PAOC Curricula

The PAOC program offers students ample opportunity for complex, interdisciplinary work. For this reason, our programs are flexible and serve primarily to guide students through an organized body of study and research, but there can be considerable overlap in the classes taken by students in the different programs. Students select one of these programs, but may receive permission to move into another as their research interests develop. Our required and elective classes are designed to address a variety of student interests.

Within each of the programs we define a “core” of four classes that will be taken by all students within each program, followed by suggestions for an additional six classes which depend on the student’s specialization. Our practice has always been that any sensible set of classes is acceptable. The classes suggested as additional to the core should therefore be seen as guidelines. Students are highly encouraged to seek the advice of their advisor and other faculty members in constructing their particular set of classes. Pertinent classes in other departments and at Harvard should also be considered by students and advisors.

The following sections illustrate core classes and recommended choices, depending on the student’s intended specialization.

Atmospheric Science Curriculum

The core comprises four classes:

  1. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics  (12.800) [F]
  2. Atmospheric Dynamics — choose one of:
    • Atmospheric Dynamics (12.810) [S]
    • Introduction to Atmospheric Data and Synoptic Meteorology (12.818) [F]
  3. Atmospheric Radiation and Convection (12.815) [F]
  4. Atmospheric Chemistry — choose one of:
    • Atmospheric Chemistry (12.807) [F]
    • Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry (12.806) [S]
    • Experimental Atmospheric Chemistry (12.835) [F]

Students will take other specialization classes, typically ~10 classes in total, prior to the General Examination at the end of their second year.  The full range of classes will be chosen by the student, in consultation with the adviser.

A typical track consists of the four core classes, plus six of the following recommended classes, not already taken for the core:

  • Atmospheric Composition in a Changing Earth System (12.817) [S, even]
  • Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry (12.806) [S]
  • Atmospheric Chemistry (12.807) [F]
  • Experimental Atmospheric Chemistry (12.835) [F]
  • Aerosol and Cloud Microphysics and Chemistry, (12.814)
  • Sustainability Science and Engineering (12.845) [F, even]
  • Global Environmental Science and Politics (12.846) [F, odd]
  • Modeling and Assessment for Policy (12.844) [S]
  • Global Climate Change: Economics, Science & Policy (12.848) [S]
  • Science, Politics, and Environmental Policy (12.885) [F]

A typical track consists of the four core classes, plus six of the following recommended classes, not already taken for the core:

  • Introduction to Atmospheric Data and Synoptic Meteorology (12.818) [F]
  • Atmospheric Dynamics (12.810) [S]
  • Large-Scale Atmosphere and Ocean Dynamics (12.843) [F]
  • Large-scale Flow Dynamics Laboratory (12.804)  [F]
  • The General Circulation of the Atmosphere and Climate Change (12.812) [S]
  • Dynamics of the Ocean (12.801) [S]
  • Tropical Meteorology (12.811) [S, even]
  • Turbulence in the Ocean and Atmosphere (12.820) [S, odd]
  • Stability Theory for Oceanic & Atmospheric Flows (12.824) [F, even]
  • Dynamics and Transport in the Stratosphere (12.831) [F]

Climate Science Curriculum

The core comprises four classes:

  1. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics  (12.800) [F]
  2. Atmospheric or Ocean Dynamics — choose one of:
    • Atmospheric Dynamics (12.810) [S]
    • Dynamics of the Ocean (12.801) [S]
    • Atmospheric Radiation and Convection (development of 12.815)[S]
  3. Atmospheric or Ocean Chemistry — choose one of:
    • Atmospheric Chemistry (12.807) [F]
    • Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry (12.806J)[S]
    • Experimental Atmospheric Chemistry (12.835)[F]
    • Marine Chemistry (12.742) [F]
    • Climate Physics and Chemistry (12.842) [F]
  4. Paleoclimate — choose one of:
    • Atmospheric Chemistry (12.807) [F]
    • Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry (12.806) [S]
    • Experimental Atmospheric Chemistry (12.835) [F]

Students will take other specialization classes, typically ~10 classes in total, prior to the General Examination at the end of their second year.  The full range of classes will be chosen by the student, in consultation with the adviser.

