Online Master of Education in Weather and Climatology

Bring specialized knowledge, skills and leadership to your K-12 classroom.

Weather and climate influence decision-making in fields from business and finance to public health and regional planning. PennWest California’s online master’s degree program in weather and climatology positions you to be an educational leader as you teach your elementary, middle or high school students about the wide-ranging impacts of weather and climate.

PennWest California’s online M.Ed. in Educational Leadership: Weather and Climatology is a multidisciplinary program developed specifically for active K-12 educators.

The online master’s program prepares teachers to bring current weather and climate content, including live/interactive data, to their K-12 classrooms. PennWest California gives you the tools to teach your students about weather, climate variability and environmental concerns arising from natural and manmade influences.
This graduate degree program also builds instructional expertise and helps teachers to apply research and educational leadership skills in their schools. The program's mentor/coaching model matches you with a dedicated team of education and scientific experts, allowing personalized feedback on this challenging material.
Partnership with American Meteorological Society makes teachers eligible for 9 tuition-free credits and provides opportunities to leverage professional relationships for future collaboration. In some cases, optional in-person and/or virtual field trips may enhance your studies.

Gain expertise through American Meteorological Society courses.

PennWest California’s 30-credit master’s degree concentration in weather and climatology is the only M.Ed. program that incorporates coursework offered in partnership with the American Meteorological Society (AMS). Teachers who apply to participate in AMS DataStreme programs are concurrently enrolled in one of PennWest California’s 500-level courses in the Earth Sciences Department. They may apply a maximum of nine credits from the AMS DataStreme program, tuition-free, to the PennWest California master’s degree in Educational Leadership: Weather and Climatology.

Active K-12 teachers personalize the M.Ed. program by enrolling in additional 700-level courses in meteorology, climatology or a related focus area. They also choose among specialized education courses offered by PennWest California’s Department of Secondary Education and Administrative Leadership.

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP: WEATHER AND CLIMATOLOGY

AMS Partnership: With more than 13,000 members, the nonprofit American Meteorological Society is the nation’s premier scientific and professional organization disseminating research-based information about the atmospheric, oceanic and hydrological sciences. Through its unique partnership with the AMS, PennWest California offers K-12 teachers an opportunity to earn graduate credits by participating in nationally recognized AMS Education Program courses:

DataStreme Atmosphere (EAS 511) focuses on the study of the atmospheric environment.
DataStreme Ocean (EAS 512) explores the ocean in the Earth system.
DataStreme Earth’s Climate System (EAS 513) incorporates inquiry-based instructional strategies and a holistic concept of Earth from oceanic, atmospheric and terrestrial climate and problem-focused perspectives.

Each of these 3-credit AMS DataStreme courses is offered 100% online. K-12 educators may earn up to nine (9) AMS DataStreme credits and apply them, tuition free, to the M.Ed. in weather and climatology program. An additional 21 credits, also available online, complete the master’s degree. Note: This program is for active teachers and does not lead to initial teacher certification.

Support for Learning: PennWest California's distinguished M.Ed. faculty are committed to improving teaching in a diverse, rapidly changing and increasingly technological society. They are among the best scholars and practitioners in the educational leadership field, cumulatively contributing to scholarly books, magazines and journals. In addition, the AMS DataStreme program matches each teacher enrolled in online AMS courses with a local mentor who is either an active or retired K-12 educator specializing in peer training. As PennWest California students, teachers have access to tech support, library services and more.

Nationwide network: Teachers across the country may enroll in this online program. California Univesity of Pennsylvania is a participant in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), clearing the way for teachers in all other SARA states to take online classes at PennWest California.

Top accreditation: PennWest California's teacher education programs are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In addition, PennWest California education programs have been accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) since 1954, and we are continuing with the successor organization, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

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30

Credits required to complete the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership: Weather and Climatology at PennWest California.

21,000+

Teachers nationwide who have received training through the American Meteorological Society’s Education Program professional development programs.

Degree Benefits

PennWest California has a strong history of excellence in teacher preparation. Faculty members in PennWest California’s educational leadership programs are all certified teachers with practical experience in classrooms – background that complements the expertise gained through their doctoral programs and their training in online instructional techniques. The 100% online weather and climatology program makes it convenient for busy K-12 teachers maintain their professional and personal commitments while earning a master’s degree in a vital STEM field. Successful participants produce, and have access to, peer-reviewed lesson plans.

