I am a rising senior meteorology student at Plymouth State University and am interested in applying for a master's program in meteorology. Although I'm not certain of what exactly I'd like to do research in, I'm leaning toward either tropical meteorology and/or numerical weather prediction. Even though Plymouth has just started a master's program in applied meteorology, I want to look elsewhere for a program since I may have better research opportunities and/or fellowships at a larger school. A couple of schools that are high on my list are Florida State and SUNY Albany. If there is anyone on these boards that is/was a student at one of these schools (or others) I'd like to know what you think of the program, what areas of research the program focuses on, what types of assistantships or fellowships are available, and lastly, what type of credentials it takes to gain admission to the school (test scores, GPA, etc.) Thanks in advance to anyone who has any insight to offer.

I'm a grad student at FSU. I've been here since Fall of '04. I should be done with my Master's Degree by the end of this year or the Spring semester of '07 at the latest. I'm happy here. There is a wide range of topics that you could potentially study here. The best way to get a feel for what's here is probably to take a look at the faculty websites, available at http://www.met.fsu.e...rsonnel/faculty, and get a feel for what each person studies. Then, if you see something interesting, just send them an email letting them know about you and what you'd like to study.

As far as test scores go, you'll need to take the GRE if you haven't already done so. I had a moderately high score on it (biased pretty high on the math side), but nothing at super-genius level or anything like that. I did have a very high undergraduate GPA, so I'm not sure on the exact breakdown of how my GPA and GRE scores weighed into the decision process here. I can tell you that for Penn State, they didn't care about my high GPA because I allegedly came from a "weak school" in their eyes. Needless to say, I didn't even bother applying to there. Their loss. I know that there are a lot of PSU people on the board, and they're great and PSU is definitely a strong school in meteorology, but who knows if Plymouth is "weak" to them or not. I can only speak from my personal experiences. It just goes to show that every school analyzes things differently. FSU did not apparently care about what school I came from (I came from UNC-Asheville with an Atmospheric Science Degree and Math minor), because I got right in here with a strong offer.

I also applied to the University of Oklahoma, and to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which has a smaller meteorology program embedded in their geosciences department.

EDIT: Two faculty in particular here that study tropical meteorology and/or numerical weather prediction are Drs. Hart and Reasor, both of whom are cool and whom I respect.

on a similar topic, (i wont make another thread since that would be dumb) I am a senior Math/Computer Science student also looking for a master's coursework in meteorology (along the lines of programming forecast models and the like) anyone know anything about that?

jahrules, on Jul 4 2006, 11:03 PM, said:

That's definitely relevant, and I know that FSU definitely looks well beyond just having an undergraduate degree in meteorology. In fact, that undergraduate degree in meteorology is not required at all to be admitted to the graduate program in meteorology here (or at many other big meteorology schools I think as well). You can read through the graduate program description for FSU meteorology here. http://www.met.fsu.e...ams/gradprogram Specifically, it says,

Quote

I know that they strongly consider people with no meteorology background at all that instead have strong math, computer science, and/or physics backgrounds. They are just as relevant in the selection process as meteorology undergraduate degrees.

Thanks for the info on FSU. I will try and visit the campus at some point during the upcoming academic year to get a better feel for the school, facilities, and Tallahassee real estate. I have not taken my GREs yet, but intend to do so sometime soon. My GPA is very high, but standardized testing has been one of my weaknesses. Hopefully I will get in should I apply; I will apply to Plymouth, SUNY Albany, and perhaps one or two others. Also, are you doing any research or teaching assistantships? Are they hard to get?