A typical track consists of the four core classes, plus six of the following recommended classes, not already taken for the core:

  • Atmospheric Composition in a Changing Earth System (1.841) [S, even]
  • Probability and Statistics in Engineering (1.151) [S]
  • Applied Probability (6.431) [F]
  • Geochemistry of Marine Sediments (12.743)
  • Marine Isotope Chemistry(12.744)
  • Marine Organic Geochemistry(12.746)
  • Modeling, Data Analysis, and Numerical Techniques for Geochemistry(12.747)
  • Introduction to Isotope Chemistry(12.748)
  • Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry (12.806) [S]
  • Atmospheric Chemistry(12.807)  [F]
  • Aerosol and Cloud Microphysics and Chemistry (12.814) [S]
  • Experimental Atmospheric Chemistry (12.835) [F]
  • Climate Physics and Chemistry, Group (12.842) [F]
  • Modeling and Assessment for Policy (12.844 ) [S]
  • Sustainability Science and Engineering (12.845)  [F, even]
  • Global Environmental Science and Politics (12.846) [F, odd]
  • Global Climate Change: Economics, Science & Policy (12.848) [S]
  • Science, Politics, and Environmental Policy (12.885) [F]

A typical track consists of the four core classes, plus six of the following recommended classes, not already taken for the core:

  • Probability and Statistics in Engineering (1.151) [S]
  • Applied Probability (6.431) [F]
  • Atmospheric Dynamics (12.810) [S]
  • Dynamics of the Ocean (12.801) [F]
  • Large-Scale Atmosphere and Ocean Dynamics (12.843) [F]
  • Large-scale Flow Dynamics Laboratory (12.804)  [F]
  • The General Circulation of the Atmosphere and Climate Change (12.812) [S]
  • Introduction to Observational Physical Oceanography (12.808) [F]
  • Introduction to Atmospheric Data and Synoptic Meteorology (12.818) [F]
  • Tropical Meteorology (12.811) [S, even]
  • Turbulence in the Ocean and Atmosphere (12.820) [S, odd]
  • Stability Theory for Oceanic & Atmospheric Flows (12.824) [F, even]
  • Dynamics and Transport in the Stratosphere (12.831) [F]
  • Global Climate Change: Economics, Science & Policy (12.848) [S]
  • Science, Politics, and Environmental Policy (12.885) [F]

A typical track consists of the four core classes, plus six of the following recommended classes, not already taken for the core:

  • Probability and Statistics in Engineering(1.151)  [S]
  • Applied Probability (6.431) [F]
  • Molecular Biogeochemistry (12.458) [F, odd]
  • Radiogenic Isotope Geology (12.476) [S, even]
  • Modeling Environmental Complexity (12.586) [F]
  • Advanced Seminar in Paleoclimatology (12.708) [F]
  • Marine Geology and Geophysics (12.710) [F]
  • Geochemistry of Marine Sediments (12.743) [S, even]
  • Marine Isotope Chemistry (12.744) [F, even]
  • Marine Organic Geochemistry (12.746) [S]
  • Modeling, Data Analysis and Numerical Techniques for Geochemistry (12.747) [F, even]
  • Introduction to Isotope Chemistry (12.748) [F]

A typical track consists of the four core classes, plus six of the following recommended classes, not already taken for the core:

  • Aquatic Chemistry (1.76) [S, even]
  • Environmental Microbiology (1.89) [F, odd]
  • Probability and Statistics in Engineering(1.151)  [S]
  • Applied Probability (6.431) [F]
  • Introduction to Mathematical Ecology(7.440)  [S]
  • Global carbon cycle, Follows (12.xxx)
  • Marine chemistry (12.735) [F]
  • Atmospheric Chemistry (12.807) [F]
  • Intro to Observational Physical Oceanography (12.808) [F]
  • Modeling the Biology and Physics of the Ocean (12.823)
  • Computational Ocean Modeling (12.950) [F]
  • Computational Science and Engineering (18.085) [F]
  • Biological Oceanography (OEB 118 : Harvard) [S]