<p>Chris, I know nothng about Penn State, so I can’t help there, but I do know quite a bit about the physics field (though not much physics! 
) Astronomy is definitely mostly grad school material. The field itself is actually very specialized and so are the employment the opportunities.</p>
<p>Do you love math? If you love physics and you love math, an undergrad degree in physics might be for you. But,a grad degree is really necessary for the best jobs in physics. It doesn’t really matter until grad level what specialized field you want to focus on. </p>
<p>If you have questions about the physics dept, my ds will be finishing up his finals Fri and will be coming home for Christmas break. i’m sure he would be happy to answer any questions. He is technically only a freshman, but he entered with so many physics and math credits that he is taking classes with jrs and srs. also, Dr. LeClair is a fabulous undergrad advisor and definitely should be contacted with any questions. Of all the depts we met with last yr, our meeting with Dr. LeClair was by far the best. Ds met with him prior to making his decision as to where to attend and LeClair spent an hour with him answering all of his questions, gave great advice, and shared info about additional scholarship opportunities.</p>