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. A baccalaureate minor is offered in Space, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences (the APS Minor). Academics, research, and service to the scientific community, the university, and the public are integral elements of the mission of the department.

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. Mentoring by faculty ensures emphasis on development of integrity, respect, decency, dignity, and responsibility, in a tradition explicitly incorporated in the mission plan of the university. Essential support is provided by the department’s research center, the Center for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS). The center hosts research faculty, support personnel, and infrastructure required to maintain vigorous programs of sponsored research. Intellectual vitality fostered by active research is integral to Hampton University’s institutional vision, and CAS is a key resource for experiential learning for students, and for professional development of faculty.

Hampton University is a place where learning is facilitated through a wide range of educational offerings and professional experiences. The APS coursework for undergraduate students supports that part of the mission by providing a diversity of choices in physical-science courses within the core curriculum.

Service to the community is provided in partnership with the university’s Interdisciplinary Science Center and with government agencies through programs of informal and formal education on topics related to expertise within APS and CAS.