Meteorology
Your goals, success, and future are our top priority.
Why Meteorology at Valpo?
Welcome to your home of nearly 80 meteorology majors, including Valpo faculty as passionate about the weather as you are! You will put your passion into a career with hands-on learning in forecasting, aviation meteorology, broadcasting, research in severe weather, tropical meteorology, extreme weather, or climate impacts, and many more directions; opportunities await you. Your goals, success, and future are our top priority. Valpo meteorology faculty love teaching and we are an undergraduate only program. You are our focus.
General Information
Valparaiso University’s meteorology program, which gained the status of a major in 1991, has quickly become one of the nation’s most respected training grounds for professional meteorologists. Valpo meteorology majors go on to attend the nation’s top graduate programs and are employed by public- and private-sector firms and broadcast stations around the world.
Check out the occupational outlook for atmospheric scientists and meteorologist, according to the Bureau of labor Statistics.
Valpo students have extraordinary access to state-of-the-art instruments, facilities, and technology. The Valparaiso University Weather Center, a laboratory where students gain hands-on experience and provide weather information and forecasts for Northwest Indiana, has an excellent array of meteorological equipment. Our facilities feature the following:
- Live data from a 33-foot (10-meter) instrumented mesonet tower
- 5-cm simultaneous dual-polarization Doppler radar
- UNIDATA and GEMPAK data retrieval and display systems
- Radiosonde launching and tracking systems
- Portable sensors and computers
- Weather In a Tank
Opportunities to gain practical experience in research and forecasting abound at Valpo, both within the curriculum and through extracurricular activities and work experience. The program’s popular 11-day convective field study to the Great Plains are an integral part of the educational experience for meteorology students, and avid storm enthusiasts join the Valparaiso University Storm Intercept Team. Meteorology students are also important contributors to the National Weather Service’s Skywarn program. The department’s excellent relationship with the National Weather Service and with employers ensures a wealth of internship opportunities for students.
The 16-credit minor in meteorology may complement a variety of majors.
| Required Courses | 16 credits | |
|---|---|---|
| One of the following courses: | 4 credits | |
| MET 103 | Introduction to Meteorology | 4 credits |
| MET 190 | Topics in Weather and Climate | 4 credits |
| Two required courses | 6 credits | |
| MET 215 | Climatology | 3 credits |
| MET 216 | Introduction to Meteorological Observation and Analysis | 3 credits |
| Two courses* from the following: | 6 credits | |
| MET 130 | Weather Technology | 3 credits |
| MET 240 | Introduction to Climate Change | 3 credits |
| MET 271 | Aviation Meteorology | 3 credits |
| MET 279 | Severe Storm Prediction and Nowcasting | 3 credits |
| MET 319 | Tropical Meteorology | 3 credits |
| MET 350 | Boundary Layer Meteorology | 3 credits |
| MET 430 | Numerical Weather Prediction | 3 credits |
| MET 435 | Radar Meteorology | 3 credits |
| MET 440 | Global Climate Change | 3 credits |
| Total | 16 credits |
Students may not take both MET 240 and MET 440 to fulfill this requirement.
A Wealth of Electives
Few undergraduates in the country have access to the variety of electives available to Valpo students. The following electives are offered on a regular basis:
- Meteorology Research courses
- Radar Meteorology
- Tropical Meteorology
- Boundary Layer Meteorology
- Meteorological Computer Applications
- Global Climate Change
- Aviation Meteorology
- Numerical Weather Prediction
- Severe Storm Prediction and Nowcasting
- Lake Effect Forecasting
- Meteorological Instrumentation
The B.S. in meteorology offers a strong foundation in atmospheric science. Advice from faculty members is invaluable in making course selections, but students can begin with these courses recommended to expand their horizons.
Forecasting, instrumentation, general science, and communication are all skills vital to a broadcast meteorologist. Students interested in pursuing a career in broadcast meteorology should consider these courses and a digital media minor (communication department).
