UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Department of Atmospheric Sciences

Online Graduate Programs in Weather and Climate Risk and Data Analytics

Online Graduate Programs in Weather and Climate Risk and Data Analytics

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FAQs

Program Level FAQ

A: Our graduate-level certificate and master’s degree program has many aspects that set it apart from other existing programs, including:

A stronger focus on skills and knowledge in high demand in the private sector for:

  • the rigorous evaluation of weather and climate risk, through designing and analyzing statistical models in R—in ATMS 526
  • the processing, statistical analysis (including machine learning techniques), and visualization of weather and climate data using Python, through ATMS 517 + ATMS 523
  • the conceptual and quantitative understanding of how and why weather and climate phenomena produce high-impact hazards – a particularly key course for students without a formal background in meteorology


A flexible, engaging, and tailored experience for you, as:

  • all lessons in our courses are pre-recorded and are watched on your own schedule, but you’ll also typically have an interactive, weekly 60-80 minute synchronous lab with flexible scheduling options (evening)
  • the non-thesis capstone research project for the master’s degree can be customized to meet your particular weather and climate interests and/or career goals
  • you may use the 12 credits of certificate courses towards pursuing our online Master’s degree in Weather and Climate Risk and Data Analytics, should you choose to continue on!

The tuition rate for the 2023-2024 academic year is $740 (USD) per credit hour for both the certificate and master’s program courses. The rate is the same for in-state, out-of-state and international students. Cost of tuition and fees in future academic years may be subject to moderate changes in accordance with the actions of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.

Certificate Program FAQ

A: Yes! This program may be of interest to those looking to transition into a career in atmospheric sciences from another field, or otherwise seeking to gain more knowledge of concepts and tools for atmospheric sciences. Reach out to aklees@illinois.edu if you have specific questions or concerns about how this program might align with your career goals.
A: No – we will teach you what you need to know! That being said – having prior quantitative experience helps.
A: Yes! While you are welcome to apply directly for the online MS, another option is to initially enroll in the certificate program, take a course or two, and then apply to the MS program. If you then enrolled in the online MS program, those courses would count towards your online MS degree.
A: The 12-credit hour graduate-level certificate is a micro-credential that gives you some updated skills or new skills you may not have acquired in a previous bachelor’s degree program. The full 32-credit hour graduate program will provide you a more robust and advanced skill-set, as well as research and project management skills because you are completing an 8-credit hour non-thesis capstone project with a mentor and faculty adviser supporting you on a topic of interest. You may add the micro-credential or graduate degree to your LinkedIn profile and resume for job hunting or advancement opportunities.
A: Yes! The core material and lessons for each course are delivered asynchronously, so you can work on them as your busy schedule permits each week. While most courses have a weekly synchronous lab session, we offer both daytime and evening section options, to better align with your schedule!
A: You’ll submit your CV or resume, and an unofficial transcript from your Bachelor’s degree, along with a few details and background about yourself. That’s it!
A: No! ATMS has removed the requirement for submitting GRE scores for all its graduate programs, on-campus and online!
A: We strive to evaluate applications to the certificate program within a week of their submission, when possible.
A: There is no financial aid or tuition waivers available for this program. Military benefits, statutory waivers and private scholarships may be used.

Master’s Degree Program FAQ

A: Yes! This program may be of interest to those looking to transition into a career in atmospheric sciences from another field, or otherwise seeking to gain more knowledge of concepts and tools for atmospheric sciences. Reach out to aklees@illinois.edu if you have specific questions or concerns about how this program might align with your career goals.
A: No – we will teach you what you need to know! That being said – we strongly recommend coming in with prior quantitative experience
A: Yes! While you are welcome to apply directly for the online master’s degree, another option is to initially enroll in the certificate program, take a course or two, and then apply to the master’s program. If you then enrolled in the online M.S. program, those courses would count towards your degree.
A: The full 32-credit hour graduate program will provide you a more robust and advanced skill-set, as well as research and project management skills because you are completing an 8-credit hour non-thesis capstone project with a mentor and faculty adviser supporting you on a topic of interest. The 12-credit hour graduate-level certificate is a micro-credential that gives you some updated skills or new skills you may not have acquired in a previous bachelor’s degree program. You may add either the micro-credential or graduate degree to your LinkedIn profile and resume for job hunting or advancement opportunities.
A: Yes! The core material and lessons for each course are delivered asynchronously, so you can work on them as your busy schedule permits each week. While most courses have a weekly synchronous lab session, we offer both daytime and evening section options, to better align with your schedule!
A: The online M.S. program is a more applied degree specifically focused on helping you build and refine your knowledge and toolset for evaluating weather and climate risk and data analytics. On-campus students have a different experience working with a particular faculty member on a specific thesis and a focus they select. While you will do a research-type project in this program (through ATMS 596, the capstone course), you will not write a thesis, and your project will not be as extensive as the project in our on-campus master’s program. The on-campus and online degrees are equivalent in quality, rigor and both are recognized by the University of Illinois, they just have a different focus.
A: You’ll submit:
  • academic statement of purpose
  • three references
  • transcripts
  • TOEFL scores, if needed
  • resume/CV
A: We strive to evaluate applications to the MS program within a week of their submission, if possible.
A: No! ATMS has removed the requirement for submitting GRE scores for all its graduate programs, on-campus and online!
A: There is the option to apply for student loans depending upon the course-load taken during the semester. Students must be considered at least half-time students to apply for loans through our financial aid office. Military benefits, statutory waivers and private scholarships may also be used.

Online Graduate Programs in Weather and Climate Risk and Data Analytics

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Department of Atmospheric Sciences

School of Earth, Society & Environment

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Campus Partners:

Online Graduate Programs in Weather
and Climate Risk and Data Analytics

Online Graduate Programs in Weather and Climate Risk and Data Analytics

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