Program Overview

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Astrophysical Sciences and Technology Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree

The doctoral program in astrophysical sciences and technology focuses on the underlying physics of phenomena beyond the Earth and on the development of the technologies, instruments, data analysis, and modeling techniques that will enable the next major strides in the field.

Why Study Astrophysical Sciences at RIT

• STEM-OPT Visa Eligible: The STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program allows full-time, on-campus international students on an F-1 student visa to stay and work in the U.S. for up to three years after graduation.
• Unique Interdisciplinary Approach: This multidisciplinary program is administered by the School of Physics and Astronomy, in collaboration with the School of Mathematics and Statistics and the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, setting it apart from conventional astrophysics graduate programs at traditional research universities.
• Tailored to your Interests: The program offers tracks in astrophysics (including observational and theoretical astrophysics), computational and gravitational astrophysics (including numerical relativity, gravitational wave astronomy), and astronomical technology (including detector and instrumentation research and development).
• Participate in Research: Students may participate in one of three research centers associated with the School of Physics and Astronomy: the Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation, the Center for Detectors, or the Laboratory for Multi-wavelength Astrophysics.

Plan of Study

• The astrophysics Ph.D. requires students to complete a minimum of 60 credit hours of study, consisting of at least 24 credit hours of course work and at least 24 credit hours of research.
• Students may choose to follow one of three tracks: astrophysics, astroinformatics and computational astrophysics (with the option of a concentration in general relativity), or astronomical instrumentation.
• All students must complete four core courses with grades of B or better, as well as two semesters of a graduate seminar.
• Core course grades below B must be remediated by taking and passing a comprehensive exam on the core course subject matter prior to receiving the doctoral degree.
• The remaining course credits are made up from specialty track courses and electives.
• Students must pass a qualifying examination, which consists of completing and defending a master's-level research project, prior to embarking on the dissertation research project.

Electives

• Electives include additional courses in astrophysics and a wide selection of courses offered in other RIT graduate programs (e.g., imaging science, computer science, engineering), including detector development, digital image processing, computational techniques, optics, and entrepreneurship, among others.

Ph.D. Qualification Requirements: Master's-Level Research Project

• During the first year of the program, most doctoral candidates begin a master's-level research project under the guidance of a faculty member.
• The project gains momentum during the second year after the core courses have been completed.
• The master's-level research topic may be different from the eventual doctoral dissertation topic, and the supervising faculty member will not necessarily serve as the dissertation research advisor.
• The doctoral qualification requirements consist of a combination of a publication-quality master's-level project report, which may be in the form of a thesis (if the student so chooses) and an oral presentation and defense of the master's-level project.
• This qualification process, which must be completed by the beginning of the third year of full-time study or its equivalent, is designed to ensure the student has the necessary background knowledge and intellectual skills to carry out doctoral-level research in the subject areas of astrophysical sciences and technology.

Dissertation Research Advisor

• After passing the qualifying examination, students are guided by a dissertation research advisor who is approved by the program director.
• The choice of advisor is based on the student's research interests, faculty research interests, and available research funding.

Research Committee

• After passing the qualifying examination, a dissertation committee is appointed for the duration of the student's tenure in the program.
• The committee chair is appointed by the dean of graduate education and must be a faculty member in a program other than astrophysical sciences and technology.
• The committee chair acts as the institutional representative in the final dissertation examination.
• The committee comprises at least four members and in addition to the chair, must also include the student's dissertation research advisor and at least one other member of the program's faculty.
• The fourth member may be an RIT faculty member, a professional affiliated in industry, or a representative from another institution.
• The program director must approve committee members who are not RIT faculty.

Ph.D. Proposal Review (Candidacy Exam)

• Within six months of the appointment of the dissertation committee, students must prepare a Ph.D. research project proposal and present it to the committee for review.
• The student provides a written research proposal and gives an oral presentation to the committee, who provides constructive feedback on the project plan.
• The review must take place at least six months prior to the dissertation defense.

Annual Review

• Each fall, students provide an annual report in the form of an oral presentation, which summarizes progress made during the preceding year.
• The program director also monitors student's progress toward meeting the requirements for either the qualifying examination (during the first two years), or the Ph.D. (after passing the qualifying examination).
• Students may be interviewed, as necessary, to explore any concerns that emerge during the review and to discuss remedial actions.

Final Examination of the Dissertation

• Once the dissertation is written, distributed to the dissertation committee, and the committee agrees to administer the final examination, the doctoral candidate may schedule the final examination.
• The candidate must distribute a copy of the dissertation to the committee and make the dissertation available to interested faculty at least four weeks prior to the dissertation defense.
• The final examination of the dissertation is open to the public and is primarily a defense of the dissertation research.
• The examination consists of an oral presentation by the student, followed by questions from the audience.
• The dissertation committee privately questions the candidate following the presentation.
• The dissertation committee caucuses immediately following the examination and thereafter notifies the candidate and the program director of the results.

Residency

• All students in the program must spend at least one year (summer term excluded) in residence as full-time students to be eligible to receive the doctorate degree.

