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Meteorological Science Major

Meteorological Science

234 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
27 Master's Degrees Annually
#505 in Popularity

Types of Degrees Meteorological Science Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many meteorology graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 210
Master’s Degree 31
Doctor’s Degree 12
Graduate Certificate 11
Basic Certificate 4

What Meteorological Science Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, meteorological science majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Meteorological Science Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in meteorological science should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
  • Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

Skills for Meteorological Science Majors

meteorological science majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities for Meteorological Science Majors

Meteorological Science majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Meteorological Science Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with meteorological science:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Atmospheric and Space Scientists 12.5% $94,110
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Professors 9.9% $90,860
Natural Sciences Managers 9.9% $123,860

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Meteorological Science?

210 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
34% Percent Women
15% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major tends to be male dominated. About 66% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of meteorological science majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 4
Black or African American 5
Hispanic or Latino 15
White 174
International Students 0
Other Races/Ethnicities 12

Some careers associated with meteorological science require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to meteorological science have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Some College Courses 1.2%
Bachelor’s Degree 25.4%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 4.7%
Master’s Degree 33.4%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.5%
Doctoral Degree 24.8%
Post-Doctoral Training 9.4%

Online Meteorological Science Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 0 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 11 2
Bachelor’s Degree 1 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 5 0
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 4 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to meteorological science.

Major Number of Grads
General Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 955
Other Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 51
Atmospheric Chemistry & Climatology 14
Atmospheric Physics & Dynamics 0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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