General requirements for admission
- A bachelor’s or master’s degree in atmospheric science, meteorology, physics, mathematics, computer science, or engineering.
- A class rank placing you in the upper 25%.
Application Process
Review of applications normally begins in late November, and lasts into January. During that time, we determine which faculty have need for new graduate students and who among the application pool are the best fits. There is no fee for applying. Instead, a fee is charged only when students are accepted into the program, but we pay that fee.
Applicants can submit an application online at the Graduate College website. Applications should include a resume, statement of purpose, and transcripts.
Priority will be given to applications received by January 15.
International applicants
Potential applicants should also review the Graduate Student Handbook and the requirements for the meteorology undergraduate (BS) degree in the ISU Catalog to determine if qualifications for graduate school are satisfied.
Applicants from China, India, and Taiwan
Because of the large number of applications received from China, India, and Taiwan, specific minimum guidelines for applicants from those countries are given below:
- China: A 4-year bachelor’s degree with a cumulative grade point average of 80% or higher.
- India: A 4-year bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree with a First Division degree classification.
- Taiwan: A 4-year bachelor’s degree with a cumulative grade average of 75% or higher or 3.0 based on the 4.0 scale.
Applicants can apply directly online at the Graduate College website.
Submit the application materials online (priority will be given to applications received by January 15):
- Online application
- Official TOEFL test results (English proficiency scores required by the Graduate College are 550 (PBT), 79 (iBT), IELTS (6.5)
- Official academic transcripts
- Online – 3 letters of recommendation (2 of the 3 letters should be from persons in your major field
- Upload additional documents: Resume, list of courses not on official transcripts
NOTE: Your application will not be reviewed without a TOEFL score.
Contact:
Meteorology Graduate Office
253 Science Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-3212
meteorologygraduateprograms@iastate.edu
Applications will be routed among the Meteorology faculty for review and consideration annually in late January or early February after all required application materials have been received. Evaluations for admission and assistantships are made within the department.
Research assistantships
Individual faculty members in the department who are responsible for a grant or a contract can offer assistantships. Such assistantship offers to entering students tend to be quite limited and are made only after a faculty member has agreed to serve as the applicant’s major professor.