Prospective Undergraduate Students

Why Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech?

The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation's top research universities, distinguished by its commitment to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology. The Institute consistently ranks among U.S. News & World Report's top ten public universities in the United States. In a world that increasingly turns to technology for solutions, Georgia Tech is using innovative teaching and advanced research to define the technological university of the 21st century.

As we enter the 21st century, we are faced with many challenges: understanding, monitoring, and improving the quality of our environment; understanding and predicting variations in weather and climate; understanding and predicting the occurrence of geohazards such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions; and finding and developing natural resources in environmentally acceptable ways. Application of fundamental scientific principles is how the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS) at Georgia Tech prepares students to find solutions to these challenges. In a recent study on the best jobs for 2005 based on growth, salary potential, education level, and room for innovation, Fast Company lists environmental engineers and geoscientists among the 25 best jobs in 2005.

Georgia Tech's undergraduate curriculum in Earth and Atmospheric Science provides flexibility to focus on meteorology, environmental science, or earth science. The EAS undergraduate program is characterized by:

• Rigorous training with strong foundations in mathematics, chemistry and physics
• Small faculty to student ratio, allowing for small classes and "hands on" learning in the laboratory and in the field
• Faculty that includes some of the nation's leading earth and atmospheric scientists, providing extensive opportunities for undergraduate research and exceptional preparation for graduate school
• Opportunity for students to develop an individualized course of study and get personalized instruction from world renowned faculty
• Internship opportunities with local institutions that include the National Weather Service, The Weather Channel, CNN and other media companies, a variety of environmental consulting companies including Golder Inc, Trinity and CH2MHill
• Opportunities to minor in a variety areas that increase employment opportunities in the public and private sectors, such as public policy, management, transportation, energy, international affairs, civil and environmental engineering

Please also visit:
Why Georgia Tech?
Prospective Students
The Atlanta Advantage

Program Overview

A list of our courses is available.

Building from a strong background in physics, chemistry and applied mathematics, the EAS undergraduate program provides students with an introduction to geology, geophysics, geochemistry, atmospheric science, and oceanography. Students typically choose a concentration in meteorology, environmental science, or earth science, although alternative curricula can be designed for students with particular interests. The curriculum includes training in field and laboratory methods, quantitative and computational methods, and theoretical methods. All undergraduate majors must also complete either an independent research project or internship as part of the degree requirement. Majors develop the analytical and quantitative skills needed to understand environmental issues and to apply this knowledge to the public, private, and educational sectors.

Students may enter the EAS undergraduate program as freshman or as transfer students from other majors at Georgia Tech, or other colleges or universities. Students transferring into the program by the beginning of the junior year typically have no problems finishing within 4 years, provided that they have been prepared with adequate background for our upper level courses. Students with strong academic records are eligible for the 5th Year Masters Degree Program.

You can view a Powerpoint presentation about the program here at Georgia Tech by downloading this file.

Major Program Options

• Meteorology
• Earth Science
• Environmental Science

Program Requirements

• B.S. - See Program Options above or for more details visit the Undergraduate Handbook
• 5 Year B.S./M.S.
• List of Minors

Internships/Research Opportunities

Internships provide a valuable opportunity to explore interests in potential career paths and to extend knowledge through real-life experiences. Internships with the local National Weather Service Office and national media centers such as The Weather Channel and CNN have proven to be very popular. Students may earn academic credit for internships, which sometimes provide a stipend.

Many of our majors also participate in research projects, learning while making important contributions to the research, sometimes with a stipend. In addition, majors often participate in field programs. To read more about recent student research projects go to http://www.eas.gatech.edu/academics/sure/

EAS students can also participate in study abroad or semester abroad. The Study Abroad programs are run by Georgia Tech faculty, and the semester abroad refers to attending one of our foreign partnering campuses. Furthermore, there are opportunities to intern abroad. To read more about the options available see Study Abroad.

Student Organizations

• STORM
• Gamma Alpha Tau (Environmental Honor Society)
• Sigma Xi

Career Opportunities

Please visit our Career Opportunities page for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I schedule a visit?
There are daily info sessions on Georgia Tech and campus tours (see Campus Visit). We recommend doing the 10 a.m. info session, 11 a.m. tour, and then make a 1 p.m. appointment to come over to EAS. To arrange a visit to the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, contact Susan Ryan at 404-894-3893 or susan.ryan@eas.gatech.edu

How do I get an application and admissions information?
See Applying to Georgia Tech.

Are there minimum GPA or SAT requirements?
There is no minimum requirement of GPA or SAT. It is based on the competitiveness of the applicants. You can read more about admissions at http://www.admiss.gatech.edu/freshman/

What kind of financial aid or scholarships are available?
To see more about financial aid and scholarships see Scholarships/financial aid at http://www.finaid.gatech.edu/

What courses do I need to transfer in, and how do I know my courses will transfer?
To see the courses that you need to transfer to Tech go to http://www.transfer.gatech.edu/chart1.htm. If you want to see how courses from your current school will transfer see our transfer equivalencies. Also, if you go to http://www.transfer.gatech.edu/#applytran, you'll see the deadlines for applying.

What if I already have a Bachelor's Degree in another field?
If you already have a Bachelor's degree, even in another field, you can continue for a graduate degree in EAS. There are a few students every year who, like you, are changing field. If you do not already have a science background, you will need to take some courses: four semesters calculus (Calc 1 - Diff. eqns), 2 semester of calculus based Physics, and 1 semester of chemistry. These can be taken those at any campus. One of the most common field changes has been into Meteorology. For those interested in pursuing a meteorology background, we have a non-thesis Masters option that gets you all the required training for the field.

Who do I contact for future information?
You can contact our main Academic Advisor, Dr. Dana Hartley at hartley@eas.gatech.edu