McGill.CA / Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences / Programs / Undergraduate Studies

Current undergraduate students

If you are a newly admitted student, starting your first semester at McGill, we suggest you visit the Newly admitted undergraduate students page to find out all the information concerning course registration dates, deadlines, and how-to as well as orientation and download your pre-arrival checklist (what to pack, registering for orientation activities, etc).  

Two great starter packages are:

The Registration Resource & Preparation Guide created by Campus Life & Engagement.

The Welcome to Science Booklet by the Faculty of Science. 

Also try the Orientation & Transition: Undergraduate webpage. CaPS

Current Undergraduate Students list can be found here.  

For information on student services available to all new and returning students, research and internship opportunities as well as awards available in the department, please click on one of the tabs below:

Here we list a few of the many services available to all undergraduate students across the university and some specific to our department.

To access information on ALL student services available to you, we recommend you visit the Student Services webpage and the Newly Admitted Students page on the Faculty of Science website.

Advising

There are three primary sources of help and information available to students at McGill: advisors in the Faculty Student Affairs Office, departmental advisors, and general student services.

Advisors at the Faculty Level

Advisors in the The Science Office for Undergraduate Student Advising (SOUSA) provide general advising to all undergraduate students. They are also responsible for advising all incoming Science freshman students (97 to 120 credit degree).

If you have any questions about degree requirements and restrictions, or are simply looking for help planning your degree, contact your SOUSA adviser, whose name appears on your Minerva transcript.

If you don't know where to go for your particular problem, ask someone in the Student Affairs Office in Dawson Hall. If they can't help you, they will, in most instances, find out who can.

Departmental Advisors

Departmental advisors are responsible for the degree programs which are administered by their departments. The most important function of the departmental advisors is to advise and assist students in realistic and meaningful program planning.

The current AOS Undergraduate Advisor is our Undergraduate Studies Director, Prof. Tim Merlis. You can find his contact information here.

Peer Advisers

The Peer Adviser Program is a joint effort between the Student Affairs Office of the Faculties of Arts & Science, the Arts Undergraduate Society, and the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS). The goal of this program is to complement the services provided by the Student Affairs Office by providing trained senior undergraduate students whom you can consult on an anonymous basis.

Peer advisers will be available to help you from September to November, and from January to March, on a drop-in basis. You should contact the Student Affairs Office at the beginning of the fall term for the room location.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE’S ACADEMIC ADVISING PAGE.

Student Wellness Hub

The Student Wellness Hub is a renovated space that has consolidated and expanded Health Services, Counselling and Psychiatric Services. It features staff, clinicians and medical professionals, for any and all health and wellness needs that a student may have. It is located on the third, fourth and fifth floors of the Brown Building.

All full- and part-time students who have paid student service fees are eligible for services free of charge. 30-minute drop-in counselling appointments are available if you do not have a regular counsellor at the Hub and have a single mental health issue that you think could be addressed in 1 session. Drop-ins with a doctor or nurse are available to anyone starting at 9 a.m.. They can provide emergency care, prescription renewals, referrals and other services. The Wellness Hub is located on 3600 McTavish Street, Brown Student Services Building, 3rd Floor. Their telephone number is 514-398-3601.

For more information, please visit the Student Wellness Hub’s website. 

Career Planning Services (CaPS)

The McGill Career Planning Service (CaPS) assists students in their career development and search for permanent, part-time, and summer jobs, as well as internships, by providing workshops, individual advising, a comprehensive job posting service, and an extensive Career Resource Centre. In addition, counsellors are available to advise students on an individual basis.

For more information, please click HERE.

Office for students with disabilities (OSD)

The OSD works with students who have documented disabilities, mental health issues, chronic health conditions, or other impairments. These may be temporary, permanent, or episodic. Students must book an appointment with an Access Services Advisor to discuss their barriers and to determine what resources or accommodations will help to make their time at McGill a success.

For more information, please click HERE.

 

Research

The AOS department encourages students to take up research on exciting topics. Professors offer research opportunities on an ad hoc basis, so you should contact them individually to know more about specific opportunities.

Timeline:

Students can perform research year round, based on an agreement with the professor. A typical research project will take place in the summer (16 weeks from the 1st week of May), or during the fall and winter terms (as Honours or paid casual research assistants)

Courses:

Honours and reading courses offer an opportunity to do research for credit.

