Doctor of Philosophy in Climate Sciences

Climate Science is the study of the atmosphere, land, water cycle and how they interact and change. USU is the only university in the region that offers a degree in climate science.

The program focuses on climate variability, prediction/attribution, land surface processes, paleoclimate, and exchanges between land ecosystems and the atmosphere. These subjects impact agricultural crops, rangelands in the area, and mountain ecosystems, which are especially important to the Intermountain West, as they are the main source of water resources. Research conducted by faculty are cutting-edge projects dealing with the climate and its connections to water cycle and land surfaces, with a focus in the intermountain region and also around the world. This research includes: cycles of climate, what causes the droughts and wet episodes, regional-scale climate, and the effects of land surface changes on climate. Students at USU have the unique opportunity to acquire both a theoretical and modeling education, as well as learning how to make actual measurements outdoors. Most universities programs are limited to one or the other. Students can work on a variety of research topics, including climate dynamics and variability, regional climate modeling, modeling of hydrological processes, spatial variation in surface fluxes of carbon dioxide and water vapor, micrometeorology, remote sensing, and more. Because USU's biometeorology program is designated as a Western Regional Graduate Program, students from participating western states qualify for in-state tuition.

Students without an undergraduate or graduate degree in plants, soils, biometeorology, or a closely related field may be required to complete selected undergraduate courses prior to admission.Have a 3.0 or higher GPA on your last 60 semester or 90 quarter credits.TOEFL - TOEFL score of at least 79 (Internet-based), 213 (computer-based), IELTS - Minimum Required Score: 6.0.