I need opinions on this Meteorology program if possible

[Joe Campbell]

California University of Pennsylvania, they offer a B.S. in Earth Science with a focus in Meteorology.

This school is basically my safety, I'm also applying to OU and Millersville.

here is a listing of the program
http://www.cup.edu/universitycatalogs.jsp?pageId=1580830010421122470438724

and here is a listing of the courses, the focus is in either Research (yay) or Broadcast (meh)
http://www.cup.edu/universitycatalogs.jsp?pageId=1580830010421121974064896


The main courses that I don't see here that I see on other programs are Atmospheric Dynamics I & II which I am unsure if it is covered under a different course name.


I'm open to any help, my plans are to eventually move on to graduate school for a MS so I feel I need to make sure I take an appropriate program

thanks in advance

 

[rdale]

You might tell the school what you're interested in doing with your degree, and let them advise you too...

 

[Joe Campbell]

I tried contacting them several times over the past few weeks, so far I haven't received a response.

 

[Andrew Herron]

Would you really trust your money and your education to an institution who won't return your inquiries?

 

[Danny Neal]

depending on how far you want to go check out the college of dupage, i go there they have an excellent meteorology program and its not like its 10,000 a semester either, its a small school but i think you would enjoy it

www.weather.cod.edu

just a thought i plan on transferring to OU after and if that doesnt work i always have northern illinois and U of I to work with too

 

[B Ozanne]

I tried contacting them several times over the past few weeks, so far I haven't received a response.

I went to a school with over 30,000 people, yet the Meteorology Dept was very small and personal. You should expect to receive a reply very promptly from the department you are interested in.

 

[Joe Campbell]

honestly the only schools who continually responded, at least from the Meteorology dept, was Iowa State and Millersville.

I've talked to Dr. Clark over the years several times and he's good at responding, and Dr. Gallus (ISU) who assured me that you could do a program to prepare for graduate studies.

The only problem with ISU is the tuition, which is high.

I ♥ OU, and it's still mytop choice, but the distance (I'm in WV) is a big factor.

 

[HAltschule]

I too have been around for many years as a Met. since my days at SUNY Albany and I have never ever heard of that college. I would look elsewhere...esp. to ones that at the very least return your phone calls.

Also, if you're planning on getting your MS in Atmos. Science, you may want to seriously consider getting your BS in Meteorology and not just a degree with emphasis on Meteorology. You would be best served getting your core classes as an undergrad.

 

[Joe Campbell]

thank you, that information is actually very helpful and what I'm looking for. I'm an adult student and I'm planning on spending the next 6 years learning and I want to make sure I'm getting the best education available.

 

[Chris Hayes]

Since you're in WV, have you looked into Penn State's meteorology program? They have one of the best in the country.

 

[Matthew Havin]

You're gonna get a degree in meteorology? Great!

Just be prepared to repeat "You want fries with that?" over and over and over again.

Even with a Master's degree, you are entering a highly competitive, low paying, low job security jungle. Good luck!

My vote: University of Missouri - Columbia (MIZZOU)......... great program!

 

[Joe Campbell]

Since you're in WV, have you looked into Penn State's meteorology program? They have one of the best in the country.

PSU isn't the easiest to get into by what I hear though. I have decent grades at my community college (3.57 GPA) however I'm sure transferring in there is more competitive than Millersville which is closer and has a decent B.S. program.

 

[Joe Campbell]

You're gonna get a degree in meteorology? Great!

Just be prepared to repeat "You want fries with that?" over and over and over again.

Even with a Master's degree, you are entering a highly competitive, low paying, low job security jungle. Good luck!

My vote: University of Missouri - Columbia (MIZZOU)......... great program!

I'm coming from having an AAS in IT... trust me, nothing in the job market is as cutthroat and competitive as that field

 

[Joe Campbell]

I know about that link, I've been researching this for several months, and have looked at programs at NCState, Southern Alabama, Colorado St, Denver Metro, FSU, OU, ISU, Maryland, UAH, UND, and many other places I can't list off the top of my head.


For example, ISU offers two BS programs, one that allows you to enter Calculus during semester 1, and one that has a prepatory math course prior to it. ISU also has the C6 even though it's so busy Dr. Gallus can't even use it. Little details like this make a big difference to me.

Many schools offer graduate programs only, such as Maryland or UAH (Bs Physics, Atmos focus at UAH, Maryland wants a BS in Physics or Math).

Believe me when I say I've done my homework, each university on that list that is even a remote possibility I have researched regarding the class size, tuition, academic program, student reviews, scholarship availability, and overall fit as far as uni is concerned. I've tracked down and spoken to random students (being part of another board that's general and quite large has some advantages).

I've researched the ACM as I'm in WV, and tried looking for BS programs under it (of course to no avail, the ACM is worthles these days because so many abused it).

To be honest, I don't know what part I want to be after I graduate. All I know is that I don't want to be in broadcasting. When I enter graduate studies, I will likely then decide where I want to go from there.


As to my dedication, this is not a decision I put lightly. I have known what I have wanted to do long before I began my search. There's more to the field than chasing storms, and it is not only meso level fun. I'm 27, about to finish a degree in a CC, and have worked in the IT field since I was 18. I decided to leave the field because regardless of money I didn't enjoy what I was doing. I hated the fact that I knew what I wanted to do as a career and I wasn't doing it. So during that time I have been planning this. Please don't confuse me with someone who watched Twister one to many times and now wants to chase storms.

 

[mikegeukes]

One thing to consider, if you are attending college out of state,
I would take a good hard look at the tuition and fees the colleges
charges, usually universities will charge almost double being
a out of state student. Also, if you attend college, out of state,
they have a lot of rules when so being a resident of the state.

Mike