The combined B.S./M.S. program in atmospheric science provides an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to fulfill simultaneously undergraduate and graduate course requirements in their senior year, thereby accelerating progress toward the M.S. degree. A carefully designed program can permit a student to complete the B.S. and M.S. degrees one year sooner than is otherwise possible. The Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences and the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC) provide the University with the state's largest program in atmospheric science and meteorology. The undergraduate program provides a broad background in three fundamental areas of atmospheric science: synoptic (observations and weather forecasting), dynamic (theory and computer modeling), and physical (lightning, cloud physics, atmospheric chemistry). Because the department has a highly active research program in these areas, many opportunities exist for undergraduate research projects and part-time jobs.