Recommended Meteorology Electives:
- MET 240: Introduction to Climate Change or
- MET 440: Global Climate Change
- MET 271: Aviation Meteorology
- MET 279: Severe Storm Prediction and Nowcasting
- MET 292: Lake Effect Snow Analysis and Forecasting
- MET 319: Tropical Meteorology
- MET 335: Meteorological Instrumentation
- MET 350: Boundary Layer Meteorology
- MET 385: Field Study in Meteorology
- MET 435: Radar Meteorology
- MET 486: Internship in Meteorology
A digital media minor from the communication department requires 15 credits from the digital media major and may include:
- COMM 198: Nonlinear Video Editing
- COMM 250: The Radio Industry and Audio Production
- COMM 251: Media Production
- COMM 262: Content Research and Reporting
- COMM 286: Campus Media Practicum
- COMM 380: Television Producing and Directing
- COMM 385: Advanced Media Production
- COMM 490: Topics: Weathercasting
- COMM 490: Topics: Advanced Weathercasting
Courses from the theatre department are also relevant:
- THTR 134: Voice and Diction
- THTR 357: Acting for the Camera
Up-to-date course descriptions and course prerequisites can be found in the University Catalog.
Exploring the many aspects of regional and global meteorology equips you to view a variety of meteorology problems. Forecasting tools and techniques prepare you to work in a computer technology driven field. These electives will prepare you to understand the atmosphere and the instrumentation and technology used to analyze and model the atmosphere. A geographic information systems (GIS) minor is especially useful in government and private industry careers.
Recommended Meteorology Electives:
- MET 271: Aviation Meteorology
- MET 279: Severe Storm Prediction and Nowcasting
- MET 292: Lake Effect Snow Analysis and Forecasting
- MET 319: Tropical Meteorology
- MET 335: Meteorological Instrumentation
- MET 350: Boundary Layer Meteorology
- MET 385: Field Study in Meteorology
- MET 430: Numerical Weather Prediction
- MET 435: Radar Meteorology
- MET 440: Global Climate Change
- MET 460: Data Analysis
- MET 486: Internship in Meteorology
- A minor in GIS
Up-to-date course descriptions and course prerequisites can be found in the University Catalog.
Focusing on a problem, grasping the theory, analyzing data, and modeling a solution are typical steps in a solving any research problem. The following electives will provide tools, theory, and the ability to discern forecast problems as you explore research meteorology and graduate school opportunities.
Recommended Meteorology Electives:
- MET 271: Aviation Meteorology
- MET 319: Tropical Meteorology
- MET 330: Meteorological Computer Applications
- MET 335: Meteorological Instrumentation
- MET 350: Boundary Layer Meteorology
- MET 385: Field Study in Meteorology
- MET 430: Numerical Weather Prediction
- MET 435: Radar Meteorology
- MET 440: Global Climate Change
- MET 460: Data Analysis
Up-to-date course descriptions and course prerequisites can be found in the University Catalog.
Meteorology Major Requirements
MET 103 – Introduction to Meteorology Credits: 4
MET 130 – Weather Technology Credits: 3
MET 215 – Climatology Credits: 3
MET 216 – Introduction to Meteorological, Observation and Analysis Credits: 3
MET 369 – Atmospheric Thermodynamics Credits: 3
MET 372 – Atmospheric Dynamics I Credits: 4
MET 373 – Atmospheric Dynamics II Credits: 4
MET 480 – Synoptic Scale Analysis and Forecasting Credits: 4
MET 481 – Mesoscale Analysis and Forecasting Credits: 4
PHYS 141 – Newtonian Mechanics Credits: 3
PHYS 141L – Experimental Physics I Credits: 1
PHYS 142 – Electricity, Magnetism, & Waves Credits: 3
MATH 132 – Calculus II Credits: 4
MATH 253 – Calculus III Credits: 4
MATH 260 – Linear Systems and Matrices Credits: 1
MATH 270 – Ordinary Differential Equations Credits: 3
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