Degree Requirements

Department Requirements

Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours. *Admitted after Fall 2026.

Code   Title Hours
PHYS 211University Physics: Mechanics 4
PHYS 212University Physics: Elec & Mag 4
CHEM 102General Chemistry 1 3
CHEM 103General Chemistry Lab 1 1

MATH 220 or

MATH 221

Calculus

Calculus I

 4-5
MATH 231Calculus II 3
MATH 241Calculus III 4
MATH 285Intro Differential Equations 3
ATMS 201General Physical Meteorology 3
ATMS 202General Physical Climate 3
ATMS 207Weather and Climate Data Science 3
ATMS 301Atmospheric Thermodynamics 3
ATMS 302Atmospheric Dynamics I 3
ATMS 303Synoptic-Dynamic Wea Analysis 4
ATMS 304Radiative Transfer-Remote Sens 3
ATMS 305Computing and Data Analysis 3
ATMS 306Cloud Physics 4
ATMS 307Climate Processes 3
Total Hours  58-59

 

 

Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours. *Admitted before Fall 2026.

Code Title Hours
PHYS 211University Physics: Mechanics4
PHYS 212University Physics: Elec & Mag4
CHEM 102General Chemistry I3
CHEM 103General Chemistry Lab 11
MATH 220 
or MATH 221		Calculus
Calculus I		4-5
MATH 231Calculus II3
MATH 241Calculus III4
MATH 285Intro Differential Equations3
ATMS 201General Physical Meteorology3
ATMS 301Atmospheric Thermodynamics3
ATMS 302Atmospheric Dynamics I3
ATMS 303Synoptic-Dynamic Wea Analysis4
ATMS 304Radiative Transfer-Remote Sens3
ATMS 305Computing and Data Analysis3
ATMS 306Cloud Physics3
ATMS 307Climate Processes3
ATMS 313Synoptic Weather Forecasting4
ATMS 314Mesoscale Dynamics3
Total Hours 58-59

UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS

  • 120 credits must be completed in no more than 5 years (10 fall/spring semesters)
  • 60 credits must be taken on the UI Urbana Campus (called the “residency requirement”)
  • 21 credits of advanced courses (300 and 400 level) must be taken on UI campus
  • 12 credits of advanced course in major must be taken on UI campus
  • 30 general education credits must be earned (LAS requirements are more specific - see below)

COLLEGE OF LAS REQUIREMENTS

  • Grade Point Average (GPA)
    2.0 GPA overall (LAS will consider exceptions if Department proposes them in individual cases)
    2.0 GPA in classes required for major
     
  • LAS 101 Freshman Seminar
    Freshmen in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must enroll in this course in their first semester.
  • Composition requirement
    Composition I
    (1 course required, must be completed freshman year)
  • Advanced Composition
    (1 course required)
     
  • Foreign Language requirements
    Before graduation, a student must satisfactorily complete two years of college study, or four years of high school courses, in a single non-primary language. If the student completed three years of a single non-primary language in high school, he/she may either (a) continue studying that language and complete the fourth-semester course or (b) begin another language and complete the third-semester course.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

(30 hours)

  • Humanities and Arts
    6 credit hours required (2 courses)
    Can come from any combination of HP (Historical and Philosophical Perspectives) and LA (Literature and the Arts) courses
  • Social and Behavioral Science
    6 credit hours required (2 courses)
    Can come from any combination of SS (Social Science) and BS (Behavioral Science) courses
  • Natural Sciences and Technology
    6 credit hours required (2 courses)
    Can come from any combination of LS (Life Science) and PS (Physical Science) courses
    Atmospheric sciences majors automatically fulfill this category with our major course requirements
  • Western Cultures
    1 course
  • Non-Western Cultures
  • 1 course
  • U.S. Minority Cultures
    1 course
  • Quantitative Reasoning I
    1 course
    Atmospheric sciences majors automatically fulfill this category with our major course requirements
  • Quantitative Reasoning II
    1 course
    Atmospheric sciences majors automatically fulfill this category with our major course requirements