Re: [meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics
Hi Bob, Of course, you are right - when it comes to the hard sciences. I was unthinkingly referring to social/behavioral sciences - which, since Meteoritics is a hard science, was inappropriate or at least Needed clarification. Best wishes, Michael On 2/17/10 9:43 PM, Bob Holmes beardown...@gmail.com wrote: (Posted for Dave Mouat) Please pass this on for me. Michael Blood is dead wrong on this. In the physical sciences (meteoritics, geology, physics, etc.), having a strong background in mathematics, physics, and chemistry is absolutely essential. If you have a BA in English (with little or no coursework in those fields), you would have to be one incredibly sharp cookie to be considered for a graduate program in the physical sciences. You would be taking graduate courses in geochemistry, geophysics and the like with no background in the basics. In fact, most graduate courses have prerequisites (read undergrad courses in related fields). My two cents worth Dave (current grad student advisor; former Coordinator, Arid Lands Resource Sciences PhD Program, UofAZ On Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 5:30 PM, Michael Blood mlbl...@cox.net wrote: Hi Steve and all, With few exceptions, it matters little what one major is in when Getting a BA. In fact, most graduate schools prefer to take students With a different BA than the focus of the Masters or PhD program To which they are applying. They openly state they prefer to see Students from broad backgrounds in their programs. Of course, if one wants to be a medical doctor, an engineer or Seeks a 2 year professional AA, then, of course, one's major matters Far more. Therefore, I encourage you to feel no hesitation at all in recommending, or at least informing students of colleges that offer opportunities in the field of meteoritics. This is an example of one of the many ways METEORITE MEN Are a service to the meteorite community. Best wishes, Michael On 2/17/10 9:38 AM, Steve Arnold dealer/Qynne meteorh...@aol.com wrote: On a side note, is there much demand for new meteorite scientists out there? If all the slots are filled, or someone isn't likely to be able to get a job once they would get a degree, I might want to caution kids not to get too serious about this field for a career without seriously evaluating the options first. __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
[meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics
Hello List, I have just had a high school aged viewer of our show Meteorite Men contact me asking for all the Universities that offer some type of Meteoritics degrees, as it seems after watching some of our episodes, this is now the direction this young man wants to pursue as a vocation. I was curious if there is a comprehensive list of the institutions that offer either undergraduate or post graduate courses in what might be grouped as Meteoritics? As Geoff and I begin to do more work speaking to Junior High and High School aged kids, it would seem that this might be a common question for us to be asked, and I would want to be prepared to offer the best answer possible. On a side note, is there much demand for new meteorite scientists out there? If all the slots are filled, or someone isn't likely to be able to get a job once they would get a degree, I might want to caution kids not to get too serious about this field for a career without seriously evaluating the options first. But since I am not one to try to quash anyone's dreams, I would like to be as helpful as possible. And as a reminder, tonight is our Dry Lake Bed hunt episode of Meteorite Men on Science Channel with our amazing guest stars Sonny Clary and his dog Brix. I hope the fun we had on this expedition comes through in the final cut. The only time I ever experienced anything close to what happens tonight was 13 years or so ago when I took several trips to Imilac and I found a lot of small pieces in a small area. It was a blast to shoot this episode and I look forward to being able to share it with the world.I will be putting some of the meteorites I found on the show up on Ebay with buy it now, so if you want one of the finds, check that out a little later today. Steve Arnold of Meteorite Men __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics
There is no such thing as an undergraduate degree in meteoritics. Many good schools, however, should provide independent study opportunities for students with astronomy, geology, geophysics type majors to explore the area. The situation is different with graduate studies, however. Here, you would look for an academic researcher as an advisor, and you'd work on an advanced degree under that person (and whatever department he happened to be associated with). You don't get a PhD in any particular subject, you choose your research and specialization based on your own interests and the expertise of your advisor and other staff at a particular institution. IMO there is more than enough room for some more meteoritics researchers, so there's no reason to discourage high school students from pursuing this area. Realistically, very few will actually do so. They should focus their undergraduate studies in the physical sciences. Chris * Chris L Peterson Cloudbait Observatory http://www.cloudbait.com - Original Message - From: meteorh...@aol.com To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:38 AM Subject: [meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics Hello List, I have just had a high school aged viewer of our show Meteorite Men contact me asking for all the Universities that offer some type of Meteoritics degrees, as it seems after watching some of our episodes, this is now the direction this young man wants to pursue as a vocation. I was curious if there is a comprehensive list of the institutions that offer either undergraduate or post graduate courses in what might be grouped as Meteoritics? As Geoff and I begin to do more work speaking to Junior High and High School aged kids, it would seem that this might be a common question for us to be asked, and I would want to be prepared to offer the best answer possible. On a side note, is there much demand for new meteorite scientists out there? If all the slots are filled, or someone isn't likely to be able to get a job once they would get a degree, I might want to caution kids not to get too serious about this field for a career without seriously evaluating the options first. But since I am not one to try to quash anyone's dreams, I would like to be as helpful as possible. And as a reminder, tonight is our Dry Lake Bed hunt episode of Meteorite Men on Science Channel with our amazing guest stars Sonny Clary and his dog Brix. I hope the fun we had on this expedition comes through in the final cut. The only time I ever experienced anything close to what happens tonight was 13 years or so ago when I took several trips to Imilac and I found a lot of small pieces in a small area. It was a blast to shoot this episode and I look forward to being able to share it with the world.I will be putting some of the meteorites I found on the show up on Ebay with buy it now, so if you want one of the finds, check that out a little later today. Steve Arnold __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics
