Objectives and competences

The master's degree in Meteorology is intended for university graduates who are interested in obtaining a solid grounding in the general aspects of the discipline. As a profession, for many years meteorology has constituted a field of work for many professionals including meteorologists and specialists who undertake tasks of observation, analysis and forecasting of the weather in national and international meteorological centres, and those who work in research in different fields of application, such as the atmosphere, pollution, hydrology, water resource planning and climate change.

The master's degree is mainly aimed at students with special interest in understanding the atmosphere and climate, with particular sensitivity to the challenges involved in improving the representation of observations, the modelling of physical processes that occur in the atmosphere, and the understanding of climate change and its projection according to different socioeconomic situations.

In addition to basic training in meteorology, the master's degree provides knowledge and methods relating to the main principles of meteorology as a public service, namely: the prevention of natural disasters, the influence of meteorology on the environment, and its effects on socioeconomic sectors. In addition, there is a particular focus on subjects such as: the influence of atmospheric conditions on atmospheric pollution and dispersion, the use of weather radar to explore and detect the presence of precipitation and predict it in the short term, and the generation of meteorological information for the general public.

Basic information

TypeMaster's degree
Faculty or schoolFaculty of Physics
Branch of knowledge
  • Earth sciences
  • Physics and astronomy
Mode of delivery
  • Face-to-face
Credits60
Number of places available20
Length of course1 academic year
Language(s) of instruction40 % Catalan - 40 % Spanish - 20 % English
Approximate price per credit27.67 euros per credit (82 euros for students who are not EU nationals and do not currently reside in Spain). Fees for the academic year 2023-2024
CoordinationILEANA BLADE MENDOZA
JAVIER GARCÍA SERRANO
E-mailmaster.meteorologia@ub.edu
Course detailsIndicators
Open pre-enrolmentYes
Open enrolmentNo
Lead to doctoral studiesYes
Admission for applicants not holding a degree qualificationNo
Bridging coursesYes

Objectives and competences

Objectives

The general objective of the master's degree is to provide basic training in meteorology. The proposal forms part of the UB's offering of professional master's degrees and is considered a specialisation that is necessary for future researchers who wish to specialise or take a doctoral programme in this field. The master's degree is designed to ensure that the basic training of meteorologists and meteorological experts is adapted to the guidelines of the World Meteorological Organisation and includes relevant subjects in atmospheric sciences: physical meteorology, dynamic meteorology, micrometeorology, cloud physics, radiation, modelling, analysis and prediction, and climatology.

Competences

General competences
  • Capacity to critically analyse the rigour of theoretical developments and the reliability of observations in the field of meteorology.
  • Capacity to propose and assess a relevant problem effectively and efficiently.
  • Capacity to give oral presentations and write scientific articles.


Specific competences
  • Capacity to learn and understand in depth the main physical processes and interactions that lead to meteorological phenomena.
  • Capacity to describe qualitatively and quantitatively movements of the atmosphere at all spatial scales (from turbulent eddies to general atmospheric circulation), and capacity to determine the mechanisms that govern the behaviour of these movements.
  • Capacity to understand the science related to climate change, the expressions and impact that it has and its relationship with past climate changes, and capacity to determine the expected evolution of the future climate and to assess uncertainty and unknown factors.
  • Capacity to understand how numerical models of weather, climate and air quality are formulated on the basis of physical principles, and how they are used for forecasting and assessment.
  • Capacity to analyse and interpret meteorological and climate data using different techniques.
  • Programming skills and the development of algorithms to analyse meteorological or climate data and resolve meteorological problems.
  • Capacity to interpret meteorological diagrams and synoptic maps and to use them to assess and predict meteorological situations. Capacity to assess the risk associated with each kind of forecast, and to evaluate the journalistic content and communication to the general public.
  • Capacity to know how to use the main meteorological instruments and observation systems, and to interpret radar and satellite images.

Access and admission

Applicant profile and access requirements

Recommended applicant profile

Students with special interest in understanding the atmosphere and climate, with particular sensitivity to the challenges involved in improving the representation of observations, the modelling of physical processes that occur in the atmosphere, and the understanding of climate change and its projection according to different socioeconomic situations.
To ensure that students have a suitable level of knowledge and can successfully take the master's degree, they should have sound knowledge of physics, chemistry and mathematics, as well as a good command of English and user-level IT skills.

Access requirements and conditions

General requirements
In accordance with Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, students wishing to be admitted to a university master's degree must hold one of the following qualifications:

  • Official Spanish university degree.

  • A degree issued by a higher education institution within the European Higher Education Area framework that authorizes the holder to access university master's degree courses in the country of issue.

