LSU is adding a new coastal meteorology degree program under the College of the Coast and Environment, the university announced Monday.

The program will start accepting enrollees in the fall. It will be within the department of oceanography and coastal sciences.

Especially in Louisiana, which faces coastal challenges such as hurricanes and erosion, the degree program is vital.

“Our livelihoods in Louisiana are so intricately tied to the coast and to its weather that LSU is the natural place to study coastal meteorology. Our students will graduate well-prepared to tackle weather-related coastal issues and help keep our communities safe,” said the program’s director Robert Rohli, a professor in the department of oceanography and coastal sciences, in a statement.

The program will open up career paths like broadcasting, private and public sector jobs and in the energy and agriculture fields.

The curriculum will follow federal OPM-1340 hiring standards, LSU said, so students will be fully qualified for meteorologist positions after graduation.

“Weather-related hazards like hurricanes and tropical storms impact Louisiana’s communities and industries and can significantly alter our state’s coastline. The research and learning opportunities created by our new BS in Coastal Meteorology will fuel discoveries and build the workforce necessary to protect and restore vital areas while advancing LSU’s leadership in coastal research,” College of the Coast and Environment Dean Clint Willson said in a statement.