ATOC 480 Honours Research Project 3 Credits

ATOC 670 Reading Course: Meteorology 1 3 Credits        

ATOC 671 Reading Course: Meteorology 2 3 Credits        

ATOC 672 Reading Course: Oceanography 3 Credits

Funding opportunities:

NSERC-USRA  (during summer term only). Make sure to follow the procedure and respect the deadline.

SURA (during summer term only) 

Work-study program (for eligible students only) 

Internships

Internship Year in Science (IYS)

IYS is a pregraduate work experience program available to eligible students and normally taken between their U2 and U3 years. For more information, see section 11.12: Science Internships and Field Studies (page 1449). LINK: https://www.mcgill.ca/study/2018-2019/files/study.2018-2019/2018-2019_un...

The following programs are also available with an internship component:

• Major in Atmospheric Science

• Honours in Atmospheric Science

Earth System Science Interdepartmental Major

This program is offered by the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Earth and Planetary Sciences; and Geography. Students in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences interested in this program should contact Professor bruno.tremblay [at] mcgill.ca (Bruno Tremblay). For more information, see section 11.13.11: Earth System Science (ESYS) on page 1551. 

McGill offers financial aid in the form of loans (money that needs to be repaid eventually) and bursaries (money that does not need to be repaid) to eligible students who demonstrate financial need. The assistance provided by the Scholarships and Student (Financial) Aid Office is meant to supplement other sources of core funding such as government aid, parental support, part-time work and, in some cases, a student line of credit from the bank. Their mission is to promote accessibility, support retention and encourage scholarship through financial awards for needy and deserving students in any degree program from any geographic origin.

McGill University has a comprehensive scholarship and award program to recognize honour and encourage the outstanding achievements of its undergraduate students at different levels of study. For a comprehensive list of all scholarships and awards with detailed descriptions and eligibility requirements, please consult page 112 the Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards Calendar 2018–2019:

Departmental Prize

Currently, our Department offers the following awards, prizes, and fellowships to its undergraduate students in recognition of their strong academic records. Nominations are made to the Department’s Awards Committee who is involved in the decision process.

J.S. Marshall Prize

It was established in 1995 by alumni contributions to the Department, in memory of Professor J. Stewart Marshall. The Marshall Prize is awarded annually or at the discretion of the Department, to the student graduating from the undergraduate program who holds the most outstanding academic record. The award is valued at $300.

AOSSUM is the AOS Society for our Undergraduates. It stands for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Society of Undergraduates at McGill or AOSSUM (pronounced awesome) for short.  To find out about the many social and educational field trips they have organized for their members for this term, please visit their website.

Last year, AOSSUM participated in a helicopter ride tour! Last semester, they organized a clothing sale promoting the department. And, in the month of December, it successfully organized an information event at the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

Better yet, become a member of the AOSSUM council and help plan these events!

Fall 2019

ATOC 181 Intro to Atmospheric Science 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 185 Natural Disasters 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 214 Intro:Physics of the Atmosph 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 312 Rotating Fluid Dynamics 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 315 Thermodynamics and Convection 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 396 Undergraduate Research Project 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 404 Climate Physics 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 480 Honours Research Project 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 512 Atmospheric & Oceanic Dynamics 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 525 Atmospheric Radiation 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 531 Dynamics of Current Climates 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 540 Synoptic Meteorology 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 670 Reading Course: Meteorology 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 671 Reading Course: Meteorology 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 672 Reading Course: Oceanography 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Winter 2020

ATOC 100 Extr-Weath&Climate-Chg Physics 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 181 Intro to Atmospheric Science 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 182 Intro to Oceanic Sciences 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 184 Science of Storms 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 215 Oceans, Weather and Climate 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 219 Intro to Atmospheric Chemistry 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 309 Weather Radars and Satellites 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 357 Atmospheric & Oceanic Sci Lab 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 396 Undergraduate Research Project 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 480 Honours Research Project 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 513 Waves and Stability 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 519 Advances in Chem of Atmosphere 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 521 Cloud Physics 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 541 Synoptic Meteorology 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 548 Mesoscale Meteorology 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 557 Research Methods: Atm&Oc Sci 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 670 Reading Course: Meteorology 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 671 Reading Course: Meteorology 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

ATOC 672 Reading Course: Oceanography 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Tags: 
AOS Prize
Atmospheric undergraduate
Marshall Prize
Oceanic undergraduate
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