PhD Program:
Our PhD program is generally 5 to 6 years. The first two years include research and classes. The remainder is devoted to thesis research.
Requirements include:
- Six (6) core courses in astronomy (18 credits) plus three (3) credits of astronomy, and one approved cognate course from another Natural Science Department (3 credits) - Years 1 or 2
- Precandidate Research Projects - Years 1 and 2
- Doctoral Preliminary Oral Examination - End of Year 2
- Dissertation and Oral Defense - Years 3-5/6
Core Courses:
Astronomy 501: Modern Astronomical Techniques
Astronomy 530: Exoplanets and Star Formation
Astronomy 531: Stellar Astrophysics
Astronomy 532: The High Energy Universe
Astronomy 533: Gas and Galaxies
Astronomy 534: The Extragalactic Universe
Students must take 3 or more credits in astronomy electives. Electives may be drawn from elegible cognate courses from other Departments, or may be drawn from a subset of Astronomy 400-level courses or graduate elective courses (e.g., The Intergalactic and Circumgalactic Medium, Order of Magnitude Astrophysics, Advanced topics in Star and Planet Formation, Writing in the Physical Sciences).
All students must complete the RCRS requirement (Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarship training) by taking the one credit Physics 500 course prior to advancing to candidacy.
Advancing to Candidacy:
Advancement to candidacy requires having a research advisor, fulfilling the written research requirement (generally satisfied by submitting a first-authored paper started during your PhD studies), having a B or above in Astronomy classes, and passing an oral candidacy exam that focuses on a student’s research project and the big ideas behind it. The written research requirements and oral exam are generally at the end of the Winter semester, Year 2. Students who have completed the course work (core+cognate classes) and are in good academic standing are eligible for a master's degree.
