The AMS Bachelor's Degree in Atmospheric Sciences Statement - Summarizing the Final Draft and Considerations for the Next Update Cycle

Since Fall 2022, a volunteer committee of AMS members (see all co-authors) met frequently over the next several months to update the AMS “Bachelor’s Degree in Atmospheric Science” statement. After several virtual meetings, along with consideration of AMS community feedback at both a town hall meeting (at the 103^rd Annual AMS Meeting in Denver, CO) as well as an online public commenting period in July 2023, the statement has been officially updated and is available to view. The goal of this presentation is to discuss the most significant changes to the statement: 1) emphasizing the key skills needed for success within the private, public and academic sectors beyond graduation, 2) providing best practices to help shift classroom instruction from lecture-heavy instruction towards a more learner-centered classroom environment, 3) outlining steps to help diversify the atmospheric sciences undergraduate community, and 4) providing detailed information regarding the elective coursework needed to prepare students for a variety of careers, especially those rapidly emerging within the private sector. The updated statement is also populated with several website links to provide additional information about various key statement topics as well as new appendices highlighting AMS certification programs, recommendations to help students and faculty with the process of transferring from 2-year to 4-year institutions and government employment series requirements. The presentation will conclude with recommended topics to be considered during the next update cycle, including more in-depth considerations of the role of AI within atmospheric science education.