This page will give you information on what to expect (and what is expected of you) as an astronomy graduate student at the University of Maryland. If you find that some of your questions are not answered here, please feel free to contact us directly.

Questions about our graduate program should be directed to the chair of the Graduate Entrance Committee, Dr. Stacy McGaugh.
If you have questions about your application, contact Mary Ann Phillips.
Questions about general graduate student life should be directed to current graduate student Mike Koss.

Main Information

• Introduction to the Department
  A good place to start!
• Graduate Catalog (Astronomy)
  This is the Department of Astronomy's entry in the Graduate Catalog.
• Academic Program
  Learn more about our Ph.D. program/curriculum.
• Graduate School Application Process
  Apply to Maryland! (Note that admissions deadlines here may supercede those in the Graduate Catalog.)
• Funding
  The department guarantees full support for a minimum of 6 years (assuming adequate progress toward your degree). This section gives information about teaching and research assistantships.

More Information

The following links are less important but can help give you a sense of the department and the University of Maryland.

• Department Brochure
  Less up-to-date than the Department Introduction (above) but has useful information.
• Graduate Wiki
  A student-written wiki that provides a glimpse into graduate student life.
• The Grad Student's Guide
  An older but more comprehensive student-written guide to life at UMD.
• Arrival Guide for New Graduate Students - UMD's official guide for all graduate students, useful after you've been accepted.