Welcome to the Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Small class sizes, virtually unlimited access to faculty, and a challenging yet rewarding curriculum make UNC Asheville an ideal place to earn your degree in atmospheric sciences. You’ll have the chance to learn about the atmosphere and conduct research alongside faculty specializing in severe weather, atmospheric modeling, air pollution, climatology, observations, tropical meteorology, hydrology, and weather unique to Western North Carolina.
Asheville is home to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)—one of the nation’s largest weather data centers—and UNC Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). These organizations and nearby National Weather Service forecast offices and television studios offer atmospheric sciences majors unique internship opportunities and career connections.
Our Curriculum
The Department of Atmospheric Sciences offers a Bachelor of Science degree in three concentrations: weather forecasting, climatology, and broadcast meteorology. Each concentration prepares students for employment upon graduation or for further studies at the graduate level. The weather forecasting and climatology concentrations fulfill federal civil service requirements for employment as a meteorologist, while the broadcast meteorology concentration fulfills requirements for the American Meteorological Society’s Certified Broadcast Meteorologist program. Unlike larger institutions, our department and university focus completely on undergraduate success. Our small classes are taught by faculty members, not teaching assistants. The knowledgeable and dedicated faculty members emphasize a quality undergraduate education with close student–faculty interaction.