ACADEMIC OFFICES: ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: Internet: http://ags.ou.edu |
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Berrien Moore, III, Ph.D., Dean and Vice President for Weather and ClimatePrograms
May Yuan, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Spatial Analysis and the Geoinformatics Program
Kevin Kloesel, Ph.D., Associate Dean
Mary Anne Hempe, M.F.A., Assistant Dean
The College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences is a national leader in education, research and development, and scholarship in the areas of weather and regional climate, and human interactions with the Earth’s atmosphere and surface. Areas of particular strength include applied climatology, hydrology, atmospheric dynamics, mesoscale meteorology and severe storms, weather radar, atmospheric physics, geographic information systems, resource management and remote sensing of Earth's atmosphere and surface. The College's faculty contribute to the accomplishment of the University mission by preparing students at all levels for leadership roles in science, industry, and government. They conduct basic and applied research to understand and better predict weather and climate, and to understand how human beings live within the Earth System. Since many of the programs are inherently interdisciplinary and environmentally oriented, the College strongly encourages and promotes interaction with the basic sciences, mathematics, engineering, and the social sciences.
The College is composed of academic and research units: the Department of Geography and the School of Meteorology are the academic units; research units include the Atmospheric Radar Research Center, Center for the Analysis and Prediction of Storms, the Center for Spatial Analysis, the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, the Environmental Verification and Analysis Center, and the Oklahoma Climatological Survey.
The College administrative offices located in the National Weather Center, the University’s new facility for weather education, research, and operations. This 255,000-square-foot facility houses weather research and operations programs of the University of Oklahoma and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The College’s Student Advising Center is located in the Sarkeys Energy Center
Geography and Geographic Information Science (GIS)
Many geography students today contemplate careers using the rapidly expanding family of geotechniques, especially Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing. Careers that focus on these techniques cover a wide array of occupations, including hydrologist, climatologist, transportation analyst, soil conservationist, and urban/regional planner and include working for city, state, and federal agencies and working for private-sector enterprises whose business requires the optimal location and spatial analysis of facilities and markets. Students can work for both public- and private-sector organizations concerned with regional planning, environmental management, and the development of planning and environmental policy. Some students, more broadly attracted to the integrating perspective of geography, choose to view the discipline as a central part of a liberal education that will take them to a professional career such as in law or public administration or to an academic or other professional career in teaching, research, and writing.
Meteorology
Recipients of undergraduate degrees find employment in both government and private sectors. Within government, the National Weather Service and its parent organization, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have needs for weather forecasters and research assistants. The U.S. Armed Forces also have opportunities for meteorologists who desire to serve their country in uniform. Many state and local water and environmental agencies also require weather expertise. Private sector companies have growing needs for weather information; examples include broadcast meteorology, consulting, aviation industry and, in general, companies which provide specific weather and climate information for their clients. Recipients of M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are most likely to become involved in research at federal laboratories or in government-sponsored programs at universities while some become faculty at the secondary school, college, and university levels.
A high percentage of eligible College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences undergraduate students participate in the University-wide Honors Program described elsewhere in this catalog. Specially designed Honors courses and seminars provide the Honors student with small classes and opportunities for interaction with the University's best and brightest faculty members, both within the student’s major field of study and in other courses used to satisfy curricular requirements.
To atmospheric and geographic scientists, Earth’s atmosphere and surface constitute a natural laboratory. Thus, it is important that students devote a portion of their academic careers to exploring and studying aspects of the Earth away from the OU campus. Field trips in geography are offered in the central and western U.S. and faculty members involve students in their active field research programs around the world. The central U.S. is a vast open-air laboratory for meteorology faculty and students who combine theoretical modeling with extensive field observation and measurement programs.
Talented undergraduate students are encouraged to work with faculty on research projects. These student research projects can be an important component of the Honors Program and/or a source of part-time income and scholarship support. Such research participation provides the student with important experience in his or her discipline in addition to meeting normal academic requirements.
