Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate

Entry requirements

Normally a good undergraduate honours degree (2:2 or above) in a mathematical/physical science or a closely related subject. Your degree should comprise a significant level of maths and/or physics content. Prior knowledge of meteorology is not necessary.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Gain a deep quantitative understanding of the climate system with our MSc Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate.

This course will prepare you for a career in meteorology-related science and research, with a focus on:

• a quantitative description of the physical processes that produce weather
• the physical and dynamical building blocks of our climate
• the numerical and computational methods used to construct state-of-the-art models of the climate system.

Whether you want to mitigate the impact of hazardous weather events, understand how our changing climate may affect the jet stream, or focus your efforts elsewhere within meteorology and climate science, we will help you develop the scientific and analytical skills you need.

Choosing MSc Atmosphere, Ocean and Climate means you will join our world-class Department of Meteorology – the University of Reading is ranked 5th in the world for Atmospheric Science (ShanghaiRanking 2023 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects).

This course is approved by the Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) and is your first step towards becoming professionally accredited as either a Registered Meteorologist (RMet) or Chartered Meteorologist (CMet).

As you develop your skills in computing, analytics and numerical models, your learning will be supported by:

• our on-campus instrumentation lab and atmospheric observatory. In addition to field trip opportunities, access to these facilities allows you to improve your practical skills.
• weather and climate discussions. These weekly sessions give you an insight into current UK and global weather and climate events and incorporate our real-time meteorological data.
• small class sizes. Our enviable staff-to-student ratio means you will receive individual support from academics. You will also be fully supported as you work on your final master’s project – our academics typically oversee no more than one student dissertation each year.

You will be taught by academics who are leaders in their fields. They will draw on their research experience to give you unique scientific perspectives into environmental issues that affect our world. Our Department is home to five Fellows of the Royal Society, as well as climate experts who contribute to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Information for international students

IELTS: 6.5 overall with no element less than 5.5.

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score, you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree

Fees and funding

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.