The capstone course, ATMS 596 Non-Thesis Research, is this program’s version of a master’s research project that students take twice for a total of 8-credit hours. The uniqueness is that students have the option of designing and completing one capstone research project that is done over the period of two semesters, or one distinct capstone research project each of the two semesters. In these project(s), students will apply the technical and conceptual tools, skills, and knowledge they build through their coursework to a relevant weather or climate-related problem.

Students have the ability to customize their project(s) based on their personal interests, as well as their career goals, in weather and climate applications. Additionally, students may select to work with a professional as a mentor from a relevant industry or other approved organization, in addition to their faculty adviser.

As an example project, students could investigate how an aspect of a climate or weather phenomena or industry interest is impacted by climate or weather factors. The student could explore patterns, trends, or relationships in this through applying rigorous statistical tools and techniques using Python and/or R.

When complete, the capstone project will be something that students can add to their professional portfolios to share with potential employers or for advancement in a current organization. This project will further demonstrate a students’ ability to address challenging weather and climate problems using cutting-edge statistical and analytical skills and tools, which will set them apart from others in the field.