MSquared, on Jul 5 2006, 12:09 AM, said:

For me, I started as a Research Assistant and have remained that for the whole time. In fact, the way things are set up here, you basically need to eventually become a Research Assistant for some professor in order to complete your thesis. That actually means that most students in this department are supported financially by the department or the professor that they work for, which is awesome. The whole time I've been here, the only things I've had to pay for related to FSU are books and miscellaneous fees at the beginning of each semester, and I actually make a small salary due to being an RA, so the cost of the grad school itself here is actually not very much. I don't have any extra outside jobs like McDonald's to make money or anything like that. My job is my RA-ship and any classes that I take, and that is enough. I think that most students in the department are probably similar to myself. Tuition is waived every semester as long as you're a TA or an RA, and the department tries to make sure that the vast majority of people are in one of those positions quickly.

My RA work is basically my thesis. Certainly there are several people here that start out as TA's and eventually transition to RA's, hopefully after the first year. I think the key to jumping into being an RA right away and skipping the TA step it to make yourself known to individual professors who might have funding to pay you. It's really up to the individual professors on who they take as RA's, not the department as a whole. Now at other schools, the process may be completely different, but that's how things seem to go here. For instance, I have a friend in the meteorology department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his RA work is more seperate from what his actual thesis research will be. It's still somewhat related, but not as closely as mine is.

MSquared, on Jul 4 2006, 11:09 PM, said:

I just wanted to comment on the GREs. You never know what a school is going to value, so you might as well give everything a high priority. The GREs are very different from other standardized tests. I would highly recommend buying a study book for the GREs (if you haven't already), which give you many tips for raising your score. The first time I took a pratice test, I was clueless because I had never taken a test like that before. I took dozens of practice tests and I pretty much doubled my score.

It turns out my advisor at OU was impressed by my GRE verbal and writing scores (along with my math). I had been told not to worry about the verbal because nobody cared about it for meteorology, and that was obviously not the case. So I guess the moral of the story is to work hard at every single aspect of your application, you never know what an individual program or professor is going to look at.

MSquared, on Jul 4 2006, 04:56 PM, said:

It's Plymouth State College. I went there too.

BIrving, on Jul 5 2006, 04:21 PM, said:

Not to be disrespectful but, according to the website it is University...
http://www.plymouth.edu/

What I've heard was that as a junior or senior, get involved with as many professors as you can, doing work for them and getting to know them better. If you get on their good side, they will write you a good letter for whatever school you apply to and your chance of getting in is improved pretty significantly, especially if you might be lacking in GPA or test scores. Get involved in internships too, shake as many hands as possible.

On the topic of colleges, what is the general opinion of Rutgers University in NJ? Im very interested in Plymouth State, but also want to get a look at some others.

jm1220, on Jul 5 2006, 04:12 PM, said:

this is very easily done at smaller state schools for instance my school's computer science department consists of four professors and currently 5 upper classmen and 2 underclass (theres a real huge computer science shortage coming up due to untrue rumors about outsourcing and such... (truth is oursourcing mainly happens on the customer support level and programming/development work generally stays domestic))

moral of the story though... i know all four of my professors on a first name basis... we all hang out on the occasion outside of the classroom. they work with us when we come up with crazy independent study courses and they all know and can vouch for our abilities

DVD,

Do you know Dr. Robert Ross?? He was my tropical professor at Millersville University. Great guy.

Jahrules,

You mentioned modeling. If you can offer some good grades and are research oriented, you might consider MIT. You should be able to utilize your modeling preference since MIT offers opportunities in areas such as the MIT Climate Modeling Iniatiative.
I applied to MIT for Grad School and, though I presented references from my Theo. Met Professor and a class salutatorian standing, I was not admitted.
Is there anyone on these boards with an MIT degree or attending MIT?

Jan S.
Oneida, NY

Drvortex, on Jul 6 2006, 11:35 AM, said:

Yep, I know him. Definitely seems like a good guy. He's right in the next room from me, and we both work for the same professor. I said hi to him from you once a while back actually.

wxwatcher91, on Jul 5 2006, 06:00 PM, said:

I graduated from Rutgers in 04. It was a great school...I am where I am today thanks to that education. Now I know the director of the met program just retired, so someone new will be taking over...truthfully, that may not be a bad thing. The former director was fine...things were just a little anitquated under his reign. The current director is Dr. Robock, who is an expert on climate change....if you're in to that at all, there's no doubt RU would be good for you. I would certainly investigate it and visit it...see what kind of feeling you get...with all the changes, I'm not sure what direction the program is going to head toward. One thing I will say...class sizes are small. If you want that...you will get it. I enjoyed that a lot because I ended becoming great friends with many of my fellow students. Now, that's for undergrad.

