Which schools have the best meteorology program?

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Grant Firl
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Which schools have the best meteorology program?

Post by Grant Firl »

I'm currently an undergraduate student finishing up a B.S. in mathematics. It has always been my intent to first establish a firm background in mathematics, the language of science, and then pursue a graduate degree in meteorology.

For those of you with experience in meteorology at the collegiate level, which college do you think is the best for learning about the atmosphere and why?

In addition, do you feel that the college offers a good value? (ie. is the education a good one for the money)

Thanks in advance! :D
Keith Thomas
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Post by Keith Thomas »

Hi Grant,

I think you’ll find that the answer to this question can vary quite a bit depending upon your specific interests (and who you talk to :) ). I completed the undergraduate program in Meteorology at Penn State a little over a year ago and can’t say anything bad about it—great overall program and some amazing people to work with.

Whether or not college offers a good value, in my opinion, depends upon the individual as well. Much of what I have a real passion for doing, atmospheric data analysis/visualization coupled with software development, I learned entirely on my own. I always felt that I learned much more by struggling with various references trying to apply a concept in a practical sense opposed to classroom lectures and problem sets that focus on idealized situations.

My personal view is that college is more about learning how to learn and not entirely the discipline that you’re working on a degree in. I find that too much energy is spent testing how well you can regurgitate specific concepts on an exam. The few courses that challenged me to think were always the ones that I walked away from with the most. In the end, it wasn't a bad deal, but I think a lot more could be had for the money if more courses challenged students to think for themselves.

Keith
Shane Z Adams
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Post by Shane Z Adams »

I'm no meteorology education guru, but here's a list I've picked up over the years from listening to others:

Oklahoma
Texas A&M
Northern Illinois
Penn State
Florida State
Texas Tech
Scott Kampas
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Post by Scott Kampas »

Keith is right on the money. It really depends on the person and what you're looking for.

I'm currently an undergrad at Saint Louis University but have looked thoroughly into meteorology programs for years. I've done much research on my own and have talked to numerous people in the meteorology field (countless mets in the NWS and other government entities, media, academia, USAF, private sector).

Math is certainly a good major for most any science. Judging from that, you may like the University of Washington. Other schools that come to mind are:
Univ of Oklahoma (Norman)
Colorado State Univ
Pennsylvania State Univ
Texas Tech Univ
Univ of Wisconsin (Madison)
Univ of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)

That is far from an exhaustive list of good schools. It's hard to name schools without knowing you and what you're looking for, but I don't think you could go wrong with any of those I mentioned.

-Scott-
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