Climatology Degrees: Geography Programs, Courses and Careers (2026)

Climatology is the study of climate: long-term patterns of temperature, precipitation and atmospheric circulation, and how they change. Climatologists analyze decades of weather data, model future climate and study how climate affects water, agriculture, cities and natural hazards.

Few schools offer a degree named “climatology.” Most students study it through a geography department, either as a climate concentration or as a meteorology or atmospheric sciences degree that the geography department runs. This guide covers what you study, which programs to consider, federal meteorologist requirements, online options and careers.

Climatology vs. Meteorology

Meteorology focuses on the atmosphere over hours and days: forecasting, severe storms and atmospheric physics.
Climatology looks at the atmosphere over seasons, decades and centuries: climate variability, climate change and its impacts.
In practice, the degrees overlap. Meteorology and atmospheric sciences degrees include climatology courses, and climate careers usually need the same math, physics and data skills.

What You Study

Atmospheric physics, thermodynamics and dynamics: the core math-heavy courses.
Physical and applied climatology: energy balance, climate variability and climate change.
Synoptic meteorology and forecasting: analyzing weather maps and forecasting systems.
Data and tools: statistics, programming, climate models, GIS and satellite data. See our remote sensing degrees guide.
Math and physics: calculus through differential equations and calculus-based physics.

Climatology and Meteorology Programs in Geography Departments

Each program below is run by a geography department or a renamed earth and geographical sciences department. Details come from official school pages, checked in October 2026. “Federal requirements” means the school says the degree meets the U.S. government’s meteorologist (GS-1340) coursework standard.

School	Program	Credits	Federal Requirements	Format
University of DelawareNewark, DE	B.S. Meteorology and Climate Science; Ph.D. Climatology	123–125 (B.S.)	Yes (B.S.)	Campus
University of GeorgiaAthens, GA	B.S. Atmospheric Sciences	30–32-hour major	Yes, with specific courses	Campus
Arizona State UniversityTempe, AZ	B.S. Geography (Meteorology-Climatology)	120	School cites NWS requirements	Campus
Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY	B.S. Meteorology	120	Yes, with specific electives	Campus
UNC CharlotteCharlotte, NC	B.S. Meteorology	120	Yes, with specific courses	Campus
Northern Illinois UniversityDeKalb, IL	B.S. Meteorology; Climate science emphasis	Not stated	Yes (meteorology major)	Campus
Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OH	B.S. Atmospheric Sciences	32-hour major	Not stated	Campus

University of Delaware

Delaware’s Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences offers a B.S. in Meteorology and Climate Science (123–125 credits) that the school says meets federal meteorologist requirements. Courses include atmospheric physics, thermodynamics and dynamics, a climatology seminar and meteorological analysis. Delaware is also one of the few universities with a degree literally named climatology: a Ph.D. in Climatology, which expects a prior geography master’s and lists 2026–27 graduate tuition of $1,149 per credit (Graduate College). Its geography M.A. and M.S. require a thesis and do not use the GRE.

University of Georgia

UGA’s B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences is housed in the Department of Geography. The school says it meets federal civil service requirements for meteorologists and the AMS recommended curriculum, as long as students take three specific courses (curriculum). Students choose a climatology course and finish with a capstone, and pathways include broadcast meteorology and climate science. UGA’s pages list the major at 30 to 32 hours.

Arizona State University

ASU’s B.S. in Geography (Meteorology-Climatology) is a 120-credit degree with atmospheric physics, operational forecasting and dynamic and synoptic meteorology, plus three semesters of calculus and two of calculus-based physics. ASU says it lets students meet National Weather Service meteorologist requirements. The Arizona State Climate Office is supported by ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, and the school’s graduate programs do not require the GRE (graduate admissions).

Western Kentucky University

WKU’s B.S. in Meteorology (120 credits, 50-hour major) sits in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences, formerly Geography and Geology. The catalog says it meets federal GS-1340 requirements for National Weather Service jobs; the department adds that students must take Physical Hydrology or Physical Climatology as an elective.

