Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD)

University of British Columbia

Canada, Vancouver

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University of British Columbia

Canada , Vancouver

Key Facts

Program Level

PhD (Philosophy Doctorate)

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Vancouver

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 6 year(s)

Tuition Fee

CAD 9,884 / per year

Apply Date 15-Jan-2023

Next Intake September-2026

Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD)

About

Atmospheric scientists use principles of classical physics to study, explain, and predict atmospheric behavior on scales ranging from turbulent eddies through storm clouds to earth’s global circulation. We are motivated by weather-related big societal issues including climate change, air quality, and renewable energy. Important tools include big data (statistics, machine learning, scientific programming), geographic information systems and remote sensing. Our methods include lab experiments, field experiments, numerical weather prediction, and climate simulation. We support our grad students with government grants for pure research, with industry contracts for tailored meteorological applications, and with teaching assistantships. The UBC atmospheric science (ATSC) program is interdisciplinary, with professors in the departments of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science; Geography; Chemistry; Mathematics; Soil Science; and Mechanical Engineering. Internationally recognized textbooks written by ATSC professors over the past four decades’ span topics from the atmospheric boundary layer and urban climates to practical meteorology.

Disciplines

Faculty of Science

Requirements

Entry Requirements

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum Academic Requirements

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement: 100

Reading

Writing

Speaking

Listening

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement: 7.0

Reading

6.5

Writing

6.5

Speaking

7.0

Listening

6.5

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is optional.

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Prior Degree Requirements

Qualified students with Masters degrees in any STEM field are encouraged to apply for the ATSC PhD program. Some Bachelor’s students in any STEM field choose to come to UBC to first work on an ATSC Masters degree — completing it before moving into the PhD program. However, for qualified STEM Bachelors students who know they want to enter the PhD program, the normal method is to enter the Masters program first, and after the first year of mostly course work with high grades and recommendation from their supervisory committee, they transfer into the PhD program without finishing a Masters degree. We encourage grad applicants from a wide variety of scientific, math, statistics, and engineering backgrounds. Applicants to not need a Bachelors or Masters degree in meteorology or atmospheric science. For example, current grad students have university degrees in physics, mathematics, physical geography, engineering, chemistry, computer science, and many other fields.

Course Requirements

Strong physics, math, and computational background is desired.

Career

Career Outcomes

12 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 1 graduate is seeking employment; for 3 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 8 graduates:

Sample Employers in Higher Education

University of British Columbia
University of Calgary
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Sample Employers Outside Higher Education

Norwegian Meteorological Institute
BC Hydro
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
RWDI AIR Inc.
Environment and Climate Change Canada

Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education

Researcher
Manager
Science Deputy Director
Technical Director
Research Scientist

PhD Career Outcome Survey

You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.

Disclaimer

These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.

Career Options

The PhD program in Atmospheric Science prepares students to be researchers, professors, and leaders in aspects of the atmospheric environment. Many of the current job openings are for research in climate change and their impacts on society. Future weather-related jobs will likely increase for issues associated with growing world population and the anticipated shortages in clean energy, clean air, fresh water, food, and living space that is safe from natural disasters.