What Is A Meteorology Degree?

Meteorology is the study of the Earth’s atmosphere, a component of Earth-system science. A meteorologist predicts the weather and, nowadays, climatic change on longer time scales than the weather. Meteorology students become experts in math and physics; build a comprehensive knowledge of meteorology; and gain in-depth exposure to fields like oceanography, geology, space science, environmental science, climate science, and atmospheric chemistry.

Whether you want to become a broadcast meteorologist, storm tracker, or world weather expert, a meteorology degree from Florida Tech will give you a strong background in physics and chemistry with experience in environmental science and technology.

Gain Practical Experience

A unique and memorable component of each student’s first-year experience in the meteorology degree program is the Whole Earth Course. This class integrates biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and mathematics, leading students to experience and understand our planet as a system of interacting processes.

Meteorology students are invited to work alongside faculty on weather research and often begin projects during their first few weeks on campus. Later, as a senior, you’ll refine your practical skills in technical electives and specialized labs, and complete an exciting research project on a topic of your choosing. You will receive practical experience, an enhanced job search portfolio, and the perfect preparation for graduate and professional school.

The Florida Tech meteorology program boasts a close-knit intellectual community that offers students small classes, well-established professors, and caring staff. Students benefit from the mentoring that a low student-to-teacher learning environment provides, as well as the opportunity to work with faculty and local organizations on vital weather- and climate-related projects. Every year, faculty assist high-achieving meteorology students in applying for scholarships from the American Meteorological Society.

Active Research Faculty Bring Their Knowledge into the Classroom

Our classes are small and are taught by professors renowned in their field. Their teaching is informed by their own cutting-edge research, making for an engaging and supportive learning experience. The faculty in the Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences—a mix of environmental scientists, marine biologists and marine conservationists, oceanographers, meteorologists, and ocean engineers—are active in research. As a meteorology student, you’ll benefit from the integrated nature of Florida Tech’s unique program.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

A program in meteorology requires top-notch facilities. At Florida Tech, students have access to the National Weather Service site in Melbourne, Florida, as well as the USAF Launch Support Teams at Patrick Space Force Base and the Cape Canaveral Space Force station.

The F.W. Olin Engineering Complex, a 70,000-square-foot facility, is furnished with 21^st-century technology, specialized research and teaching laboratories, and a 145-seat auditorium.  The Ralph S. Evinrude Marine Operations Center gives students and faculty direct access to the Indian River Lagoon.

A Perfect Place to Study the Weather—Thunderstorms, Hurricanes, and More

Florida is the lightning capital of the world (!), and the area experiences subtropical thunderstorms each year—occurring 47% of the time there’s precipitation. There is a high probability of rain through the year with the most rain between late April and Early October. Students might also get a chance to study hurricanes, as the region has often been in the path of a major storm or its associated weather.

Florida Tech’s 130-acre campus is located on the Space Coast (so named because of the presence of NASA and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral just north of us), minutes away from the Indian River Lagoon, a diverse estuarine ecosystem.

The area has the fifth largest high-tech workforce in the country, with more than 5,000 high-tech corporations and government and military organizations located nearby. This workforce  provides abundant internship and employment opportunities.

Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean, with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches, and a short trip to the Florida Keys.

Build Lasting Professional Relationships through Campus Organizations

Beyond the classroom, meteorology majors build leadership and professional experience through exciting internships and participation in academic organizations like the American Meteorological Society, the Marine Technology Society, student government, and over 100 other campus-wide student organizations.

The Florida Tech Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society is a highly active and tight-knit student organization that regularly plans trips to the National Weather Service in Melbourne as well as the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The Student Organization for Sustainability Action (SOSA) is dedicated to the implementation of sustainable practices for the Florida Tech community. The organization strives to identify and apply sustainability advances not just at Florida Tech but also throughout all colleges, campus facilities and support services.

The Florida Tech Environmental Club exists to better serve environmental awareness on campus, increase environmental friendliness and create a community of like-minded individuals who share ideas and engage the Florida Tech community through service, fundraising, and events.

Peerless Study and Internship Opportunities

Florida Tech students looking for meteorology internships have access to the local National Weather Service site, the 45th Weather Squadron, and the Kennedy Space Center for direct industry experience. In addition, meteorology students can gain experience and meteorology internships with:

• “Green screen” broadcast opportunities in a professional environment from a wide variety of stations in the Melbourne market.
• Opportunities from the National Weather Service for students, alongside WFIT, Florida Tech’s radio station and NPR affiliate.
• High-tech ocean engineering and science laboratories, which provide facilities and instrumentation for beach surveying, the measurement and analysis of water waves, and more. A dedicated meteorology lab gives students access to a professional meteorological data stream.

Some companies providing meteorology internships to Florida Tech students are:

• Dynamac
• Boeing
• Epcot Center
• Walt Disney World’s The Living Seas Pavilion
• Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University
• Army Corps of Engineers

Participate in Cutting-Edge Field Projects

Our subtropical locale and proximity to the coast make Florida Tech the perfect place to study tropical-storm development and offshore-wave dynamics. The capstone experience us usually a 'big-data' analysis, which leads to a senior research project. Some topics covered by past student projects are:

• Thunderstorm development along sea breeze fronts
• Effects of coastal buildings on wind behavior
• Summer air pollution
• Effects of offshore water circulation on the atmosphere

Students carry out research on field trips to the National Weather Service in Melbourne, measuring marine meteorology on ships and monitoring air pollution with our campus-monitoring network.

Get Recruited Upon Graduation

Meteorology careers entail studying weather, and the effect of the Earth’s atmosphere on human life and the effect of humans on climate. Employers who have recruited Florida Tech students include:

• The Environmental Protection Agency
• EPCOT
• Rockwell Aviation
• Northrop Grumman
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Atlantic   Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
• National Science Foundation
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Caribbean Marine Research Center
• Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University
• National Weather Service

Career Outlook

Most professionals with a meteorology degree work in weather stations, laboratories, weather broadcasting companies, and field efforts related to changing weather patterns. The Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, provides detailed information about hundreds of occupations, including entry-level education, overall working environment and employment prospects.

The Bureau states that atmospheric scientist and related jobs are projected to grow by 11% over the next decade. New computer models have improved forecast accuracy and the ability of scientists to provide information to private industries that demand weather information, including shipping, airline travel, etc. Meteorology careers include forensic meteorologists who use weather to reconstruct conditions, and research meteorologists who develop new methods of data collection and observation; climate scientists study historical patterns to interpret weather and forecast long-term weather patterns or shifts in climate.

Meteorology careers are truly global. The World Meteorological Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that has 183 member states, each of which has national meteorological or hydrometeorological services. And, of course, each of these involves meteorology careers.

Other Career Options

Career options include such jobs as weather forecaster, climate scientist, geoscientist, or astronomer. For Florida Tech graduates, the forecast calls for successful career options with jobs such as:

• Meteorologist (forensic, research)
• Weather forecaster
• Climate scientist
• Broadcast meteorologist
• Environmental engineer
• Environmental scientist
• Geoscientist
• Hydrologist
• Physicist
• Astronomer
• Research scientist
• Oceanographic engineer
• Postsecondary teacher

Graduate and Doctoral Programs

Meteorology jobs often await Florida Tech graduates immediately after receiving their degrees, whereas others enter a graduate programs. In fact, 20% of meteorology graduates go directly to graduate school at Florida Tech or at other universities such as:

• Florida State University
• University of Wisconsin
• University of Illinois
• UCLA
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Penn State University
• University of Wash
• Purdue University
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Utah
• The University at Albany (SUNY)
• Colorado State University
• University of Colorado