Faculty-supervised research is an important component of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences graduate program. Many graduate students are supported financially through research assistantships funded by federal and private industry grants and contracts. Other graduate students are supported financially through teaching assistantships awarded by their academic units. Faculty-supervised student research leading to master’s theses and doctoral dissertations is an integral component of the overall graduate degree requirements.
The academic and research units of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences are housed in the Sarkeys Energy Center (SEC) and the National Weather Center (NWC).
The College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences Student Services Center, as well as the Department of Geography and the Environmental Verification and Analysis Center (EVAC) are housed in the 15-story Sarkeys Energy Center (SEC). Classrooms and laboratory facilities are also located in the building.
The National Weather Center (NWC) building is a new 244,000 square foot, $67 million facility located on the University Research Campus. This building houses the National Weather Center programs, a confederation of state and federal organizations which work together on educational, pure and applied research, and operational activities.
The School of Meteorology, the Atmospheric Radar Research Center, the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms, the Environmental Verification and Analysis Center, the Center for Spatial Analysis, the Natural Hazards and Disaster Prevention Center, and the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, are the University of Oklahoma components of the Weather Center.
The federal agencies that are part of the Weather Center include: the National Severe Storms Forecast Laboratory, the Storm Prediction Center, the National Weather Service Office (Oklahoma City), the WSR-88D (NEXRAD) Radar Operations Center, and the Warning Decision Training Branch. The National Weather Center programs offer a rich educational and research environment for students pursuing undergraduate and graduate study in meteorology, climate, hydrology, remote sensing, and computer applications.
The Geospatial And Image Analysis (GAIA) laboratory facilitates both research and teaching related to spatial data analysis, especially the design and application of Geographic Information Systems, the analysis of remotely sensed data and its integration with other spatial data types, and the statistical analysis of spatial data. The laboratory provides the opportunity for students to obtain “hands-on” experience in geospatial techniques in both UNIX workstation and PC-based computational environments.
The Center for Spatial Analysis promotes geographic thinking and spatiotemporal reasoning through research, education, outreach, and other collaborative activities. CSA offers research opportunities in geographic information science and technology, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, and Global Positioning Systems to faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate students across OU campuses as well as state and local governments in Oklahoma. CSA leads the OU delegation to participate in the University Consortium of Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) to set national agendas in GIS research and education. CSA serves the university community by providing technical support for students, faculty, and researchers to develop collaborative projects that incorporate geospatial technology. In addition, learning opportunities are provided through outreach activities, internships, training courses and workshops for students as well as to the broader community beyond the campus. CSA is a member of the state GIS council and an active participant in national and international professional programs. Please visit our Web site at http://csa.ou.edu for further information.
The College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences Honor Roll is compiled at the close of each fall and spring semester. It includes students who have completed at least 12 grade point hours and have earned an average of 3.50 or higher during the semester.
Part-time students enrolled for both the fall and spring semesters of an academic year will be included on the spring semester honor roll provided that, as a result of combining the work completed during the fall and spring semesters, they earn at least 12 grade point hours with no withdrawals and an average of 3.50 or better.
Students majoring in Geography and Meteorology form lasting friendships while at OU, drawn together by the rigors of their degree programs, a devoted faculty and staff, and social activities sponsored by the College of A&GS and by the College’s individual academic units, including photo contests, Movie Mondays in the National Weather Center Library, the annual Bevo Barbeque, Sophomore Spotlight, the Multi-Cultural Festival, Groundhog’s Day Party, trips to TV stations and sporting events, forecast contests, the activity-filled A&GS Week, the Weather Festival, and the Geography Bowl, to name just a few.
Students also form strong bonds through participation in student clubs, such as the OU student chapter of the American Meteorological Society (OUSCAMS) http://weather.ou.edu/~ouscams/; the Oklahoma Weather Lab (OWL) http://owl.ou.edu/; the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) http://weather.ou.edu/~sac/; and the Geography Club (please contact faculty sponsor Dr. Aondover Tarhule at atarhule@ou.edu for more information).
