Undergraduate
Minor
/
Major
Commencement year
This area of study entry applies to students commencing this course in 2019
and should be read in conjunction with the relevant course entry in the Handbook.
Any units listed for this area of study relate only to the 'Requirements' outlined
in the component of any bachelors double degrees.
Unit codes that are not linked to their entry in the Handbook are not available for study in the current year.
Managing faculty
Faculty of Science
Offered by
School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment
Coordinator(s)
Dr Shayne McGregor
Atmospheric science explores the structure and evolution of the atmosphere, and includes addressing how we forecast our weather as well as how we understand the climate. Weather and climate are both critical to understanding the natural environment and how it is changing under anthropogenic influences. Atmospheric science is an interdisciplinary science that draws on the strengths of environmental science, applied mathematics and physical geography and applications of concepts in physics and chemistry.
The major offers a balance of field work, data analysis, theoretical research and advanced modelling that is taught by experts in the field and which is supported by state of the art facilities. People who study atmospheric science can expect to work in closely-aligned sectors such as the Bureau of Meteorology or consultancies that deal with weather and climate, or in disparate industries such as risk management for banks and insurance companies.
Availability
Atmospheric science is listed in S2000 Bachelor of Science, S3001 Bachelor of Science Advanced - Global Challenges (Honours) and S3002 Bachelor of Science Advanced - Research (Honours) at Clayton as a major or minor.
Outcomes
In addition to achieving the broad outcomes of their course, students successfully completing this major will be able to:
- understand the physical theory of the Earth's atmosphere, its relation with climate and weather forecasting, and how it can be constructed from basic principles using mathematical analysis and numerical modelling
- demonstrate high-level knowledge and skills of the important techniques, terminology and processes of at least one area of atmospheric science such as clouds, weather forecasting, large-scale weather, climate variability, Australian atmospheric environment and the earth boundary layer
- understand the importance of atmospheric sciences to a range of environmental issues, including climate change.
Units
Supporting studies
Mathematics studies that include at least MTH1030 (Techniques for modelling) and MTH2010 (Multivariable calculus) are required to support the major of atmospheric science. MTH2032 (Differential equations with modelling) is highly recommended.
Note 1: Students who have not met the VCE entry requirements for MTH1030 must also complete MTH1020.
Note 2: Students in the double degree E3007 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Science complete ENG1090 and/or ENG1005 instead of MTH1020 and/or MTH1030 and ENG2005 instead of MTH2010.
Minor requirements (24 points)
12 points at level 1 and 12 points at level 2.
Students complete the following four units (24 points):
- EAE1011 Earth, atmosphere and environment 1
- EAE1022 Earth, atmosphere and environment 2
- EAE2122 Introduction to atmospheric physics and dynamics
- EAE2011 Environmental problem solving and visualisation or EAE2111 Introduction to climate science
Major requirements (48 points)
12 points at each of level 1 and level 2, and 24 points at level 3.
Students complete the following eight units (48 points):
- EAE1011 Earth, atmosphere and environment 1
- EAE1022 Earth, atmosphere and environment 2
- EAE2111 Introduction to climate science
- EAE2122 Introduction to atmospheric physics and dynamics
- EAE3111 Climate dynamics
- EAE3121 Physical meteorology
- EAE3142 Tropical meteorology
- EAE3152 Dynamical meteorology
Requirements for progressing to honours and other further studies
Students must meet the entry requirements for S3701 Bachelor of Science (Honours), M5021 Graduate Diploma of Health and Science Research or meet the progression requirements to the fourth year of S3002 Bachelor of Science Advanced - Research (Honours).
Students must also complete prerequisite study as per the intended discipline. Refer to the honours prerequisiteshonours prerequisites (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2019handbooks/undergrad/science-honours-prerequisites.pdf) table.
Relevant courses
Bachelors
Single degrees
Successful completion of this area of study can be counted towards meeting the requirements for the following single degrees:*
- S2000 Bachelor of Science
- S3001 Bachelor of Science Advanced - Global Challenges (Honours)
- S3002 Bachelor of Science Advanced - Research (Honours)
Students in other single bachelor's degrees may be eligible to complete the minor or major by using 24 or 48 points of their free electives, however need to be aware that additional maths supporting units may also be required.
Double degrees
Successful completion of this area of study can be counted towards meeting the requirements for the Bachelor of Science component in the following double degrees:*
- B2023 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science
- B2016 Bachelor of Commerce Specialist and Bachelor of Science
- D3005 Bachelor of Education (Honours) and Bachelor of Science
- E3007 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Science
- C2003 Bachelor of Information Technology and Bachelor of Science
- L3007 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Science
- S2006 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts
- S2007 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Biomedical Science
- S2004 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Computer Science
- S2003 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Global Studies
- S2005 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Music