  • A qualification issued by an institution outside the framework of the European Higher Education Area. In this case, applicants must request homologation of the degree to its equivalent official Spanish university qualification or obtain express approval from the University of Barcelona, which will conduct a study of equivalence to ensure that the degree is of a comparable level to an official Spanish university qualification and that it grants access to university master's degree study in the country of issue. Admission shall not, in any case, imply that prior qualifications have been recognized as equivalent to a Spanish master's degree and does not confer recognition for any purposes other than that of admission to the master's degree course.

Specific requirements
To access the master's degree, students must have obtained a bachelor's degree (or pre-EHEA degree) in Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Geological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Technology Engineering or equivalent qualifications from other countries.
Students who hold a bachelor's degree or pre-EHEA degree in the following subjects may also access the course: Geography, Biology, Geology and other engineering degrees. However, they must first take bridging courses, as determined by the Coordination Committee.

Bridging courses
  • Mathematics I, from the bachelor's degree in Chemistry (6 credits)
  • Mathematics II, from the bachelor's degree in Chemistry (6 credits)
  • Principles of Mechanics, from the bachelor's degree in Physics (6 credits)
  • Fundamental Principles of Waves, Fluids and Thermodynamics, from the bachelor's degree in Physics (6 credits)
  • Fundamental Chemistry I
    Students who are required by the Coordination Committee to take bridging courses must have completed and passed the subjects that are specified in each case before they can join the master's degree course.

Pre-enrolment

Calendar

The pre-registration period for the academic year 2024-2025: February 1 - June 21.

Notes:

  • Pre-enrolment fee: A pre-enrolment fee of 30,21 euros is charged. Students who apply to more than one master's degree must pay the fee for each pre-enrolment request. Pre-enrolment requests cannot be processed until this fee has been paid.Fees will only be refunded if the master's degree in question is suspended.
  • Reserved places: A maximum of 5% of the new places of the master's degree are reserved for students who meet the general and specific access requirements and accredit the recognition of a degree of disability equal to or greater than 33%.

Required documentation

Selection criteria

The Coordination Committee considers each application on the basis of the following merits:

a) Degree qualification and academic record (80%)
b) Professional experience (15%)
c) Level B2 English (5%).

Notification

The Master's Degree Committee is responsible for the selection process. Applicants shall be notified of the decision.

Enrolment

As a general rule, at the UB you will be required to enrol online. Remember that you can lose your place if you do not enrol on the day you have been assigned

Course curriculum

Subjects and course plans

Distribution of credits

Type ECTS
Compulsory 30
Optional 15
Compulsory placements 0
Compulsory final project 15
TOTAL 60

List of subjects

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: BC for admission to the Master's Degree in Meteorology
Mathematics I Optional 1st semester
2nd semester
6
Physics I Optional 1st semester
2nd semester
6

Bridging courses

Subject Type Language Credits
Specialization: Meteorology
Analysis and Data Processing Compulsory 1st semester 5
Atmospheric Pollution Optional 2nd semester 2.5
Climate Physics Optional 2nd semester 2.5
Climate Variability and Predictability Optional 2nd semester 2.5
Dynamic Meteorology Compulsory 1st semester 2.5
Final Project Compulsory 1st semester
2nd semester
15
Fundamental Principles of Dynamic Meteorology Optional 1st semester 2.5
Hydrometeorology and Meteorological Risks Optional 1st semester 5
Instrumentation and Remote Sensing in Meteorology Compulsory 1st semester 5
Meteorological Analysis and Forecasting Compulsory 2nd semester 5
Meteorological and Climate Modelling Optional 2nd semester 2.5
Meteorology and the Media Optional 1st semester 2.5
Micrometeorology Compulsory 2nd semester 5
Optional Institutional or Company Placement Optional 1st semester
2nd semester
2.5
Physical Meteorology Compulsory 1st semester 5
Radiació Atmosfèrica i Canvi Climàtic Compulsory 1st semester 5

Previous years

Placements

Placements in a company or another type of organization are an integral part of university studies, providing first-hand experience of working methodologies in students' chosen professional fields. They offer invaluable practical experience for the transition into work after graduation.



Placements are supervised by tutors and subject to assessment. They are therefore included in the academic record.  There is also an option to complete non-curricular placements of up to 750 hours, which can be extended to 900 hours. For both curricular and non-curricular placements, an educational cooperation agreement is signed between the UB and the company, institution or other organization at which the placement will be carried out.



Institutional information


Career opportunities

What can you work on ?

There is an increasing demand for graduates with master's degrees and PhDs, due to their versatility and capacity to tackle problems in different areas using innovative approaches and methods. The career opportunities are highly varied:
- Basic research
- State and regional meteorological centres
- Environmental companies
- Wind energy companies
- Weather forecasting companies for different applications such as sailing, skiing and agriculture.
- Teaching in secondary and upper secondary schools

- Professional integration

Access to the labour market

Data from the university system in Catalonia

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