UNC Charlotte

UNC Charlotte’s B.S. in Meteorology (120 credits) is offered by the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences and includes a Climate Dynamics course. The school says it meets federal meteorologist requirements and AMS recommendations; its advising packet says National Weather Service and broadcast candidates must take Atmospheric Instrumentation.

Northern Illinois University

NIU’s Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment (formerly Geographic and Atmospheric Sciences) offers a meteorology major that it says meets AMS standards and federal civil service requirements. For a climate focus, its B.S. in Earth, Atmosphere and Environment offers a climate science emphasis.

Ohio State University

Ohio State’s B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences is tied to the Department of Geography and includes Boundary Layer Climatology, Microclimatological Measurements, synoptic and severe storm forecasting, and electives in climate system modeling and global climate change. The interdisciplinary M.S. and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences support research in climate change and climatology.

Federal Meteorologist Requirements (GS-1340)

Many climatology and weather jobs are with federal agencies such as the National Weather Service. To qualify as a federal meteorologist, the Office of Personnel Management requires at least 24 semester hours of meteorology or atmospheric science, including:

6 hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics
6 hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems
3 hours of physical meteorology
2 hours of remote sensing or instrumentation

Applicants also need physics with a lab, differential equations and supporting courses such as physical climatology or statistics. A geography degree without these courses will not qualify, so check the course list before you enroll.

Online Climatology and Meteorology Options

School	Program	Credits	Cost	Notes
Mississippi State University	B.S. Geosciences, Broadcast and Operational Meteorology (online)	124	$452 per credit plus $25 fee; in-state rate for all	Includes statistical and applied climatology; federal or broadcast students may need extra courses
Penn State World Campus	Undergraduate Certificate in Weather Forecasting (online)	12	$644 per credit (2026–27)	No calculus or physics prerequisites; not a meteorology degree

Mississippi State does not claim its online degree meets federal requirements without advisor-approved adjustments. For broader online geography and GIS degrees, see our online geography degree guide.

Climatology Careers and Salary

Climatologists work for federal agencies, state climate offices, research labs, universities, energy and insurance companies, and environmental consulting firms. BLS groups climatologists with atmospheric scientists:

Occupation	Median Pay (May 2025)	Job Growth (2025–35)	Typical Entry Education
Atmospheric scientists, including meteorologists	$99,070	3%	Bachelor’s
Environmental scientists and specialists	$82,220	6%	Bachelor’s
Geoscientists	$101,920	5%	Bachelor’s

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. Atmospheric scientists are a small field, with about 10,700 jobs in 2025, so research roles often require a graduate degree. The American Meteorological Society offers two professional credentials: the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (degree, on-air experience and an exam) and the Certified Consulting Meteorologist (degree, five years of experience and written and oral exams). See more options in our geography degree jobs guide.

Bottom Line

To study climate in a geography department, pick a program that teaches both climate science and the math-heavy atmospheric core. Delaware stands out with a meteorology and climate science B.S. and a Ph.D. in Climatology; UGA, ASU, WKU, UNC Charlotte and NIU all run meteorology degrees inside geography or earth science departments. If you want a federal meteorologist job, confirm the program meets GS-1340 requirements. For climate’s effects on land and policy, see our geomorphology and environmental planning guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

What degree do you need to be a climatologist?

Most climatologists have a bachelor’s in meteorology, atmospheric science or geography with climate coursework, and research roles often require a master’s or Ph.D. BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education for atmospheric scientists.

Is climatology part of geography?

Yes. Climatology is a core branch of physical geography, and many meteorology and atmospheric sciences degrees are run by geography departments.

What is the difference between climatology and meteorology?

Meteorology studies short-term weather and forecasting, while climatology studies long-term climate patterns and change. The two fields share the same atmospheric science foundation.

Can you study climatology online?

Options are limited. Mississippi State offers an online B.S. in Geosciences with a meteorology concentration that includes climatology courses, and Penn State offers an online weather forecasting certificate.

How much do climatologists make?

BLS reports a median salary of $99,070 for atmospheric scientists, including meteorologists, in May 2025, with 3% projected growth from 2025 to 2035.

Official Sources

We checked these official sources in October 2026. Program details change, so confirm current requirements and costs with each school before you apply.