by Don A Shepard

Created on: June 14, 2008

There are a few different paths to become a meteorologist. The main things they have in common are that you need to get a four year Bachelor's degree and you need to get certified by the National Weather Association (NWA) or the American Meteorological Society (AMS). Exactly where you get your degree from and what particular courses you should take depends on if you want to be on television or not, and what your particular interests within meteorology are. Often times you will not find exactly what you want to specialize in until the later part of completing your degree.

If you want to be on television you should either major or minor in Journalism. Depending on your particular situation you could have the major be in Meteorology and the minor in Journalism or vice versa. With some programs it is possible to be certified by the NWA with a minor in Meteorology. This program would certainly be more focused on Operational Forecasting rather than research. It is a good idea to go to a school where it is possible to have on air time at the school news station so you may gain experience before entering the job market.

Another avenue is to become a meteorologist who works for the National Weather Service, or a private forecasting company. You will need to review the guidelines for being certified by the NWA and the AMS before choosing a school. Both have requirements on what courses you will need to take. The AMS is more physics oriented so you may need to go to a school with an emphasis on Atmospheric Science, as they generally require a hefty dose of physics. The NWA does not require as much physics but is more oriented toward the Operational Forecasting side; these programs are often within the Department of Geography at universities. Having said this in order to work for the National Weather Service the physics is required so you should go to a program which will allow you to be certified by the AMA. You also will likely have to pursue a Master's degree in order to advance in the National Weather Service. A Meteorology department within a department of Geography will likely be more focused on climate and short term forecasting. They will have courses that emphasize the connections between meteorology and the land and vice versa.

The best thing to do after deciding to become a meteorologist is to decide if you want to be an on air personality, work for the National Weather Service, or a private forecasting company. Of course you can always decide to stay in school and become a professor of Meteorology. This generalized idea of what you want to do with Meteorology should be enough for you to know what cerifications you will have to get, thus making a school choice easier. Once you have gotten close to completing a bachelor's and know what you want to specialize in, it may then be time to choose a Master's degree program and a more precise career path.

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