Graduate wise, I would only consider Rutgers if you're interested in climate change or climate modeling. As far as I know beyond that, there isn't much attention paid to forecasting..so if that's what you want, you may not get it, but again...investigate.

Undergrad schools I'd investigate: RU, PSU, Albany, FSU, Lyndon State, Plymouth State

Grad schools I'd investigate: FSU, PSU, Albany

Of course there are others, but these stand out in my mind. I've worked with a few people from obviously RUtgers, as well as PSU and Albany and have friends at FSU and Albany...they all know their stuff. PM if you want to know more.

I'm going to be applying to PSU, Wisconsin, and Colorado State for grad school this fall. If I get admitted to PSU GS then I'll just stay here, and maybe go to CSU for my Ph.D.

Does anyone know much about Millersville University in Pennsylvania?

How good of a program do they have there?
How difficult is it to get in?

Thanks very much.

From what I've seen/heard, they have a good, but small undergraduate meteorology program.

I'm not sure if they have one, nor have I heard anything about a Graduate program there.

aifan27, on Jul 6 2006, 12:34 PM, said:

I will be attending my junior year as met major at Millersville. Its a great school (so maybe im a little biast ) The professors are great there, willing to help whenever possible. The weather center is always open to students to use the resources for classwork or just to check the forecast. Small-town USA type of school, but definately a quality one, especially with the met department. Enrolling isnt too tough. I scored 1190 on SATS and got in. I know many people who scored about 1000 and got in (these are from the old SATs, by the way). Its definately worth checking out if youre looking for a school to go to.

Anyone here attend/know how the undergrad programs at UMASS Lowell and SUNY Oswego are?

MonsonWeather, on Jul 6 2006, 05:06 PM, said:

I worked with an Oswego grad and I just had someone in HS as an intern who's going to start there in the fall. It's a good school from what I understand. The guy I worked with from there is brilliant. The program seems okay. It's not quite up to par with SUNY Albany I don't think, but look into it. You'll get a lot of experience with lake effect snow and lake forecasting in general.

weatherjan, on Jul 6 2006, 10:58 AM, said:

wow so basically i probably cant get admitted... however i have been writing a program which involves hurrican recon feeds from the hunter planes, and ive been chatting with the NHC webmaster about it... maybe his letter of recommendation would be a large boost

Utica WX, on Jul 6 2006, 09:52 PM, said:

O, if SUNY Albany's met program is good I might consider there, Albany is only about an hour and 45 mins. drive away from here, Oswego is like 4 and a half hrs. away. How is the program at Albany?

flyersfan0044, on Jul 6 2006, 02:42 PM, said:

Thanks, I appreciate it.

I have visited Millersville University before and met with Eric Horst, as my house isn't too far away.

If you don't mind answering, how was your High School GPA?

Does anyone else know much about this school's program?

Thanks.

Chucks goes there.

LocoAko, on Jul 6 2006, 11:20 PM, said:

Oh yeah, that's right, forgot about that.

Maybe he will see the topic...

By the way, sorry to hijack your thread, MSquared.

MonsonWeather, on Jul 6 2006, 11:04 PM, said:

Albany's program is top tier. Good professors, many professors, NWS Office on campus, the school itself isn't exactly the most eye-appealing, but I think if you can work past it, you'll be fine. Albany the city is a little seedy, but the campus is far enough away from most of that part of the city that you don't need to worry. Plenty to do within an hour's drive or two (Lake George, Saratoga, Berkshires, southern Greens, Catskills, Adirondacks, Lake Champlain). I like the Albany area a lot. And I think the school is top notch.

