NEWS RELEASE

Communications and Marketing Office
600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd.
Daytona Beach, FL 32114-3900

For more information, contact:
Phone: 386-226-6157
Fax: 386-226-6158

Embry-Riddle's Prescott Campus to Offer Meteorology Degree


Prescott, Ariz., Sept. 18, 2003 -- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's campus in Prescott, Ariz., will begin offering a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Meteorology in Fall 2004.

"Meteorology is a constantly changing and fascinating field," said Mark Sinclair, chair of the Meteorology Department in the College of Aviation. "Our new degree program will prepare graduates for a wide range of meteorologist positions with the government, the military, and the aviation and aerospace industries or for graduate studies toward a career in research."

The B.S. in Applied Meteorology will provide a practical understanding of the physics and dynamics of the atmosphere by applying theory to operational weather-forecasting and decision-making for weather-sensitive industries. Academic offerings in the program include calculus, physics, atmospheric thermodynamics, and dynamic meteorology, as well as general education courses. The B.S. in Applied Meteorology requires completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours. All students who wish to enter the program should complete four years of high school math to prepare them for the required math-calculus sequence.

The new high-tech Academic Complex, set to open in Fall 2004, will house the Meteorology Department and a Weather Center. The complex will make a variety of real-time weather data available for education, research, and general interest. Weather servers will continuously acquire real-time weather data and forecasts from across a wide-area network of universities. In addition, a rooftop array of weather instrumentation will monitor local weather.

"The Weather Center on the first floor will display hard-copy maps and digital readouts of the real-time weather data feeds for use in weather briefing and forecasting," said meteorology professor Curtis James. "Specially designed classrooms and labs will provide forecasting and data analysis on student computer terminals and overhead projection systems."

The B.S. in Applied Meteorology meets all requirements for undergraduate study in meteorology recommended by the American Meteorological Society, the National Weather Service, and the U.S. Air Force.

For more information about the degree program, go to the Applied Meteorology website or call 1-800-888-3728.

Embry-Riddle, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, meets the needs of students and industry through its educational, training, research, and consulting activities. Embry-Riddle educates more than 25,000 students annually through the master's level at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., at more than 130 teaching centers in the United States and Europe, and through distance learning.