hi! i’m a junior in high school n i was going through the embry riddle tag bc i’m interesting in going there i saw a post from u saying u went there n are studying astronomy, so i wanted to ask what u think of the school overall as well it’s astronomy program? I’m also looking at florida institute of technology and university of florida. Thanks ! :)
I dont know how old this is, but regardless I think an answer will be beneficial for everyone thinking about giving money and getting an education at ERAU.
It has its benefits. Its been said that companies love hiring from ERAU because the education and courses prepare you for industry, and that can true. The pilot program is a good example, and we do host two career expos during the year in which students absolutely do get interviewed and hired by big companies on the same day. That being said, astrophysics and astronomy are not a strong suit for the university. If you are looking to get hired and make money and actually get a quality education in the field of physics, id suggest else where.
This is mostly because the department of physical sciences in itself is young. The astrophysics program is no more than 8 or 9 years old, which means there's a lot to be desired. If you read physics journals, we do have a couple big name professors, ex-NASA researchers, and also people who are currently doing very big time research. However, I found issues with my time as an astronomy major, and I want to preface this by saying that I have changed my major for these reasons and also because I stopped comprehending advanced math.
The professors are concerned with themselves and really not much else. They do little to make coursework easier and when the whole class is failing they see it as student failure and not their fault. I had one professor who swore he was a physics god or something, because he literally could not care if we were doing badly, he was the best at everything, and that about sums up professors attitudes. Don't get me wrong, some professors were amazing and truly went out of their way, but it was not common. To put the program into perspective, no one in my graduating class got into a physics graduate program. Not one person. They got into other graduate degree programs or jobs, but everyone who wanted to get a masters or a phD now has to wait to apply again, and I think that says something about the quality of teaching there.
In terms of jobs in this program, they will help you apply for REUs and internships, but you're better off doing research with a professor at the university if you can. In terms of university life, the campus is ever expanding, food is subpar, they do try to do campus activities though they are usually lacking, and you can observe flights as a student so thats cool.
Am I satisfied with my education? Not with that price tag. Its a private institution that claims to offer a lot, but you really have to chose the right degree program to get all the benefits of the Embry Riddle brand name. If you want to offer yourself to improve a program and help it grow, then by all means so aatronomy at Embry Riddle. They have several labs and telescopes, including the large 1m on the roof of the science building. But if you actually want to be a physicist and pursue a graduate degree and learn, then I would consider other options. This isn't worth the price.