I'm going to be a senior in high school next year. This past april i visited Millersville and thought it was a nice campus, i believe the average gpa of accepted students is around a 3.0 ( from my school it is a 3.04) and princeton review states the average sat is a 1038.

As of now Rutgers is my first choice for meteorology , but im also looking at Oneonta, Plymouth, Millersville, and Albany.

I think Rutgers is a stretch for me right now, i have a 3.02 gpa and a 1150 sat.

I believe Millersville has around 130 or so undergraduates compared to 75-82 at Rutgers and over 300 at Penn State.

aifan27, on Jul 6 2006, 10:13 PM, said:

hmm, had to do some digging, but finally pulled out of my drawer my last high school report card (almost made me want to shed a tear....not really). it was 3.54. as im sure many other people on this board can testify to, theres a lot (i mean, ALOT) of math that you have to take. more than i thought id ever need. i greatly underestimated the math going into college. but im doing ok now, after passing calc 3 and moving on to ordinary differential equations (to the people who have taken this course, any advice? god knows ill need it!) eric is a great guy. hes not a professor, but he basically is the heart of the weather center. he organizes all the student forecasting schedules and such. you may want to meet with dr. clarke. he too is a great person, very passionate about the weather. dr. clarke is the chairperson of the department. overall, i highly recommend checking out the school. they do a great job.

Utica WX, on Jul 6 2006, 10:24 PM, said:

Two words: Lance Bosart

If you're interested in synoptic meteorology, SUNY Albany is an excellent program.

AtticaFanatica, on Jul 7 2006, 12:12 AM, said:

Hey, not to take this too off-topic but while you're online, are you a grad student at OU?

brettjrob, on Jul 6 2006, 11:17 PM, said:

Yeah, I'm a Ph.D student at OU...

AtticaFanatica, on Jul 7 2006, 01:12 AM, said:

Bosart is a legend (anyone who's a pre-undergrad or undergrad student and has not done so yet, look for a paper on the PD I snowstorm of which he is an author and you'll learn tons)...his colleagues there are excellent too.

AtticaFanatica, on Jul 7 2006, 01:19 AM, said:

You could request a pro met tag from the mod/admins if you wanted one. You're definitely ahead of me in terms of education, and probably most of the other "pros" on the board as well.

Thanks for the wealth of info here guys. As for SUNY Albany, my current undergrad advisor at Plymouth got his doctoral degree there and seems very positive about the program. Synoptic is definitely be one of my interests too. My hometown in the Berkshires is only about 45-50 minutes away, so I would be close to home, but not close enough to commute easily. My major concern about living in Albany is the reputation of the city being rather rundown and unsightly. Housing prices I hear have gotten high there as well, making it difficult for a grad student to live in a decent part of town. This is one of the reasons why I have been considering Florida State where I understand the cost of living is lower.

AtticaFanatica, on Jul 7 2006, 12:19 AM, said:

Awesome, just wondering. I'm a lowly sophomore but can't wait to get into the "meat" of the metr coursework junior year (I should be careful what I wish for). Have you had a chance to see the inside of the NWC yet?

flyersfan0044, on Jul 7 2006, 01:10 AM, said:

Thanks, again...

Is Dr. Clarke there during the summer or just when school is in session?

I'm in an honors math course and science course (and have been in an honors math course for the last few years), so I am not too worried about it.

How is Chemistry and Physics? This is what I'm most concerned about.

Thanks.

Bump.

Thanks.

aifan27, on Jul 8 2006, 10:32 AM, said:

Sorry for the delay in responding. Chemistry isnt bad. Personally, i have some trouble with it, but everyone else made it through with little problems. Dr. Rajaseelan is the guy to get for chemistry. He has a tendency to round up final grades (rounding up, i mean from a C to possibly a B+, just for "showing up to class"). Physics is pretty much the reverse opposite for me personally. Everyone seemed to have a tough time iwth it, but i made it through with no problem. Because you need to take physics I and II, its a full year and every day. They break the chemistry and physics up into a lecture, recitation, and lab. lectures are 3 days a week for 50 minutes. that is with a full lecture hall of about 70 or so people. recitations are once a week for 50 minutes. These are mini-question and answer sessions with about 15-20 people. and labs are with about 20 people, once a week for about 2 and a half hours.