Time Limitations

• All doctoral candidates must maintain continuous enrollment during the research phase of the program.
• Normally, full-time students complete the course of study in approximately four to five years.
• A total of seven years is allowed to complete the requirements after first attempting the qualifying examination.

Curriculum for Astrophysical Sciences and Technology Ph.D.

• Astrophysical Sciences and Technology, Ph.D. degree, typical course sequence:
  • First Year:
    • ASTP-601 Graduate Seminar I (1 credit hour)
    • ASTP-602 Graduate Seminar II (1 credit hour)
    • ASTP-608 Fundamental Astrophysics I (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-609 Fundamental Astrophysics II (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-790 Research & Thesis (4 credit hours)
    • Specialty Track Courses (6 credit hours)
  • Second Year:
    • ASTP-790 Research & Thesis (6 credit hours)
    • Specialty Track Courses (6 credit hours)
    • Electives (6 credit hours)
  • Third Year:
    • ASTP-890 Research & Thesis (8 credit hours)
  • Fourth Year:
    • ASTP-890 Research & Thesis (8 credit hours)
  • Fifth Year:
    • ASTP-890 Research & Thesis (8 credit hours)
• Specialty Tracks:
  • Astroinformatics:
    • ASTP-612 Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-711 Advanced Statistical Methods for Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
    • PHYS-616 Data Analysis for the Physical Sciences (3 credit hours)
    • Electives (9 credit hours)
  • Gravitational Wave Astronomy:
    • ASTP-612 Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-613 Astronomical Observational Techniques and Instrumentation (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-660 Introduction to Relativity and Gravitation (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-730 Stellar Atmospheres & Evolution (3 credit hours)
    • Elective (3 credit hours)
  • Instrumentation:
    • ASTP-613 Astronomical Observational Techniques and Instrumentation (3 credit hours)
    • PHYS-616 Data Analysis for the Physical Sciences (3 credit hours)
    • IMGS-616 Fourier Methods for Imaging (3 credit hours)
    • Electives (9 credit hours)
  • Numerical Relativity:
    • ASTP-612 Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-618 Fundamentals of Theoretical Astrophysics I (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-619 Fundamentals of Theoretical Astrophysics II (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-660 Introduction to Relativity and Gravitation (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-861 Advanced Relativity and Gravitation (3 credit hours)
    • Elective (3 credit hours)
  • Observational Astrophysics:
    • ASTP-613 Astronomical Observational Techniques and Instrumentation (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-730 Stellar Atmospheres & Evolution (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-740 Galactic Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-750 Extragalactic Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
    • Electives (6 credit hours)
  • Theoretical Astrophysics:
    • ASTP-612 Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-618 Fundamentals of Theoretical Astrophysics I (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-619 Fundamentals of Theoretical Astrophysics II (3 credit hours)
    • ASTP-851 Cosmology (3 credit hours)
    • Electives (6 credit hours)

Electives

• ASTP-612 Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-613 Astronomical Observational Techniques and Instrumentation (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-618 Fundamentals of Theoretical Astrophysics I (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-619 Fundamentals of Theoretical Astrophysics II (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-660 Introduction to Relativity and Gravitation (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-711 Advanced Statistical Methods for Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-720 Computational Methods for Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-730 Stellar Atmospheres & Evolution (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-740 Galactic Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-750 Extragalactic Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-835 High-Energy Astrophysics (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-841 The Interstellar Medium (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-851 Cosmology (3 credit hours)
• ASTP-861 Advanced Relativity and Gravitation (3 credit hours)
• EEEE-610 Analog Electronics Design (3 credit hours)
• IMGS-628 Design and Fabrication of Solid State Cameras (3 credit hours)
• IMGS-639 Principles of Solid State Imaging Arrays (3 credit hours)
• IMGS-642 Testing of Focal Plane Arrays (3 credit hours)
• MATH-602 Numerical Analysis I (3 credit hours)
• MATH-751 High-performance Computing for Mathematical Modeling (3 credit hours)
• PHYS-611 Classical Electrodynamics I (3 credit hours)
• PHYS-612 Classical Electrodynamics II (3 credit hours)
• PHYS-614 Quantum Theory (3 credit hours)

Students are also interested in

• Astrophysical Sciences and Technology MS
• Physics MS

Admissions and Financial Aid

• This program is available on-campus only.
• Offered: Full-time
• Admit Term(s): Fall
• Application Deadline: January 15 (priority deadline), rolling thereafter
• STEM Designated: Yes

Application Details

• To be considered for admission to the Astrophysical Sciences and Technology Ph.D. program, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
  • Submit a graduate application.
  • Submit copies of official transcript(s) (in English) of all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work, including any transfer credit earned.
  • Hold a baccalaureate degree (or US equivalent) from an accredited university or college.
  • Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
  • Submit a statement of purpose for research.
  • Submit two letters of recommendation.
  • Entrance exam requirements: None
  • Submit English language test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic), if required.

Cost and Financial Aid

• An RIT graduate degree is an investment with lifelong returns.
• Ph.D. students typically receive full tuition and an RIT Graduate Assistantship that will consist of a research assistantship (stipend) or a teaching assistantship (salary).