Climatology at MSU

Weather and climate have a direct impact on humans and their environment. The climatology group at Michigan State University conducts research in a variety of subject areas of atmospheric science. Areas of particular emphasis include climate variability and change, applied meteorology and climatology, synoptic climatology, agricultural climatology, boundary layer meteorology, mountain meteorology, mesoscale modeling, and fire weather.

The program offers both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Geography with a specialization in climatology. In addition, undergraduate students interested in climatology and meteorology may pursue a Meteorology/Atmospheric Sciences Concentration offered as part of B.S. Earth Science Interdisciplinary Degree Program in the College of Natural Sciences. Courses taught by the climatology faculty on a regular basis include introductory meteorology, agricultural climatology, climate change, dynamic meteorology, synoptic climatology, and numerical analysis.

The climatology group is involved in a wide variety of outreach and community service activities. The State Climatology Office and the Michigan Automated Weather Network (MAWN) are affiliated with the Department of Geography. Faculty and staff in the climate group operationally provide climatological data, information, and related services to other researchers, news media, and the general public in Michigan and the Great Lakes Region.