2016-2017 University Catalog
Climate Dynamics, PhD
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Banner Code: SC-PHD-CLIM
College: College of Science
Department: Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences
The mission of this program is to train the next generation of scientists in climate dynamics and related fields. Through a comprehensive grounding in classwork, our students learn about how the atmosphere, ocean, and land surface work together to determine the climate. In collaboration with internationally-known scientists, students conduct independent work to further our understanding of climate, how it varies, and how much of it we can predict. Tools in the program include cutting-edge climate models, superb computing facilities, sophisticated statistical techniques, and comprehensive data sets. Our graduates have gone on to work at top laboratories and universities.
Understanding climate variability and predictability poses difficult mathematical, computational, and observational questions that have generated increasing intellectual excitement in recent years. Climate variability has important ramifications for society, from planning for next year’s electrical demand and forecasting agricultural production to answering complex questions involving long-term change in global climate, sea level, and biodiversity. While it is impossible to predict day-to-day weather more than a few weeks in advance, progress in predicting El Niño supports the idea that seasonal averages of temperature, rainfall, and other factors may be at least partly predictable months or even years in advance. Likewise, there is a strong scientific basis for predicting long-term changes in global climate due to changing greenhouse gas concentrations.
Climate dynamics faculty members have a blend of expertise in dynamics, statistics, and computational methods. They are heavily involved with national and international collaborations. Faculty members and students work closely with scientists at the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA), a national leader in climate modeling.
Faculty research focuses on the areas of climate prediction and predictability, climate variability, coupled ocean-atmosphere-land dynamics, and dynamical systems and retrospective analysis. Recent research topics include predictability of weather and climate; modeling of the complex climate system; El Niño dynamics; monsoons; atmosphere-ocean interaction; land-climate interaction; decadal climate variability; ocean circulation theory; and climate change.
This has been designated a Green Leaf program. For further information, please visit Green Leaf Programs and Courses .
Admission Requirements
Applicants should have demonstrated a high aptitude for quantitative reasoning, applied mathematics, and physical science. Applicants should have an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a GPA of at least 3.00 in undergraduate work, and a GRE verbal plus quantitative score of 301 (1,100 on the old scale). To apply, prospective students should submit a completed Mason graduate application, a current résumé, three letters of recommendation, an expanded goals statement, and two copies of official transcripts from each college and graduate institution attended. An official report of scores obtained on the GRE-GEN should also be officially reported by ETS. The GRE requirement for admission to the doctoral programs can be waived if the student holds a master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. TOEFL scores are required of all international applicants who have not completed a master’s degree in the United States.
Reduction of Credit
For students entering the doctoral program with a master’s degree in a related field from a regionally accredited institution, the number of required credits may be reduced up to 30 credits, subject to approval of the program faculty and the college’s associate dean for student affairs. See the Reduction of Credits section of this catalog for more information.
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