International Master in Atmospheric Sciences

Presentation

The “International Master in Atmospheric Sciences” (InMas) program results in the award of a double degree « Master of Science (MSc) in Atmospheric Sciences”, i.e. the sum of any two degrees of the Masters programs listed below:
  • Université Clermont-Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand, France), Master « Sciences de la Terre et des planètes, environnement (STPE) », parcours : Sciences de l’Atmosphère et du Climat (ScAC) (more information)
  • Johannes Gutenberg-Universität (Mainz, Germany),  Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Meteorology
  • Ilia State University (Tbilisi, Georgia), Master of Physics (will evolve soon into « Master of Atmospheric Sciences" for InMAS)

In order to participate in the program, the student needs to be enrolled in one of the above local Master programs (home university). The subsequent InMas application and admission procedure is detailed here. Upon acceptance into the InMAS program, the student will validate the number of credits typically required for a master’s degree at that institution (in the European Union, this corresponds to 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System)).  Hereby 50% of the credits will be obtained in a second (host) university of the list above. Upon successful completion of the program, the student will be awarded the two Master degrees, one from the home university and one from the host university. These degrees will be accompanied by a supplement specifying the context of the “International Master in Atmospheric Sciences” program
 

Since april 2021 the french-german part of InMAS has entered the network of the french-german universities (Université franco-allemande/ Deutsch-Französische Hochschule)
https://www.dfh-ufa.org/fr/

Objectives

The objective for proposing this International Master in Atmospheric Sciences is to link together the complementary excellence of research institutes in atmospheric sciences to enable a student to specialize in a research subject that both exceeds the competences of his/her home university and encompass his/her personal field of professional interest. It is designed in particular for excellent students that aim for a future research, teaching or professional career in atmospheric sciences or any other related domains.
Whereas the climate science community is generally working on the same topics, e.g. as part of the IPCC and CMIP initiatives, the research on smaller scale processes determining climate change, meteorology and air quality is more diverse. Due to the elevated costs of “most advanced” equipment and the associated mandatory competence, only few laboratories work on neighbouring much less overlapping subjects. In particular, the research concerning cloud processes and air quality is conducted in only few laboratories all over the globe, even though fundamental to to the climate system and to weather forecasting.
The idea of this Master is to bring together a training competence regarding in particular the understanding of cloud and atmospheric pollution processes through in-situ or remote sensing observations and modelling. The consortium initially is composed of 4 universities which each hosts a laboratory of atmospheric sciences that is internationally recognized for the excellence of their research in complementary fields. Together, they can provide for the students training on the latest instrumentation, concepts and competences as well as pollution and climate regulations and directives to enable them a future carrier in the field of atmospheric sciences.

The “human dimension” of the research laboratories, the corresponding universities and the motivation of their personal will assure an individualized support and mentoring of the student, in contrast to big research institutes in major cities, where the students might feel lost in the masses. In addition, the universities are located in medium sized cities all over Europe and the USA, which makes them attractive due to the moderate living expenses.

The objective beyond the education of students in a large variety of subjects by a number of excellent scientists is to increase their chances of success in a globalized world in a transnational discipline. Thus, for a successful career as a future scientist or an environmental manager, an exposure to a transnational culture ought to occur at the earliest moment in education.
The diploma associated to InMAS will foster excellence, quality improvements, innovation and internationalisation in higher education institutions and improve the level of competences and skills of Master graduates, and in particular for the labour market.

Application and Administration


Each participating partner university is planning for each academic year on 3 outgoing and 3 incoming InMAS students. The InMAS committee will make every effort to achieve an evenly balanced exchange from year to year.


Procedure of application

Only students enrolled in one of the participating Master programs will be considered. Any credits for a Master’s degree while enrolled outside the attributed InMAS home or host university cannot not be taken into account for the InMAS credit balance. All applications shall be composed of:
  • the application form (download here)(The student can submit up to 2 applications representing a 1st and 2nd choice of the host university)
  • the student’s CV
  • a letter of motivation
  • at least one letter of recommendation
  • a copy of the candidate’s diploma and transcripts of the academic records
  • a proof of sufficient English language proficiency (Wyoming only accepts TOEFL or TOIC)
  • a study program of 120 ECTS, 50% from the home university and 50% from the host university (download form here) (60 ECTS is equivalent to 18 US credits).

The local coordinator of InMAS will serve as a contact for the student, will assist the student in the application process and help in the compilation of the study program.
The local coordinators for the consortium are currently:

1: University Clermont Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand, France)
Dr Aurélie COLOMB : aurelie.colomb@uca.fr

2: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (Mainz, Germany)
Dr Heiko BOZEM : bozemh@uni-mainz.de

3: Ilia State University (Tbilisi, Georgia)
Prof. Dr. Maya Todua



Application deadline for S1 or S3 at a host university : 1 May
Application deadline for S2 or S4 at a host university : 1 November (please note that not all partners accept students arriving S2 or S4)


Procedure of admission :

All applications will be examined by the InMAS committee and ranked taking into account:
  • motivation of the student
  • merit records
  • selected host universities and balance of incoming and outgoing students
  • feasibility of the study plan (in collaboration with the home and host Master’s programs and the local education councils)
  • language proficiency

The InMAS committee will offer places to applicants who appear to have the highest potential for graduate study and who, with the benefit of a graduate education, are the most likely to contribute substantially to their academic or professional fields through teaching, research, or professional practice. Once accepted by the InMAS committee, the student will be eligible to apply for registration at the host university under the terms of this dual program. The host university, however, has final authority on the administrative admission decisions.