The understanding of climate science is essential to the interpretation of modern climate variations and the measurement of their impact. Climate data must be analyzed and interpreted in order to formulate useful responses and plan actions to meet specific climate challenges. The MS in Climate Science educates students to be climate professionals who can analyze and model advanced climate data. Students in the program learn to solve quantitative problems about atmospheric properties and variability, fluid dynamics, and the role of the ocean and land surface in climate. Students choose a concentration in either Climate Modeling or Climate Data to gain specific skills to understand and predict climate variations.

The program encourages applications from students with diverse backgrounds in physical science, mathematics, and engineering. Students with atmospheric science or meteorology degrees can deepen their understanding, enhance relevant computer skills, and gain insight into climate as a multi-component system. Students with physics, math, or other degrees will find that climate provides compelling applications of their mathematical and computational skills. All students will be taught by faculty of the Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences Department and the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies, which includes scientists doing pioneering work in climate dynamics, climate modeling, predictability, and statistical analysis of climate data.

https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/science/atmospheric-oceanic-earth-sciences/climate-science-ms/