Reading, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 up to 2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
Develop expertise in atmospheric physics, forecasting, and meteorological and climate data analysis on our MSc Applied Meteorology and Climate.
Choose MSc Applied Meteorology and Climate at the University of Reading
- The University of Reading is ranked 5th in the world for Atmospheric Science (ShanghaiRanking 2023 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects).
- The University was named Sustainable University of the Year in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.
This course, offered by our world-class Department of Meteorology, will prepare you for a career in meteorology-related science and research, with a focus on the use and interpretation of meteorological data and forecasts. Whether you want to find new ways to study our natural world, mitigate the economic impact of hazardous weather, or focus your efforts elsewhere within meteorology and climate science, we will help you develop the practical and analytical skills you need.
This course is approved by the Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) and is your first step towards becoming professionally accredited as either a Registered Meteorologist (RMet) or Chartered Meteorologist (CMet).
As you develop your skills in forecasting, weather analysis and statistics, your learning will be supported by:
- our on-campus instrumentation lab and atmospheric observatory. In addition to field trip opportunities, access to these facilities allows you to improve your practical skills.
- weather and climate discussions. These weekly sessions give you an insight into current UK and global weather and climate events and incorporate our real-time meteorological data.
- small class sizes. Our enviable staff-to-student ratio means you will receive individual support from academics. You will also be fully supported as you work on your final master’s project – our academics typically oversee no more than one student dissertation each year.
- professionally relevant academic content. Our teaching is aligned with the World Meteorological Organization Basic Instruction Package for Meteorologists (BIP-M) and Meteorological Technicians (BIP-MT). This means that what you learn will be relevant to the field and of the highest quality.
You will be taught by academics who are leaders in their fields. They will draw on their research experience to give you unique scientific perspectives into environmental issues that affect our world. Our Department is home to five Fellows of the Royal Society, as well as climate experts who contribute to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Curriculum
Compulsory modules
- Fundamentals of Weather and Climate: Discover the fundamental principles underlying physical principles and how they can help us understand weather and climate. You’ll examine the thermodynamical principles that govern the nature of weather and weather systems alongside the physical principles of climate and climate change.
- Fundamentals of Meteorology and Meteorological Measurements: Develop your understanding of dynamic meteorology, the atmospheric boundary layer, and theoretical and practical issues related to meteorological measurements. You’ll learn the significance of different meteorological concepts, apply them to real weather situations, and relate them to the structure and evolution of selected weather systems.
- Data Analysis and Forecasting Systems for Weather and Climate: Discover the use of scientific computing for performing statistical data analyses suitable for common meteorological applications, such as operational weather casting. You’ll understand the end-to-end process through which operational forecasts are produced and familiarise yourself with the different methods of numerical and statistical weather and climate forecasting.
- Dissertation: Research Project: Undertake an original research investigation and acquire the skills needed to carry out your own research and/or data analysis. You’ll be provided the opportunity to develop your own special interest in the field of study as you work on your research project.
- Weather and Climate Discussion: Study weather and climate issues of both local and global importance. You’ll gain knowledge of current weather, recent worldwide climate events and short-term weather forecasts.
These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.
You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.
Career Opportunities
You will be well placed to pursue a scientific career in weather forecasting and meteorological research.
A master’s in applied meteorology and climate also provides you with the knowledge, as well as the technical and computing skills, to carry out quantitative scientific research and projects in meteorology and related areas of environmental science.
In fact, some of our students have published their master’s research projects in mainstream scientific journals even before they graduate.
Recent graduates have progressed into a range of exciting careers with employers including:
- Met Office
- Fugro
- DTN
- British Antarctic Survey
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Aegis London
- Civil Service
- national meteorological services across the world
- and a wide range of scientific research institutes such as the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the UK National Centre for Atmospheric Science, and the Oslo Centre for International Climate Research.
This list is derived from Graduate Outcomes Surveys 2017/18-2021/22, includes all Meteorology responders, © HESA 2020-2024.
Others pursue a diverse range of careers within:
- environmental measurement
- risk management
- policy development
- water resource management
- environmental consultancy
- energy supply
- flood modelling
- pollution prediction
- weather forecasting
- space weather forecasting
- insurance
- finance
- broadcast media.
94% of graduates from Meteorology are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation; of those in full-time employment, 93% are in graduate-level roles (three-year average, based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2022-2024, Graduate Outcomes Surveys 2019/20-2021/22; includes postgraduate (taught) Meteorology responders).