Program Overview

M.S. in Astronomy

The M.S. in Astronomy program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in astronomy and astrophysics. The program allows students to maximize curriculum flexibility to adapt their program to their ambitions and goals as well as to their educational and professional backgrounds.

Plan of Study

Completion of the M.S. in astronomy requires 30 credits of graduate work beyond the bachelor's degree, including a minimum of 21 credits in course work. At least 15 credits must be at the 6000 level or above. The cumulative GPA for all courses applied towards a master's degree must be 3.0 or higher.

Requirements

Course work should meet the needs of the individual student, but must include:

• One course from:
  • PHYS 6410 (Electrodynamics)
  • PHYS 6510 (Quantum Mechanics)
  • PHYS 6520 (Quantum Mechanics II)
  • PHYS 6590 (Statistical Mechanics)
• Eight credits from:
  • ASTR 4120 (Observational Astronomy)
  • ASTR 4220 (Astrophysics)
  • ASTR 4240 (Gravitation and Cosmology)
  • ASTR/BIOL/ERTH 4510 (Origins of Life: A Cosmic Perspective)
  • ASTR 6940 (Readings in Astronomy and Astrophysics)
  • ASTR 6960 (Special Topics in Astronomy and Astrophysics)
• A 6- to 9-credit formally presented thesis, or a multiple-semester project in astronomy or astrophysics (ASTR 6970 - Professional Project)

Program Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program will be able to:

• demonstrate mastery of graduate-level courses covering a relevant selection of core fields of Physics, including Quantum Mechanics, Electrodynamics, or Statistical Physics
• demonstrate mastery of modern topics in astronomy or astrophysics through coursework
• demonstrate knowledge and research skills in astronomy or astrophysics through completion of a project or thesis
• clearly communicate their ideas and results to general and specialized audiences, both orally and in writing

Facilities

The institute provides students with one of the most modern environments for learning. Students' thesis research in astronomy and astrophysics enjoys access to world-class ground-based telescopes located at observing sites in the southern hemisphere and China. The department maintains the Hirsch Observatory, which houses a fully automated Boller and Chivens 16" Cassegrain Telescope, a Quantum Scientific Imaging (QSI) imaging camera with filter wheel, and a Santa Barbara Instrument Group (SBIG) spectrograph.

Research Areas

• Astronomy and Astrophysics: Students have access to world-class ground-based telescopes and the Hirsch Observatory.
• Condensed Matter and Optics: State-of-the-art equipment is provided for graduate students' experimental research in optics and condensed matter physics.
• Particles and Fields: Rensselaer research in particle astrophysics is involved in one of the leading experiments that could detect neutrinoless double beta decay, the nEXO experiment at SNOLAB in Canada.

Academic Opportunities

The Department's research activities are affiliated with numerous research centers on campus, including the Center for Computational Innovations, the Center for Future Energy Systems, and the Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center. Faculty and students' scholarly achievements are reflected by the awards they have received from a variety of organizations. The Rensselaer Astrophysical Society is a Union-funded organization that allows students to pursue their interest in astronomy.