Richard Wagenmaker headshot
    • Richard Wagenmaker
    • National Weather Service
  • Emily Gargulinski headshot
    • Emily Gargulinski
    • National Institute of Aerospace
  • Emily Upton headshot
    • Emily Upton
    • Modern Mill Solar
  • Kevin Reed headshot
    • Kevin Reed
    • Stony Brook University
  • Laura Briley headshot
    • Laura Briley
    • Great Lakes Integrated Sciences + Assessments (GLISA)
  • Lisa Bucci headshot
    • Lisa Bucci
    • National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Morgan Gorris headshot
    • Morgan Gorris
    • University of California, Irvine
  • Trent Frey headshot
    • Trent Frey
    • National Weather Service
Chris Bedford headshot

    Christopher Bedford

    Sailing Weather Service, LLC

David Wright headshot

    David Wright

    University of Michigan

Richard Wagenmaker headshot

    Richard Wagenmaker

    National Weather Service

Emily Gargulinski headshot

    Emily Gargulinski

    National Institute of Aerospace

Emily Upton headshot

    Emily Upton

    Modern Mill Solar

Kevin Reed headshot

    Kevin Reed

    Stony Brook University

Laura Briley headshot

    Laura Briley

    Great Lakes Integrated Sciences + Assessments (GLISA)

Lisa Bucci headshot

    Lisa Bucci

    National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

Morgan Gorris headshot

    Morgan Gorris

    University of California, Irvine

Trent Frey headshot

    Trent Frey

    National Weather Service

Not sure what major to choose?

Tap into our network of 85k+ engineering alumni. Do you have questions you’d like answered? Our alumni are always eager to talk about engineering.
(Current and admitted UM students only.)

Speak to an Alum
Students walk in a blur through the tree-filled North Campus Grove against a midnight blue sky

Industries & Occupations

  • Federal Government
  • Scientific Research Laboratories
  • Broadcast Media Industry
  • Technical/Business Consulting
  • Meteorology
  • Space Sciences
  • Climate Change
  • Astronomy
  • Space Weather
  • Atmosphere
  • Planetary Sciences
A professor points to a weather map on a wall lit in green as a female student looks on

Companies

  • NASA
  • National Weather Service
  • JPL
  • meteoblue
  • Leosphere
  • National Center for Atmospheric Research
  • Ubimet
  • Ford Motor Company

LEARN MORE