Bachelor’s Programme Atmospheric Sciences
You want to better understand the atmospheric climate system and combine different scientific fields?
The Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Atmospheric Sciences is an interdisciplinary programme combining the fields of physics, chemistry, information technology, mathematics and statistics. Students acquire a basic understanding of the atmospheric climate system.
With a focus on atmospheric processes in mountains, the students learn to model, measure and analyse weather, climate changes, air pollutants and glaciers numerically and statistically.
Bachelor of Science
Duration/ECTS-Credits
6 semesters/180 ECTS-Credits
Mode of Study
Full-time
Language
German, English
Requirements
Secondary school completion certificate/equivalent
and Language Certificates (German)
Faculty
Faculty of Geo- and Atmospheric Sciences
Level of qualification
Bachelor (First Cycle)
ISCED-11: Level 6, EQF/NQF: Level 6
ISCED-F
0532 Earth sciences
Study Code
UC 033 604
FAQ
Graduates
- understand complex, interacting processes in the earth-atmosphere system and master the tools and methods to analyse and predict them.
- use critical-analytical thinking to solve even unknown problems
- bare proficient in programming language (s), the language of mathematics and methods of statistics and data science and can thus familiarise themselves independently with new tools and methods
Graduates
- have in-depth knowledge and practical skills with which they can understand, analyse and predict complex interacting processes inthe earth's atmospheric system;
- understand the theoretical basics of currents in the atmosphere and air chemistry, the numerical prediction of weather and climate and climate change
- can evaluate and analyze data from the measuring platforms to record the state of the earth's atmosphere system on many spatiotemporal scales
- can - with a profound understanding of the processes in the earth-atmospheric system that lead to climate change as well as the methods and results of climate projections - make a direct and critical contribution to the measures required to reduce the consequences of climate change
- can understand, analyse and predict processes that come about through the interaction of the atmosphere with the mountains (research focus of the institute and first-hand experiences thanks to the location in the Alps)
- are proficient in programming languages and can use skills in statistics, machine learning and data science to analyze and evaluate the huge amounts of data from the measurement and prediction of the earth-atmosphere system and other areas
- have acquired skills in Individual Choice of Specialisation which they can use to work in an interdisciplinary way
- can work in team and head complex projects in their specific fields
Career entry: Graduates are qualified for tasks in private and public weather forecasting and in areas affected by weather, climate and climate change, such as the environment, energy, agriculture and forestry, transport, finance and insurance and tourism. This also includes engineering and planning offices specialising in renewable energies and energy-efficient buildings. Graduates have the necessary skills to contribute to the common good in public institutions at federal and state level in the environmental sector - air quality, hydrography, urban climate, avalanche warning services, etc. The skills in software and data science in combination with analytical thinking enable work in professional fields in which large amounts of data have to be analyzed and processed.
Further studies: The Bachelor's Programme Atmospheric Sciences prepares students for a relevant master's degree in the field of the earth-atmosphere system, e.g. atmospheric sciences, climate sciences, environmental meteorology, glaciology, atmospheric chemistry, hydrology, earth exploration.
Graduates tracking: Shows which occupational fields students enter after graduation
Faculty of Geo- and Atmospheric Sciences Examination Office Information for students with disabilities
Curriculum
From the field
Underlying assumptions of air quality need to be redefined
Long-term measurements in the urban area of Innsbruck, Austria, show that the fraction of ozone near the surface tends to be overestimated in atmospheric models. Consequently, a fundamental assumption for air quality forecasting has to be reinterpreted for urban areas. Measurements by an international team led by atmospheric scientist Thomas Karl of the University of Innsbruck also show that direct nitrogen dioxide emissions are overestimated.
Ice cliffs as an early warning system for the climate
It is rare to find glaciers bounded on land by vertical ice cliffs. These ice cliffs respond with particular sensitivity to environmental changes. Research teams from Tyrol and Styria are investigating ice formations at a site in the far north of Greenland. The researchers intend to draw conclusions about the development of the Arctic climate based on the changes in the glacier walls.
Significant decline of CO2 emissions in Innsbruck
Air monitoring measurements at the University of Innsbruck's atmospheric observatory show that carbon dioxide emissions in western Austria have fallen by around 20 percent since 2018. Emissions are therefore well below the levels predicted by various models. Observational data is becoming increasingly important for assessing greenhouse gas budgets.
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