Meterology

Type of degree: Ph.D.

Brief overview of program: Students must satisfy several requirements in order to graduate with a Ph.D. degree. Each student is required to pass at least eight (8) graduate level courses numbered 600 and above with a grade of B- or higher. These courses will be in dynamic, synoptic, physical, tropical meteorology, oceanography or other closely related fields. At least five (5) of these courses must be completed at the University of Hawai‘i. The courses taken either here or elsewhere need to cover the core requirements MET 600, 610, 620 and one of MET 412 or MET 416. A student must pass each of these core courses with a grade of at least B-. A student must obtain a minimum 3.0 GPA in the core courses taken at Manoa. A student must also maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 for all the courses taken in the Ph.D. program at Manoa. After these eight (8) courses are successfully completed, but no later than the 24th month in the Ph.D. program, each student must pass a two-part comprehensive examination. The purpose of this exam is to ascertain the student’s comprehension of the broad field of meteorology and so to insure that the student is well prepared for Ph.D. research. The first part of the comprehensive examination is a set of written exercises; this is followed by an oral examination. No later than 12 months after successful completion of the comprehensive examination, each student is required to submit a written research proposal for approval to his/her dissertation committee. A Ph.D. student must also successfully complete two semesters of MET 765 during his/her Ph.D. studies. Finally, the student must complete an acceptable Ph.D. thesis and successfully defend it in a public final oral examination.

Website: Click here for program website

Student Support: Graduate Assistantships Most, but unfortunately not all, our graduate students receive some form of financial assistance. Most commonly, support is provided by a graduate research assistantship (GRA) that is a formal appointment as a researcher working 20 hours per week, normally funded by federal research grants obtained by individual faculty members. Often the work conducted for the GRA is directly related to the student’s thesis topic. The department also has a limited number of Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) which are 20-hour per week appointments with duties involving undergraduate instruction. All graduate teaching assistants serving in any capacity are under the direction and supervision of a regular member of the faculty. The duties of a GTA will generally fall within one or more of the following categories: assisting a faculty member in grading, advising, and the administrative duties associated with a course or courses; teaching a laboratory or discussion section of a course; or teaching a classroom section of a multi-section course under the supervision of a faculty member responsible for the course. Students with 20-hour per week GRA or GTA appointments receive free tuition. A very small number of additional tuition waivers may be available for some students who do not have GRA or GTA appointments. In addition, some students obtain their own funding through external fellowships, such as those awarded to outstanding students by the National Science Foundation. Only full-time classified graduate students admitted to and enrolled in a graduate program for an advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) are eligible for a graduate assistantship. Certificate, post-baccalaureate unclassified, and non-degree seeking students are not eligible.

Program Point of Contact: Cindy Hunter

Email: cindyh@hawaii.edu

Institution address: 2540 Dole St. Holmes Hall 402
                             Honolulu,HI 96822