The B.S. in Meteorology degree at WKU is the first and largest meteorology program in Kentucky or Tennessee that meets all the Federal Civil Service requirements (GS-1340) for employment by the National Weather Service and enables TV broadcast meteorologists to immediately pursue the "Certified Broadcast Meteorologist" program of the American Meteorological Society upon graduation. In addition to preparing students for immediate employment as meteorologists, the combination of advanced theoretical and applied coursework as well as experience with meteorological instrumentation and computer programming will provide a foundation for students who wish to pursue graduate school in the atmospheric sciences. Students will become more directly involved in faculty-sponsored research, increased co-authorship of peer-reviewed research articles, and increased presentation of research results at professional meetings and conferences.