Students entering the University are eligible to apply for any of the general scholarships awarded by the University Scholarship Committee. General scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement and financial need. Scholarship and other forms of financial aid information is available from the Office of Financial Aid Services, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019.
In addition, scholarships are awarded to geography and meteorology students by the programs in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences. For additional information, please refer to the academic unit sections in the following pages.
The College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences has made a major commitment to integrate and expand computer and network technology in its courses and programs. A&GS students access and use a rich variety of materials and educational experiences through local and Internet-based resources. While the University provides computer labs for student use, the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences provides specialized computing labs for exclusive use by its majors. Media Lab North is located in Sarkeys Energy Center, Room 543; and, Media Lab South is located in the National Weather Center, Room 4803. Both labs contain equipment geared toward the special needs of students majoring in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences. The College is a partner in the University of Oklahoma SuperComputing (OSCER-OU SuperComputing Center for Education and Research Center).
Students may expect the advising staff in the Student Services Center to:
As a student in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, you are expected to:
Students must be admitted to the University of Oklahoma before being admitted to the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences.
First-year students and all other prospective A&GS students who have not yet met the requirements for admission to the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences are admitted to University College. Inquiries concerning admission to the University and University College should be addressed to the Office of Admissions. Students are cautioned however, that the admission requirements for the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences programs are more stringent than the requirements for admission to the University. New students considering majoring in any of the College’s programs should complete as a minimum the following high school preparatory work:
Students will be admitted to the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences from University College once they declare a geography or meteorology major and complete the following requirements:
Academic credit from any division of the University of Oklahoma — Norman campus, Health Sciences Center, OU-Tulsa, and Claremore, or Continuing Education — is considered resident credit at the University of Oklahoma. Grades and hours earned at any of these divisions are included in the OU retention and cumulative grade point averages for purposes of admission or readmission to the University, and to the individual colleges within the University.
The College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences believes that faculty members are best qualified to provide curricular, professional, and career advisement. Students in the College are required to meet with their faculty adviser every semester prior to each enrollment period.
In addition to your A&GS faculty adviser, the professional staff in the College’s Student Services Center (located in Sarkeys Energy Center, Room 710) is available to assist students with degree checks, transfer equivalencies, and any problems of an academic nature. Students may call (405) 325-3101 to schedule an appointment.
Please note that the responsibility for meeting graduation requirements lies with the student and not with the adviser, the school/department, or the Dean.
To remain in good standing in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, students must maintain a 2.00 combined retention grade point average in all coursework attempted, a 2.00 grade point average in all coursework attempted in the major area, and a 2.00 retention grade point average in all coursework attempted at OU.
Students whose major, combined retention or OU retention grade point averages fall below 2.00 are placed on enrollment agreement. Students on enrollment agreement will be denied enrollment privileges through the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences following any semester in which satisfactory scholastic progress toward a 2.00 has not been made.
Grade point deficiencies must be made up through reenrollment in major courses in which the student had a last-recorded grade of D or F. Should all D or F grades in curriculum courses be raised to a C or above, and the student still has grade point scholastic deficiencies, the student may then enroll in non-major courses. For the freshman and sophomore years any course may be used, but for the junior and senior years, the courses must be numbered 2000 or above, unless the course so elected is approved as an elective in the last two years of the student’s major curriculum.
After a student has been reinstated in the University following an unsatisfactory scholastic record, the student must apply to the Dean of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences for reinstatement in the College. The Dean will determine whether to readmit the student and may prescribe the conditions for reinstatement in the College in accordance with the policies established by the faculty and the Dean.
To be recommended for a bachelor’s degree in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, a student must complete:
1. Any departure by a student from the curriculum requirements and scholastic rules must be approved by a petition and must not conflict with existing University regulations.
2. The College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences requires comprehensive examinations to be given during the regular scheduled examination periods in all undergraduate courses excluding directed readings, pure laboratory courses and project-type courses and seminars. No member of the faculty is authorized to depart from this regulation or from the published examination schedule for either a class or an individual without prior approval. Special early examinations given to individual students or groups of students as substitutes for final examinations are prohibited. A student will not be expected to take more than two examinations in one day.
