Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences

The Department of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (APS) provides a program in graduate education leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees with concentration either in Atmospheric Sciences, or in Planetary Sciences. Students from a variety of academic disciplines are welcome, and the curriculum maintains flexibility to match the interests of individual students. Academics, research, and service to the scientific community, the university, and the public are integral elements of the mission of the department. A high ratio of faculty to students ensures that students at all levels receive mentoring, training, and guidance. The principal objective of the graduate program is to prepare students for successful careers and leadership roles in private and government research laboratories, and in academia. Essential support is provided by the department's research center, the Center for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS). Intellectual vitality fostered by active research is integral to Hampton University’s institutional vision, and CAS is a key resource for students and faculty. The center hosts research faculty, support personnel, and infrastructure required to maintain vigorous programs of sponsored research. Center personnel are principal investigators for scientific instrumentation on current and past space missions to study the atmosphere and the space environment of Earth. Current spacecraft missions include CALIPSO, Geotail, TIMED, and the AIM mission (Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere), which is managed by Hampton University and CAS for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The center also maintains a LIDAR observatory on campus to provide ground-based observations of the atmosphere in support of space missions and for basic research. Research and education partners include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and approximately 20 research universities, laboratories, and other scientific organizations in the U.S. and abroad. Hampton University is a member university of the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA); a consortium of universities offering graduate education in aerospace-related sciences and engineering. The NIA is headquartered in Hampton, and students can receive credit for graduate-level courses offered by the partner schools on-site at the NIA, or remotely via teleconferencing. Proximity to NASA’s Langley Research Center also provides for convenient access to the many research opportunities offered there.