Each department has the option to alter the
requirements for Honors in the Major, as long as the stated minimums remain in
effect.
Below, you will find the things you need to know about how Honors in the Major
works in your department.
- A senior Honors project in Meteorology is normally a research project
carried out under the supervision of a meteorology department faculty member.
Results
of this research are compiled as a written report. Those participating
are encouraged but not required to submit their Honors thesis to the American
Meteorological Society's Father Macelwane Undergraduate Research Competition.
Although regular meteorology courses may require a term paper or project,
such would only be one component of the grading scheme for a course, along
with exams and homework. A senior Honors project in meteorology is closer
to a Master's thesis than to a class project. It represents prolonged work
on a research topic with faculty guidance, not just repetition of textbook
material. Some senior Honors projects are submitted for publication in peer-reviewed
journals.
- The course you register for, for Honors Thesis credit, is MET4900r,
Honors Work.
- Students may take anywhere from six to nine credit hours of Honors
Thesis, over two to three semesters.
- Up to three of these credits may count as elective credits toward major
requirements for those in the Applied Meteorology option. Honors credits
do
not count toward major requirements for those in the graduate preparatory
option.
- Grading of works in progress is up to the discretion of the Thesis Director.
- Most research projects in Meteorology involve Fortran programming to
analyze data and/or to simulate aspects of the atmosphere.
- Students are encouraged to make plans for Honors in the Major work in
Mathematics as early as possible. Students should meet with Professor Jon
Ahlquist to discuss the program at their earliest convenience.