Online courses

The department of Meteorology is offering online classes in aspects of Meteorology and Climate, supported by our internationally-renowned academic staff. Online learners will study over one term.

These classes are suitable training for aspiring and professional meteorologists, consultants, STEM students, graduates, keen amateurs and academics seeking to improve their range of skills and knowledge. Applications and inquiries are welcome from people in the UK and overseas.

The courses are:

• Tropical Meteorology
• Climate Services and Climate Impact Modelling
• Fundamentals of Weather and Climate
• Statistics for Weather and Climate Science

Competitive 80% scholarships are available for applicants from low to middle income countries.

Find out more about our online classes and how to enrol

These free, on-demand courses are delivered by FutureLearn and are open to anyone. No existing knowledge or experience of meteorology is needed.

• Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather
  Explore the physical processes driving UK weather systems and tackle practical activities and fieldwork, with Dr Sylvia Knight of the Royal Meteorological Society and Dr Pete Inness of the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading.

• Planet Partners: Tackling the Climate Crisis Together
  Investigate the impact of climate change, the research being done to tackle it, and discover what you can do to take meaningful action.

• Dare to Discover Data Assimilation

This free course provides a non-technical introduction to data assimilation. It will be particularly useful to users of data assimilation products (e.g., reanalyses) or those who are interested in exploring the possibilities of data assimilation for new applications.
The course open for participation at any time. However, facilitators will be available to support course participants 7- 28 November 2022.

• Climate Intelligence: Using Climate Data to Improve Business Decision-Making 
  Build climate resilience in your business as you learn how climate intelligence helps make decisions that mitigate risks.

Short courses and summer schools are designed to train professionals, postgraduate and doctoral graduates as well as early career scientists. Leaders in their fields provide overviews and some of their latest research.

• The Data Assimilation Research Centre and the National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO) provide short training courses on data assimilation and other specialised topics in Earth Observation.
• The National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) Climate Modelling Summer School covers the inner workings of climate models, the latest climate modelling research and analysis of climate data. Suitable for advanced PhD students and early career researchers. This summer school will run in the future both online and face to face.
• The Walker Academy delivers immersive courses to students, NGOs, government agencies, academics and research partners. Rooted in the Walker Institute's first-hand experience of implementing interdisciplinary projects across the globe to support climate change adaptation and resilience, these courses develop practical skills and critical insights.

Contact onlinemetcourses@reading.ac.uk for enquiries and to receive updates.

Topical webinars from the Royal Meteorological Society and the University of Reading provide professional training and development for meteorologists and climate scientists.

Masterclasses are held in the spring and autumn. Sign up for our upcoming masterclasses or view a list of past events.