The online graduate certificate of achievement in weather forecasting and climate analytics is a five-course, 13-credit program. To earn this certificate, you must successfully complete the five prescribed meteorology courses.
Course List - Graduate Certificate in Weather and Climate Analytics
Required Courses
Title
Abbreviation
Description
Credits
Weather and Climate Datasets
METEO 810
Students will learn a variety of methods for accessing appropriate weather and climate datasets available from government and research institutions. Working with very large datasets in a computationally efficient manner will be stressed, as will consideration of factors that affect data reliability. Students will be encouraged to consider numerous possibilities for presenting weather and climate data with a minimum of quantitative analysis. Finally, students will learn to construct a site-specific or regional climatology and to communicate a qualitative analysis of those data to others.
3 credits
Applied Atmospheric Data Analysis
METEO 815
This course provides practical guidance in the quantitative analysis of large weather and climate datasets for incorporation into a data analytics system. Students will learn a variety of methods for describing environmental data focusing on bulk characteristics, hypotheses testing, linear modeling, and variability modeling. Furthermore, current data mining strategies used in creating analysis workflows will be presented. Specific emphasis will be placed on data organization and pre-processing for computational analysis, validating assumptions for a particular analysis technique, identification and resolution of non-compliant data sets, and use of analysis/display software to improve communication of results.
3 credits
Time Series Analytics for Meteorological Data
METEO 820
Students will learn a variety of methods for identifying key temporal patterns in atmospheric datasets, modeling methods based on patterns, trend analyses in climate datasets, advanced modeling methods, frequency domain analyses, and spatial-temporal visualization techniques specific to meteorology. Furthermore, data reduction techniques will be discussed for working with big weather and climate datasets. Specific emphasis will be placed on preparing environmental data for analysis, data visualization techniques, correctly selecting appropriate analyses, validating results, and realistic interpretations of results. Case studies will augment the discussion on the various time series methods with the goal being to broaden the student's perspective on the use of weather and climate data for forecasting and modeling as it pertains to decision making.
3 credits
Predictive Analytic Techniques for Meteorological Data
METEO 825
This course provides practical guidance in forecast systems of weather and climate variables for incorporation into decision-making systems. Students will learn a variety of methods for prognostic modeling of categorical and continuous variables, measuring forecast accuracy, and assessing results through Monte Carlo simulations. Ensemble environmental forecasting techniques will also be presented. Specific emphasis will be placed on the strengths and limitations of each technique, validating assumptions for particular forecast methods, and assessing the results of the weather or climate model using a variety of statistical techniques. Numerous examples and case studies will augment discussion of the techniques with the goal being to grow the student's knowledge on weather and climate forecasting and its usage in decision-making.
3 credits
Weather and Climate Analytics Applications
METEO 830
The goal of this course is to better inform decision-makers on the probability of adverse and advantageous weather events. This course will adopt a case study approach whereby students learn to create a weather and climate analytics analysis and presentation. Emphasis will be placed on framing a problem with appropriate research, collecting and analyzing historical data, developing appropriate analytical modeling, and presenting results and recommendations. As preparation for synthesizing their own project, students will scrutinize multiple examples of weather and climate analytic studies from a variety of industries and sectors. Furthermore, the course will provide multiple opportunities for students to receive guidance and feedback from their instructor, fellow classmates, and industry professionals.