Clark should be there for the summer. his hours are cut in half, i believe. you can email him by going to the MU weather site. http://snowball.millersville.edu

Hope this all helps! Any more questions, feel free to ask.

flyersfan0044, on Jul 9 2006, 03:26 PM, said:

Thanks for the reply again, I appreciate it.

I was mainly talking about Chemistry and Physics in High School, but I'm assuming that you don't remember that.

Are you going to be a Sophmore or a Junior next year at Millersville?

Thanks.

I'm a sophmore at UAlbany (we students don't usually call it SUNY - Albany). Granted I haven't gotten into the actual Atmospheric Science program yet (meteo courses start 2nd year), I'll share what I know so far...

First off, the physics, chem, and math you have to take isn't too bad, if you like it. UA only requires 1 semester of Chem, and it's not too bad. Physics isn't bad either (UA requires Physics 1: mechanics, 2: electricity & magnetism, and 3: structure of matter... I was also recommended to take Physics 4 which is waves) - I'm a fan of physics in general, and if you put forth some effort and don't go partying every night, physics shouldn't be a problem. The math is pretty easy too, but I love calculus... UA requires calc 1, 2, 3, and ordinary diff. equations. I've taken calc 1 and 2 thus far and while calc 2 is rather difficult, it's not too bad and again, with some effort nothing to worry about.

The limited experience I've had with the Atmospheric Sci. department thus far has been fantastic. I met with Mike Landin twice (when I was looking at schools and again at the end of Fall semester, before being assigned an advisor), and he's a great guy. From what I hear he really whips you into shape in the beginning Atm courses and makes sure you know your stuff. Arthur Loesch, with whom I took a basic atmosphere class, is a great guy - loads of fun, very intelligent... I loved his class.

My advisor is Lance Bosart and he's a great guy - I don't think I could've picked better myself... so suffice it to say, I'm very happy with the program so far and am very excited to continue with it.

Quick aside: UA isn't the most asthetically pleasing school (that is unless you like poured concrete structures). But on the inside, it really is a great place. I know I didn't mention them in detail, but all my professors thus far have been superb (with one exception). The math and physics classes tend to be small (30ish) so the instructors learn your name and generally it makes for a nice overall experience.

aifan27, on Jul 9 2006, 02:47 PM, said:

yeah. there isnt much i remember about chemistry and physics in high school. im going to be a junior this year. i cant wait to get back

From one of the rare few on this board who isn't a math or physics fanatic and was never very good with it, if you pursue a meteo degree get ready to work your *** off and then some. It's one thing if these things come naturally to you, if not you will need to develop a solid work ethic very fast if you want to stay afloat. And seek out help immediately if you need it, DON'T WAIT, because material piles up on itself and is related to prior material, so if you don't understand material in the beginning it won't get better. And always have a plan B major. Mine is business or finance and I'm ready to switch to that after what I've been through so far. Meteo is not for everybody. If you're going into it I don't want to discourage anybody, but just be ready to seek help and work very hard, especially if math-related concepts don't come to you naturally. There's one or two writing and speaking courses in Meteo, the rest is all math.

jm1220, on Jul 9 2006, 08:08 PM, said:

Well said. I cant say i like math or physics or chem. In high school, i was fairly good at math, but i dont think anyone can prepare themselves for the math in this major. LIke stated, You do have to work your *** off. Speaking on first hand experience, you can not underestimate the math. you can work and work on it, and still get 90% of the questions wrong. i remember for my calc 3 final, i studied for a total of about 70 hours int he week before it. and still managed to pull a 55. haha, sorry if im venting, sorta salty about that one.

flyersfan0044, on Jul 9 2006, 10:15 PM, said:

I understand about all of these math difficulties. I am transferring to Millersville in the fall this year so maybe I'll see you coming up.

