Victoria University of Wellington
Master of Meteorology – MMet
Wellington, New Zealand
Master degree
DURATION
12 months
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Nov 2025
TUITION FEES
NZD 64,300
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
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Key Summary
Get professional training in Meteorology and explore the fundamental concepts of dynamic meteorology, radiation, and thermodynamics.
This degree is taught in conjunction with New Zealand’s leading weather forecasting organisation—MetService. You’ll learn about cloud physics, satellites, climatology, and numerical weather prediction. You’ll gain an expert understanding of mid-latitude weather systems, particularly weather systems in New Zealand and the Tasman Sea region.
You’ll do a practical project based on one of the research topics arising from the work of MetService. As well as gaining new knowledge, you’ll develop your scientific rigour, critical thinking skills, and expertise in independent research.
International recognition
Our Master of Meteorology programme is one of only a few graduate-level meteorology programmes in the entire Southern Hemisphere. The programme is taught by the University’s atmospheric science academics and leading practitioners from MetService.
Your Meteorology qualification will be recognised globally, as it complies with the World Meteorological Organization’s Basic Instruction Package for Meteorologists (BIP-M). This will give you a ticket to work as a meteorologist anywhere in the world.
What you’ll study
Choose to study the Master of Meteorology (MMet) or, depending on your time commitments, opt for the shorter Postgraduate Diploma in Meteorology (PGDipMet).
You’ll learn through coursework and an independent project based on a real-world meteorological research objective.
MMet students will complete nine courses, while PGDipMet students will complete seven.
Coursework
Both qualifications start with five core 400-level Geophysics (Meteorology) courses. These cover mid-latitude weather systems, radiation and thermodynamics, cloud physics, and weather prediction. You’ll add another 400-level Geophysics course of your choice or an approved course of your choice that can be from another discipline, and complete the 500-level research project.
If you’re doing the Master’s, you’ll take two additional 500-level courses.
Project
The 30-point project gives you the opportunity to work on current meteorological issues, with data supplied by New Zealand’s MetService. You’ll be guided and supported by staff from both the MetService and the University.
Duration and workload
The 180-point Master of Meteorology will take you three trimesters of full-time study to complete. The 120-point Postgraduate Diploma in Meteorology takes two trimesters of full-time study to complete.
Studying full time, you can expect a workload of 40 to 45 hours a week for much of the year.