I was just going to major in Geology and go from there. Any suggestions? [Erik] From: c...@alumni.caltech.edu To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:49:23 -0700 Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics There is no such thing as an undergraduate degree in meteoritics. Many good schools, however, should provide independent study opportunities for students with astronomy, geology, geophysics type majors to explore the area. The situation is different with graduate studies, however. Here, you would look for an academic researcher as an advisor, and you'd work on an advanced degree under that person (and whatever department he happened to be associated with). You don't get a PhD in any particular subject, you choose your research and specialization based on your own interests and the expertise of your advisor and other staff at a particular institution. IMO there is more than enough room for some more meteoritics researchers, so there's no reason to discourage high school students from pursuing this area. Realistically, very few will actually do so. They should focus their undergraduate studies in the physical sciences. Chris * Chris L Peterson Cloudbait Observatory http://www.cloudbait.com - Original Message - From: meteorh...@aol.com To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:38 AM Subject: [meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics Hello List, I have just had a high school aged viewer of our show Meteorite Men contact me asking for all the Universities that offer some type of Meteoritics degrees, as it seems after watching some of our episodes, this is now the direction this young man wants to pursue as a vocation. I was curious if there is a comprehensive list of the institutions that offer either undergraduate or post graduate courses in what might be grouped as Meteoritics? As Geoff and I begin to do more work speaking to Junior High and High School aged kids, it would seem that this might be a common question for us to be asked, and I would want to be prepared to offer the best answer possible. On a side note, is there much demand for new meteorite scientists out there? If all the slots are filled, or someone isn't likely to be able to get a job once they would get a degree, I might want to caution kids not to get too serious about this field for a career without seriously evaluating the options first. But since I am not one to try to quash anyone's dreams, I would like to be as helpful as possible. And as a reminder, tonight is our Dry Lake Bed hunt episode of Meteorite Men on Science Channel with our amazing guest stars Sonny Clary and his dog Brix. I hope the fun we had on this expedition comes through in the final cut. The only time I ever experienced anything close to what happens tonight was 13 years or so ago when I took several trips to Imilac and I found a lot of small pieces in a small area. It was a blast to shoot this episode and I look forward to being able to share it with the world.I will be putting some of the meteorites I found on the show up on Ebay with buy it now, so if you want one of the finds, check that out a little later today. Steve Arnold __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics
Physics. Lots of physics. Some schools have geology programs that are focused more on geomorphology and geologic processes, and some more on mineralogy. The latter is more useful for a meteoriticist. Look for a geology program that emphasizes the physics and chemistry more than classification. And some good astronomy courses can't hurt, either. They're rocks, but they're rocks from space! Chris * Chris L Peterson Cloudbait Observatory http://www.cloudbait.com - Original Message - From: Erik Fisler erikfw...@msn.com To: meteorite-list meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 12:10 PM Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics I was just going to major in Geology and go from there. Any suggestions? [Erik] __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics
Erik wrote: I was just going to major in Geology and go from there.? Any suggestions? The University of New Mexico has the Institute of Meteoritics and ties it in with some of their classes in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. http://epswww.unm.edu/iom/courses.html Chauncey __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics
Hi Steve and all, With few exceptions, it matters little what one major is in when Getting a BA. In fact, most graduate schools prefer to take students With a different BA than the focus of the Masters or PhD program To which they are applying. They openly state they prefer to see Students from broad backgrounds in their programs. Of course, if one wants to be a medical doctor, an engineer or Seeks a 2 year professional AA, then, of course, one's major matters Far more. Therefore, I encourage you to feel no hesitation at all in recommending, or at least informing students of colleges that offer opportunities in the field of meteoritics. This is an example of one of the many ways METEORITE MEN Are a service to the meteorite community. Best wishes, Michael On 2/17/10 9:38 AM, Steve Arnold dealer/Qynne meteorh...@aol.com wrote: On a side note, is there much demand for new meteorite scientists out there? If all the slots are filled, or someone isn't likely to be able to get a job once they would get a degree, I might want to caution kids not to get too serious about this field for a career without seriously evaluating the options first. __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Re: [meteorite-list] Degrees in Meteoritics
(Posted for Dave Mouat) Please pass this on for me. Michael Blood is dead wrong on this. In the physical sciences (meteoritics, geology, physics, etc.), having a strong background in mathematics, physics, and chemistry is absolutely essential. If you have a BA in English (with little or no coursework in those fields), you would have to be one incredibly sharp cookie to be considered for a graduate program in the physical sciences. You would be taking graduate courses in geochemistry, geophysics and the like with no background in the basics. In fact, most graduate courses have prerequisites (read undergrad courses in related fields). My two cents worth Dave (current grad student advisor; former Coordinator, Arid Lands Resource Sciences PhD Program, UofAZ On Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 5:30 PM, Michael Blood mlbl...@cox.net wrote: Hi Steve and all, With few exceptions, it matters little what one major is in when Getting a BA. In fact, most graduate schools prefer to take students With a different BA than the focus of the Masters or PhD program To which they are applying. They openly state they prefer to see Students from broad backgrounds in their programs. Of course, if one wants to be a medical doctor, an engineer or Seeks a 2 year professional AA, then, of course, one's major matters Far more. Therefore, I encourage you to feel no hesitation at all in recommending, or at least informing students of colleges that offer opportunities in the field of meteoritics. This is an example of one of the many ways METEORITE MEN Are a service to the meteorite community. Best wishes, Michael On 2/17/10 9:38 AM, Steve Arnold dealer/Qynne meteorh...@aol.com wrote: On a side note, is there much demand for new meteorite scientists out there? If all the slots are filled, or someone isn't likely to be able to get a job once they would get a degree, I might want to caution kids not to get too serious about this field for a career without seriously evaluating the options first. __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list __ Visit the Archives at http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
