A group of people from Vermont State University launching a weather balloon from a roof.

National Weather Service

Concentration of Atmospheric Sciences, B.S.

Offered :

  • Lyndon, VT

What is an In-Person Plus program?

Program-required courses are taught through a combination of in-person and remote delivery. Remote learning may require meeting at a specific time or may not have a specific class time; all weekly interactions and assignments for remote courses are completed through a learning site.

The National Weather Service (NWS) is the largest employer of forecasters across the country, and this Concentration in the Atmospheric Sciences program is ideal preparation for a career in all types of National Weather Service jobs. You'll develop knowledge and skills directly relevant to forecasting, prediction and modeling, hydrology, IT, management, and operational research. This is the only Atmospheric Sciences degree in the State of Vermont that meets NWS requirements. Our graduates can be found in NWS offices all over the country and have also successfully pursued National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) jobs. The concentration will also enable you to pursue forecasting and other meteorology related careers in the military or private industry.

Reach out with Questions

Dylan Thorburn

Admissions Counselor

802.626.6648

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Ari Preston

Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences

802.626.6496

Send Email

Why Study National Weather Service at Vermont State

  • Top Job Placement: In addition to the National Weather Service and NOAA jobs, recent graduates have gone on to work at organizations like The Weather Channel, AccuWeather, and WeatherNation. Others have obtained paid opportunities to pursue graduate school in top meteorology programs around the nation. 
  • Early Professional Networking: Atmospheric science students regularly attend and present at national conferences such as the American Meteorological Society and American Geophysical Union annual meetings. They also conduct research projects with faculty. Our students have co-authored peer-reviewed papers and presented their work at national conferences. 
  • Northeastern Storm Conference: Our student chapter of The American Meteorological Society/National Weather Association is one of the most active in the nation. The club puts on the annual Northeastern Storm Conference, the largest and longest-running student-run weather conference in the country, drawing more than 300 students, faculty, and professionals each year. 
  • State-of-the-Art Weather Center: The John Marshall Observation Deck on our Lyndon campus offers an excellent view for observing weather and launching weather balloons. We also have a The Donald and Carmella Dalton Weather Center gives students a top-line research facility with eight 40″ monitors that display real-time weather data. 
  • Invaluable Internships: Our students have completed internships around the country, including: 
    • Forecasting at National Weather Service offices  
    • Research at the National Severe Storms Laboratory  
    • Forecasting ocean weather conditions in remote locations 
    • Producing graphics for major-market TV weather broadcasts 
    • Observing weather on Mount Washington 
    • Forecasting and research at a financial services firm 
    • Researching the influence of space weather on our environment 

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Sample Courses

  • GIS Applications in Atmospheric Sciences  
  • Physical Climatology  
  • Physical Hydrology  
  • Programming Internet and Web Applications 
View Curriculum

Student Stories

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“I really like the reputation this program has. It has helped to shape the field of meteorology. That’s part of what drew me here. And I fell in love with the location, surrounded by forests and mountains. You see a lot of weather happen, especially in interactions with the terrain up here.”

Francis Tarasiewicz

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“Here, if you want to get involved you can — there are so many jobs, clubs, and activities.”

Bobby Saba

Meet Our Faculty

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  • Faculty

Ari Preston

He/Him

Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences

  • Lyndon Campus

Ready to Take the Next Step?

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