Admissions Requirements

ATOC academic requirements

For acceptance into the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ATOC) graduate program, the following requirements must be met:

  • Hold a baccalaureate degree from a college or university of recognized standing, or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree.
  • Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student’s previous scholastic record and letters of reference.
  • Have had adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the chosen field.
  • Have at least a 3.00 (B) undergraduate grade point average.
  • We do not require and will not consider General Record Examination (GRE) scores.
  • International applicants are required to provide a Verifiable English Proficiency Score Report for the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo exam with their application. The test date must be within twoÌýyears of the intended admission term for consideration.

Students with undergraduate degrees in the physical sciences (e.g., physics, chemistry, mathematics) and engineering are encouraged to apply. The general background expected of incoming graduate students includes:

  • Three semesters of calculus, one semester of differential equations, and one semester of computer programming (ideally in python)
  • Courses inÌýphysics (calculus based) and chemistry
  • Research experience including data analysis/additional computer programming experience (ideally in python)

Students with undergraduate degrees in other fields such as biology, environmental science, geography, geology, meteorology, or oceanography are also invited to apply provided they meet the standards given here. ÌýCourses in atmospheric science or oceanography are useful but not required.

English Proficiency requirements

International applicants are required to provide a Verifiable English Proficiency Score Report for the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo exam with their application. The test date must be within twoÌýyears of the intended admission term for consideration. Information regarding minimum scores, other ways to demonstrate English proficiency, and how to provide official test scores can be found at /graduateschool/admissions/where-begin/international-students/english-proficiency-requirements.

Ìý