PS Not good at math either.

kylemacr, about how large is the undergraduate program ( atmospheric science) at UAlbany?


thanks

That is great to hear about Millersville from you all. I attended MU from 94-99. I graduated in May 99 and remember a few of those folks you spoke about above. Anyway, I will try and answer a few questions about what I thought of MU when I was going there and give you some things about it is today (well you hear that from actual students now).

Grades...I wasn't the smartest in HS but not the dumbest. I never pushed myself and didn't have parents hownding me all the time about grades (because I was the smartest one in my family...lol). Anyway, I had a 2.7 GPA in HS and scored a 1050 on SAT. Not great scores but was accepted to the summer program at MU. Passed that and began my Meteorology degree there in the Fall of 94.

Dr. Clark is the my favorite professor I ever had. He was like a father to me in many ways. Awesome mentor and educator. Eric Horst is an awesome guy that knows his weather. He is a PSU graduate but I don't hold anything against him on that...(you can tell him that Beavis said that!!! My nickname in college was Beavis then became Senior Beavis. Great times!!!) The only other professor I really know is Sepi and she was my satellite professor. Love her...she is awesome and very personable. Great mentor and wonderful to talk with. Everytime I'm home I make a point to visit MU to say hi.

About the program and that classes. I struggled w/ physics II and ODE but did well in the Meteorology classes. My worse grade in met was a C and that was twice but ODE and Physics II was quite difficult for me. Just couldn't grasp the concepts and all. The main thing is that getting a degree in Meteorology isn't easy. There is alot of math to do and it isn't easy stuff...btw you are only one or two courses away from a minor in math. Three calculus courses and one differential equations along with statistics. Extensive but it is required.

I have to agree w/ comments above about the small-town USA type of school MU is. I loved that environment and the close interaction with weather-community (family as we called it) and professors. I did see that there is roughly 130 or so there at MU now in the program...that is amazing. When I was started in 94 there was less than 50...then shot up to around 70-80 after the movie TWISTER came out. By the time I graduated we were close to 100.

Now about the facility....one word...Jealous!!! When I was there our weather shop was a closet and had only one dedicated weather classroom. It was crazy. With the current facility (which was first opened in Fall of 99 but I graduated in the Spring 99), the space grew seven-fold. When I came back for a visit to check it out I was amazed. You all have it made there. I know that you may think otherwise but I'm sure you have heard some stories in the past. The weather station alone to include Fitz and Horsts office was about the size of all MU Wx back in my yrs there. Now there are several classrooms and an awesome weather center with couches and even a observation deck. It is an incredible setup that MU has and a great learning environment.

Anyway, if you have any more questions/comments about the MU program, post away. I love to hear about what it is going on at the Ville!!!

BTW...that is where I met my wife...so watch out. LOL. She graduate in Dec 98 with degree in Elementary Education....another degree that MU is known for. Take care.

Jason

Delaware, on Jul 10 2006, 02:19 AM, said:

The department has a lot of professors, instructors, reasearch faculty, etc (click link). As far as how many students... according to Facebook (horrible way to tell, I know), there are about 100 undergrads in the program. Obviously that number is very non-scientific. I checked the website but didn't see any official statistics. The website is located here, if you're interested.

Hope this helps,

Kyle

Drvortex, on Jul 10 2006, 09:31 AM, said:

Its real good to hear from a graduate of the program. Most of the time, we never get to hear from meteorologists who have come through Millersville. They have made great strides in this major to make it more student-friendly. They have just installed quite a few touch screen LCD monitors which show computer models. These are going to replace the paper used on the map wall. Secondly, Eric, Dr. Clark, and Dr. Yalda are doing well. From what I hear, Dr. Clarke and Dr. Yalda are happily married and Dr. Yalda just had a baby boy. I don't know the last time you visited, but it seems like the campus is going through a bit of a facelift. Landes hall was demolished, this year the Best Western Inn becomes Reighart Hall (a suite mainly for upperclassmen), and last year they built Shenks Hall (again, a suite complex...This is where I'm staying this upcoming year. Very excited about it). The football field is now artificial turf, the track has been redone, Gordinier dining hall is now completely different, and from what I heard from my speech professor, they are taking out the streets by Caputo and by the SMC and making them into a grass walkway.

