Major: Atmospheric Science

Nope. Not the exact same thing as meteorology, which is just one of the areas you’ll learn about if you choose to major in Atmospheric Science. Atmospheric Science, according to the University of Washington, includes “weather forecasting, air pollution and air chemistry, climate change, radiative transfer, and boundary layer processes.” Not as simple as flinging magnetic disks shaped like suns onto a metal weatherboard.

Interested in the environment? You might want to concentrate on the study of air quality, health issues, energy, and pollution. Or you might choose to study Atmospheric Science as it relates to the ocean. Then there’s climatology, which is the study of how the atmosphere in one area of the world has changed and will change over long periods of time. Still another specialization is aeronomy, which Britannica.com defines as the study of “the photochemical processes of the upper atmosphere.” And, of course, you have the option of studying meteorology, where you’ll learn how to analyze and predict the weather.

You’ll be required to use advanced math and computer skills in your investigation of the atmosphere, which in this day and age will come in handy when searching for a job, even if it’s not for a weatherman’s position.