(For updates to course cancellations and course alternatives, use the Tools link above and look for: News & Advising Updates.)
Short overview of the Atmospheric Sciences Bachelor's degree program at UBC.
Within Atmospheric Sciences (ATSC) you can work towards the following Bachelors of Science degrees:
You can also get combined majors and combined honours of ATSC with other science disciplines, most easily via other departments that already have in place a degree called "Combined Honours with Another Science Program". One example is Physics, for which you can get a PHYS Combined Honours with ATSC.
It is also possible to get a double major or double honours, however these require that you take significantly more courses, and thus more years to finish.
ATSC also has a Co-operative Education Option (coop), which has 4 work terms added to the normal Bachelor's degree program. Students in ATSC Coop usually take 5 years to finish their degree, but they gain real-world experience and earn a salary during the work terms. Contact the UBC Science Co-op Office for details and application info.
A minor is also possible (but not required). A minor allows you to focus your electives towards a particular subject or field of specialization. There are many possibilities, based on your own interests and career goals. The minor consists of at least 18 upper-level credits either in a single subject or courses selected from a single specialization (such as ATSC). If you want to have a minor, you must declare it with Science Advising before the start of your 4th year at UBC. Here are just a couple examples of minors:
The ATSC Diploma Program is intended for students who already have a Bachelors degree in a non-ATSC science field, but who want to earn the credentials to be a forecaster with ECCC. Interest in this program was so low that we temporarily suspended the program. We can revive the program if there is sufficient interest. As an alternative, you can either enroll as a non-degree student to take the extra courses, or take them as a Masters student in ATSC.
Below are guides and tips to help you take the courses that are required for your degree. However, if there is a difference between any of these guides and the official UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar takes precidence.
Also, from year to year, new courses are introduced, old courses disappear, and degree programs change. You have the right to use either the degree program that was in place when you declared your major/honours, or the degree program that is the most current.
Be aware that some ATSC courses are offered every other year (i.e., once every two years). Here is a link to the current ATSC Course Plan. Thus, students who start in different years usually end up taking courses in a slightly different order.
Tip: Use this ATSC Course Plan, along with one of the Guides below, to plan which courses to take.
You can select your major in June, after your first year at UBC. But if you know ahead of time that you want to major in ATSC, please use the attached guide to take the right first-year courses.
For this program, start in the ATSC Majors program, but take courses during your first and second years that satisfy the ATSC Honours requirements (see the attached guide). Many of these courses are prerequisites for honours upper-level course. At the end of your 2nd year, you can contact Science Advising to officially switch into ATSC Honours.
Similar to the ATSC Honours, take courses during your first and second years to satisfy the Combined Honours requirements as indicated in the UBC Academic Calendar. Then, coordinate with the ATSC and CPSC Undergrad Advisors, before declaring your combined honours intentions with the Science Advising office at the end of your second year of studies.
Primary Advisor:
Hi. My name is Prof. Phil Austin. I am the ATSC Undergrad Advisor.
You can reach me at paustin <@> eoas.ubc.ca
Secondary Advisor:
Hi. My name is Prof. Roland Stull. I help Phil with ATSC undergrad advising.
You can reach me at roland.stull <@> ubc.ca