Im sure I will have many questions for you, in the upcoming future. I am beginning to get worried about life after MU. I am crossing my fingers that finding a job won't be too difficult. Do you have any advice on how to go about job searching? What kind of jobs are open? I wanna stay away from the broadcast aspect as much as possible. I am aiming for a minor in computer science. Thanks for any help you can offer!

For all of us high schoolers looking to major in meteorology, i think i can speak for all of us when i say we could use a few more testimonies from graduates of different colleges.

thanks :arrowheadsmiley:

Sorry for taking so long to response about life after schooling. I submitted my application/resume on Monster.com and was picked up by a contractor that works for the FAA. I worked in the Aviation Weather Research at the FAA Tech Center in Atlantic City for 6 months or so then moved to another contractor in a different part of the Tech Center. I became a Meteorologist/Programmer Analyst for the weather program called WARP that is being used at the Air Route Traffic Control Centers. I worked in that position for a year and half. Easy work but needed more of a challenge so I joined the Air Force.

The military (AF primarily) is becoming more strict on whom they let join and also get into the officer corp. It is very competitive but overall the culture and lifestyle is really unique. There are opportunities out there but just need to be open-minded and willing to go anywhere/everywhere. Weather is everywhere; however, the jobs for us are scarse and very competitive.

Hope this helps. Have any more questions, let me know.

Drvortex, on Jul 14 2006, 11:37 AM, said:

thanks for the advice. im definately willing to have to travel somewhere else for a job. sure ill miss family and friends, but from what i hear its worth it in the long run. does anyone else have any stories on their road to becoming a pro meteorolgist?

DVDweather, on Jul 4 2006, 11:53 PM, said:

What about Albany, do they require a Bachlors?

Perturbation3, on Aug 29 2006, 10:46 AM, said:

I don't know about them off-hand. You'd have to read their website to find that out or email them. I only really know about FSU.

DVDweather, on Aug 29 2006, 11:20 AM, said:

Talked to them it's fine

I think most programs actually prefer to have people who majored in engineering or a related field because of their experience in dealing with math and physics. For students who do not make it in graduate school, the reason is typically that they can't handle the math. The same is true for undergraduates, many who do not do well or leave the field point to the math as the culprit. I would say as long as you have a strong background in math and physics, you will have no problem making it in grad school for meteorology.

I would like to add something here (I have read the last page since I am busy) but I am a PSU Meteo graduate and also have a Master's in civil engineering. I would agree with jm1220's comments because the material does indeed build on itself. If you start to struggle with technical material, consider getting a tutor. Some of my best friends kind of joked about it for a time, but it ensured high grades that eventually got me into graduate school. Most meteo educations resemble engineering and you could earn a civil engineering degree with about 9 extra courses in addition to the meteorology courses.

I think this link from the AMS will help those students interested in looking for undergrad and graduate programs:

http://www.ametsoc.o...icula/index.cfm

Remember, some schools offer oceanography and other related sciences, so you have to look into the college you're interested in to make sure they offer meteorology. You can do a search of the schools, and most that are listed here do have links to the schools' websites. The AMS does not rate the programs, just provides a list. Once you find a school you're interested in, you can look into it further.

Oh, from what I understand, UMass Lowell is now offering some masters and PhD work, but I don't know much about that. Dr. Colby, whom has worked in collaboration with our office on some research, is excellent to work with, and from what I've heard, a very good professor.

As for PSU, as in Plymouth State University...the school changed their name this past school year (05-06), as I understand it.

Hope this helps.

--Turtle