I currently have two courses, AOSC200 "Weather and Climate" and AOSC 493 "Senior Research 1". AOSC 200 is a large, general education course that satisfies both I-Series as well as the Natural Sciences requirements. Combined with AOSC201 "Weather and Climate Lab" this will satisfy the Natural Sciences with Lab requirement. I teach AOSC200 twice each semester to ~120 students in each class (almost 500 students per year). AOSC200 introduces students to the concepts of weather and climate and the science behind them. The course is conceptually rigorous without being too burdensome mathematically.
All AOSC majors most complete a full year research project. At the end of the Fall semester, students give a public defense of their research proposal; called a prospectus defense. Student must convince an audience that they understand the current state of the field in regards to their project, can describe the importance of their work, and understand the data and analytic tools needed to complete the project. Communication skills are a key, and often overlooked, component of success as a scientist. In class, we work collaboratively to improve our communication skills while you're working with research advisor push your research forward. Often our students work with advisors from NASA and NOAA. This is a great opportunity to develop and showcase a skill set that is highly sought after by graduate programs, research labs, and pritvate companies.
When I first arrived at UMD I was fortunate enough to help Prof. Ross Salawitch develop two new courses. AOSC652 "Analysis Methods in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science" (now taught by Jeff Henrickson) teaches students the art of scientific programmin in a variety of languages. AOSC433/633 "Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate" teaches students the fundamental science behind our understanding of atmospheric composition and climate.
