Get Started on Your Endorsement Today!
The Broadcast and Operational Meteorology Program (BOMP) is for those who need more meteorological training and wish to take those classes online. The program is designed for individuals working as broadcast meteorologists who need additional formal education in meteorology.
Program highlights:
- Same faculty as main campus courses
- Can be completed fully online
- One-third of television broadcast meteorologists were trained through MSU
- Established in 1987
While the vast majority of our students are television or radio weathercasters, we do have many others enrolled such as newspaper reporters, educators, military personnel, National Weather Service employees and private sector meteorologists, as well as general hobbyists. While the program is designed to complement weather training received in the military, military meteorological training is not a requirement for the program. This is for anyone seeking to further develop skills in operational, applied meteorology.
Tuition & Fees
Tuition per credit hour |
$558.50 |
Instructional Support Fee per credit hour |
$25.00 |
Tuition and fees listed are subject to change and do not include all possible charges. Additional fees may apply. Please refer to the master class schedule for individual course charges.
What are some potential careers?
Program Structure
The 17 course, 53 credit hour program leads to a Endorsement in Broadcast and Operational Meteorology.
- Provides the education needed for the NWA Seal of Approval.
- Students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in each course.
- New students must begin the program in the fall semester.
- All courses are offered on the semester system.
- Instructors have advanced degrees and are recognized experts and real-life practitioners in their field.
- Course materials such as exercises, assignments, study guides, exams, and lectures will be delivered via the Internet using Canvas. Canvas is a software program designed specifically for online learning.
Students seeking AMS, NWS, and/or WMO requirements should make the following adjustments to their program of study to include calculus-based courses:
- Take GR 4733 Synoptic Meteorology instead of GR 4713 Synoptic Meteorology I
- Take GR 4823 Dynamic Meteorology instead of GR 4913 Thermodynamic Meteorology
- Take GR 4963 Mesoscale Meteorology instead of GR 4923 Severe Weather
Additional courses are required to meet AMS, NWS, and/or WMO requirements: Dynamic Meteorology II, Calculus I-III, Differential Equations, 2-Calculus based Physics w/labs, and a Chemistry appropriate for science majors. Of these additional courses, MSU only offers Dynamics II online. Contact the advisor with any questions you may have.
GR 4640 Meteorological Internship is not required for the degree or endorsement. For more information read Internship Guidelines.
Endorsement Requirements
To earn the Endorsement in Broadcast and Operational Meteorology, one must complete the following requirements:
- Complete the 17 courses in the program with grades of "C" or higher.
- Attend the BMP/OMP Summer Workshop after completion of all courses.
- Pass a comprehensive exam with a grade of 80% or higher. The purpose of the comprehensive exam is to ensure that each student earning the endorsement has adequate retention of the concepts covered through the program.
Course Rotation
Listed below is the course schedule for the BOMP core courses. The courses are offered only during the semester under which they are listed.
BOMP FIRST YEAR
FALL |
SPRING |
SUMMER |
---|
GR 1123 - Intro World Geography |
GR 1133 Weather and Climate (Lecture) and GR 1131 Weather and Climate (Lab) |
GR 4643 - Physical Climatology |
GR 1113 Physical Geography (Lecture) and GR 1111 Physical Geography (Lab) |
GR 4813 - Natural Hazards |
|
BOMP SECOND YEAR
FALL |
SPRING |
SUMMER |
---|
GR 4633 - Statistical Climatology |
GG 3613 - Water Resources |
GR 4613 - Applied Climatology |
GR 4713 - Synoptic Meteorology I* |
GR 4753/6753 - Satellite & Radar
Meteorology |
GR 4473 - Numerical Weather
Prediction |
BOMP THIRD YEAR
FALL |
SPRING |
SUMMER |
---|
GR 4623 - Physical Meteorology |
GR 4443 - Weather Prediction I |
GR 4453 - Weather Prediction II |
GR 4913 - Thermodynamic
Meteorology* |
GR 4923 - Severe Weather* |
GG 3603 - Intro to Oceanography |
Admissions Process
Undergraduate Admissions
Follow the guide below to ensure that you complete all that is necessary for taking courses in the Broadcast and Operational Meteorology Program (BOMP) at Mississippi State University.
Freshman Requirements
To be accepted into the freshman class at MSU, students must satisfactorily complete the course requirements as outlined by the Office of Admissions and Scholarships as stated below:
To be accepted into the freshmen class at Mississippi State University, students must satisfactorily complete the following College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) with an appropriate core grade-point average:
- English -- 4 units, all requiring substantial communication skills components.
- Mathematics -- 3 units: Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry. (Algebra I taken in the 8th grade will be accepted for admission provided the course content is the same as the high school course.)
