Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences - Oregon State University

Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from Oregon State University is a Campus Master Meteorology degree that prepares you for a Science career. Atmospheric Sciences The atmospheric sciences are concerned with dynamics, physics and processes, including the interactions of the atmosphere with soil physics, hydrology and oceanic circulation. The atmospheric sciences concentration in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences prepares students for careers in teaching and research through advanced study and participation in research projects directed by faculty members. MA, MS and PhD degrees are offered. Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in physics, mathematics, engineering, chemistry or atmospheric science, with strength in mathematics. All applicants should have completed one year each of chemistry and physics with calculus, and courses in vector calculus and in differential equations. Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are required of all applicants. International applicants must score at least 600 on the written TOEFL or an equivalent score on the computerized version of the test. Students perform thesis research on a wide range of problems including the study of global climate change, clouds and the earth?s radiation budget, the structure and dynamics of turbulent flows, air-sea interaction, planetary atmospheres, the optimal use and economic value of weather and climate forecasts, and the study of acid rain and its effects on terrestrial ecosystems. In addition to theoretical, numerical, and observational methods of analysis, approximately one-fourth of the research projects either use or are developing methods for obtaining meteorological information from satellites. Opportunities exist for PhD candidates to conduct some of their thesis research in Europe or at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Most research projects involve collaboration with other scientists, either on the Oregon State University campus or at major domestic or international research centers. Geophysics Geophysics is concerned with physical processes within and on the earth, especially the internal physical constitution of the planet, and seismic, gravitational, geothermal, geoelectrical, geomagnetic phenomena and their relation to geological processes. The geophysics concentration in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences offers graduate work toward MA, MS and PhD degrees . Candidates should have an undergraduate degree in physics, mathematics, engineering, geology, or geophysics. Mathematics through differential equations is required and mathematical physics is desirable. Graduate Record Exam scores are required of all applicants. Opportunities for research exist on a wide range of geophysical problems in marine and continental regimes, emphasizing experimental, applied, and theoretical aspects. Oceanography Oceanography, the application of the sciences to the study of the oceans, is an interdisciplinary environmental science concerned with all processes in the ocean: biological, chemical, geological, and physical, as well as the interactions between the ocean and atmosphere. The oceanography concentration of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences offers MA, MS and PhD degrees . For all areas in oceanography, applicants should have a strong quantitative background and an undergraduate degree in a relevant field of science or engineering and one year each of chemistry, physics, and calculus. Prior background in oceanography is not essential. Graduate Record Exam scores are required of all applicants. Research in biological oceanography involves the interactions of oceanic plants and animals with each other and with chemical, physical and geological processes in the sea. The ecological aspects of marine biology in the open ocean, coastal zones, and estuaries are emphasized. Candidates should have an undergraduate major in biology or chemistry. Chemical processes of the ocean and their relation to the biological, physical, and geological processes of sea, land, and air are the concern of chemical oceanography research efforts. Applicants must have an undergraduate major in chemistry. Graduate students in chemical oceanography may concentrate on natural or contaminant organic, nutrient, trace metal, or radionuclide materials in the oceans, assessing the oceanic effects of such materials and their exchanges with atmospheric and terrestrial reservoirs. In geological oceanography (marine geology), a broad range of geological processes that influence the ocean is studied. Fields of interest include plate tectonics and the structure of the ocean basins, igneous petrology and geochemistry, sedimentation, paleoceanography and paleoclimatology, the chemistry of hydrothermal solutions and coastal sedimentary processes. The undergraduate degree of candidates for graduate study should show strength in one or more of these fields: earth science, chemistry, physics, biology or mathematics. Physical oceanography research covers the physical processes in the sea, exchange of energy and momentum at the air-sea interface, and the transmission and absorption of energy in the sea (e.g., light, heat, and sound). Circulation, tides, waves, heat content, and density distributions are some of the other phenomena of particular interest. Candidates should have an undergraduate major in physics, mathematics, or engineering. View more details on Oregon State University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Meteorology courses.