3. Full-time students may enroll in 12-19 hours of coursework. Enrollment in more than 19 credit hours is permitted only with the approval of the student’s adviser and the Dean of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences. Permission to carry more than 19 hours will depend primarily on the student’s scholarship record and his/her ability to carry increased loads.
4. Academically superior students are encouraged to contact the Honors College office to investigate their participation in the University’s Honors College.
5. Pass/no pass enrollments may not be used to satisfy College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences requirements.
Credit in a student’s major that is more than 10 years old may not be applied toward a bachelor’s degree unless it is validated by the major department or by each department if the student’s major is interdisciplinary.
The College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences offers students the option of declaring a minor subject. Minors in the College are available in geography, geographic information science, hydrologic science, physical geography, weather and climate, and meteorology. The specific minor requirements will be found in the section of the catalog describing the major program offered by the College and at http://ags.ou.edu/academics_minors.php. Minors in hydrologic science and Weather and Climate offered by the College are described below. The successful completion of a minor will be entered on the student’s permanent record at the time the degree is recorded. The College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences also offers these approved minors to students registered in other colleges within the University. In addition, A&GS students are eligible to declare a minor offered through other OU colleges.
Hydrologic science is the study of the occurrence, distribution, movement and properties of water and its relationship with the Earth’s environment. Thus, hydrologic science is a cross-disciplinary area which blends aspects of civil engineering, environmental science, geography, geology, geophysics, and meteorology. Persons with backgrounds in hydrologic science will have the expertise to investigate the water cycle including techniques on measuring the various components with various tools such as radar, GIS, and remote sensing platforms. This will allow for preparing plans for the wise, long-term use of water resources in agriculture, industry, municipal planning, and recreation.
The minor offers two options designed to address the most prominent areas of hydrologic science: Hydrometeorology and Groundwater-Subsurface Environment. Academic requirements for either option include 15 credit hours from the hydrologic- related disciplines listed above. This minor requires a minimum 2.00 GPA in all minor courses. Consult the School of Meteorology for complete requirements.
The College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences offers students in other colleges a minor in Weather and Climate. This minor requires the successful completion of 15 hours of courses acceptable for major credit in Geography and Meteorology, to include nine hours at the upper-division level. This minor is not available to Geography or Meteorology majors.
A minimum 2.00 must be maintained in the major, on all OU work attempted, and on the student’s combined retention grade point average to earn a bachelor’s degree through the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences.
The faculty may recommend that the degree “With Distinction” be conferred on graduates who have a retention grade point average at OU of 3.50 or higher and “With Special Distinction” on students who have an OU retention grade point average of 3.75 or higher.
In addition to University requirements which include 40 hours of University-Wide General Education, and College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences requirements, which include a minimum of 48 hours of upper-division coursework, the following must be completed for the Bachelor of Arts in Geography or the Bachelor of Arts in Geographic Information Science:
Please note that although the Bachelor of Arts in Geography requires the completion of GEOG 3924 (Analytic Methods in Geography), a course that carries General Education math credit, students must complete an additional General Education math course.
Total Minimum Curriculum Hours Required for Graduation: 124.
In addition to University requirements which include 40 hours of University-Wide General Education, and College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences requirements, which include a minimum of 48 hours of upper-division coursework, the following must be completed for the Bachelor in Science in Geography, the Bachelor of Science in Geographic Information Science, or the Bachelor of Science in Meteorology:
* Also fulfills a General Education requirement
Total Minimum Curriculum Hours Required for Graduation: 124.
For specific requirements for individual degrees, please refer to the academic unit sections in the following pages.
A student who has completed the requirements for a bachelor’s degree may receive a second bachelor’s degree upon the completion of the curriculum prescribed for the second degree, provided that the work completed includes at least 30 additional credit hours of upper-division geography, meteorology, applied science and elective courses appropriate to the field of the second degree. These courses must be over and above the credit hours required for the first degree.
For specific information about graduate studies, please refer to the academic unit sections.