- Natural Science -- 3 units chosen from Biology, Advanced Biology, Chemistry, Advanced Chemistry, Physical Science, Physics, Advanced Physics, or another science course of comparable rigor. (Two science units must be laboratory-based.)
- Social Studies -- 3 units, including U.S. History, World History (substantial Geography component), Government (1/2 unit), and Economics (1/2 unit) or Geography (1/2 unit).
- Advanced Electives -- 2 units chosen from Foreign Language, World Geography, 4th-year laboratory-based Science, and 4th-year Mathematics. One of the units must be Foreign Language or World Geography. (Foreign Language taken in the 8th grade will be accepted for admission provided the course content is the same as the high school course.)
- Computer -- 1/2 unit: computer as a productivity tool, not as a keyboarding device.
- Pre-High School Units - Algebra I, or first year Foreign Language, or Mississippi Studies taken prior to high school will be accepted for admission provided the course content is the same as the high school course.
This block is broken or missing. You may be missing content or you might need to enable the original module.
Academic Advising
After gaining admission to the university, you must contact one of your advisors to determine the courses that are most appropriate for you to take. Approximately two months prior to the upcoming semester, your advisor will send an email to your MSU email account, making course recommendations based on your program of study.
Mississippi State University uses email as its official means of communication with all MSU students. Please check your MSU email account (NetID@msstate.edu) daily. Information on setting up your MSU email can be found at the link for student services.
Students should contact Yasma Jacobs, Academic Advisor, about advising or if you have not been released to register by the time registration begins.
Professional Requirements and Certificates
Alignment with National and International Standards for Meteorologists
The World Meteorological Organization and the National Weather Service have specific educational requirements for aviation forecasters or meteorologists. Not all weather careers will require the same exact courses, so feel free to discuss your career plans with an advisor before beginning any of our programs.
A degree in meteorology or a related natural science may also be necessary to gain employment in a meteorological career (this will depend on employer). Additional math and science courses will most likely be required for employment. All the BOMP courses can be applied toward our undergraduate degree program in Geosciences, which is considered a related natural science field. Our full BS and MS degree programs (e.g. BOMP or AMP) can be modified or tailored to meet these requirements.
Internship Guidelines
THIS COURSE IS OPTIONAL
The GR 4640-Meteorological Internship course is NOT required for the degree or endorsement. The BOMP offers this course to help students who do NOT have a broadcasting background, but would like to obtain some broadcasting experience.
Internships can be a very valuable part of a student's training. If you would like a career in television weather and have never been on-air, then we would advise you to do an internship.
Internships are developed between you and the Chief Meteorologist at a local station. You will need to select the station where you would like to intern and contact their Chief Meteorologist. You will need to explain to him/her that you are enrolled in the BMP/OMP endorsement program at Mississippi State University and that you would like to intern at their station. The exact details (number of hours, job duties, etc.) of the internship are between you and the Chief Meteorologist. However, to receive full credit (3 credit hours), a minimum of 150 hours must be completed during the internship.
There are several guidelines that you will need to follow for your internship:
- The station will need a letter stating you are receiving college credit for the internship. Email Joy Bailey at joy.bailey@msstate.edu with the supervisor's name, station call letters and complete mailing address.
- To receive college credit (3 credit hours), you must enroll in GR 4640-Meteorological Internship the semester you intend to do the internship. The internship follows the semester time schedule. For instance, an internship in the fall must begin sometime in August and end around the last of November. You may view the semester time schedule on the Academic Calendar. Also, the current tuition rate applies to this class.
- At the end of the internship, you must write a paper detailing your experience in the internship.
**Please note: Registration for the Meteorological Internship course is done while registering for other courses in the semester you intend to do the Internship. There is no special application form for the internship.
Paper Requirements are as follows:
Include the number of hours/days a week you were involved. The paper should be submitted at least one week before the last day of classes
Broadcast and Operational Meteorology Program
Attn: Dr. Christa Haney
(E): haney@geosci.msstate.edu
(F): 662.325.0737
- Include your job duties.
- Give examples of what you learned.
- Describe what impact the internship has had (or may have) on your career goals.
- Include a space on the last page of your paper for comments from the person in-charge of your internship (supervisor).
- The paper should be 1 1/2 to 2 pages.
- Your internship supervisor must comment and sign the paper.
- After the supervisor comments on the paper, he/she must email or fax the paper to our office:
Your grade in the course will be based on your paper (demonstrating what you have learned in the internship) and any comments by the person in-charge of the internship.
If you have any questions, please send an email to the program coordinator, Joy Bailey, joy.bailey@msstate.edu.
Contact Information
Enrollment & Onboarding Coach
- General Program Questions
- Assistance with Admissions Process & Requirements
Retention & Engagement Coach
- Current Student Inquires
- Academic & Support Services Assistance
Dr. Christa Haney
Department of Geosciences
- Director of Geosciences Distance Learning Programs