Graduate Outcomes

Educators who complete the weather and climatology program at PennWest California will be able to apply action research skills in their own classrooms, use their teacher leadership skills to promote weather and climatology education among their co-workers, and use a variety of instructional and assessment methodologies to teach climate and weather topics effectively with K-12 learners. In addition, many states require graduate coursework or a master’s degree to progress past the initial teacher certificate and move up on the pay scale. Teachers are encouraged to explore how this program may provide opportunities for advancement in their state and/or school district.

Curriculum and Admission Requirements

Curriculum

Course	Credits
ADP 664 Field Project: Leadership	3
ADP 673 Field Project: Research & Evaluation	3
EAS 511 DataStreme Atmospheric Studies OR EAS 512 DataStreme Ocean Studies OR EAS 513 DataStreme Climate Studies (choose 2)*	6
EAS 710 Water in Earth System	3
EAS 720 Sustainability in Changing Climate	3
EAS 730 Environmental Hazards in Changing Climate	3
MSE 745 Managing Learning Environments	3
MSE 750 Online Technologies in Education	3
MSE 755 Constructivist Instructional Strategies	3
Total	30

* EAS 511, 512 and 513 may not be taken together in the same semester.

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Admission Requirements

Regular Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in teacher education with a GPA of 2.80 or higher (Students with a GPA below 2.80 may apply for conditional admission)
Official transcripts from an accredited undergraduate institution
Copy of teaching certification

Conditional Admission Requirements

Conditional Admission may be granted with the following modifications of the Regular Admissions Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in teacher education with a GPA of 2.80 or higher will be reviewed for a decision

Provisional Admission:
Applicants who have provided unofficial documentation of test scores, prerequisite courses, transcripts or lack of letter(s) of recommendation may be admitted provisionally.

This policy also applies to undergraduate students who apply for graduate admission pending bachelor degree completion. Upon receipt of all official documents, a student will be changed from Provisional Admission to either Regular Admission or Conditional Admission. Provisional Admission students may take classes for one term but will not be eligible for Federal Financial Aid.

How to Apply:

Complete the Graduate School Application
Submit the nonrefundable $35 Application Fee
Mail official transcript to:

School of Graduate Studies and Research
PennWest California
Box 91
250 University Ave.
California, PA 15419

For additional information:
Email: calugo@pennwest.edu
Phone: 1.866.595.6348

An educational masters teacher works with young students.

Personalized Program

PennWest California’s 100% online degree program in weather and climatology can be tailored to meet your needs as a K-12 educator. You can select graduate-level Earth sciences courses in your area of focus, including a maximum of three, 3-credit AMS DataStreme courses. All students in the M.Ed. program complete coursework related to educational research and teacher leadership; then you’ll select additional education courses that best meet your needs as a teacher, curriculum specialist, instructional coach, mentor teacher, department chair or program coordinator.

Stackable Certificate

Educators who complete three, 3-credit AMS DataStreme courses, in any sequence, are eligible to earn a post-baccalaureate AMS DataStreme Certificate from PennWest California. These nine credits also can be applied to the online M.Ed. program in Educational Leadership: Weather and Climatology, reducing the overall cost of earning a master's degree online. Teachers pay only fees for AMS DataStreme courses, receiving high-quality education and mentoring, full access to PennWest California's online learning platform and support staff, plus textbooks and lab manuals, all at a fraction of their overall value.

High school students gather around teacher.

Online Convenience

The master’s degree concentration in weather and climatology can be completed 100% online. Faculty members in PennWest California’s highly ranked graduate programs have been trained in online instructional strategies; they encourage online students to exchange ideas, interact and form a strong network of professional colleagues. The asynchronous courses in the online weather and climatology program can be completed anywhere, any time, in weekly modules during regular semesters. This gives busy teachers the opportunity to earn a master’s degree while continuing to keep up with professional and personal commitments.

A student shows weather forecast on screen.

Residential Workshops

Successful completion of AMS DataStreme courses positions you to compete for a seat in the American Meteorological Society’s renowned professional development workshops. Go into the field for advanced study of weather with Project Atmosphere or dive deep into physical oceanography with the Maury Project. Each of these workshops gives you three graduate credits, field experience, access to national experts and generous stipends that cover all travel costs. Participants pay only the academic fee ($150 in summer 2019).