Astronomy Major

Astronomy is the scientific study of the universe and its contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects. Astronomers not only study what the universe is like right now, but they seek to understand the origins and evolution of the universe and the objects within it. At the University of Maryland, astronomers use a variety of tools, including telescopes (both ground-based and space-based) for imaging and spectroscopy, and other specialized instruments to study celestial objects as well as creating theoretical and computational models to better understand those objects.

The Astronomy Department offers courses leading to a Bachelor of Science in three specializations: Astrophysics, Astronomy - Data Science, and Astronomy - Physical Science. The department also offers a series of courses of general interest to non-majors. Astronomy majors are given a strong undergraduate preparation in astronomy, mathematics, and physics. Our class sizes are small and all courses are led by our enthusiastic faculty, developing a strong peer community. The degree program is designed to prepare students for positions in government, industry laboratories, science communication, science policy, science education, or for graduate work in Astronomy or related fields.

Course Information

Lists of Astronomy-related courses are available in a couple of formats:

• The department maintains an index of all offered undergraduate astronomy courses. This list includes course descriptions but does not indicate whether a class is being taught in a particular semester.
• The university maintains a schedule of the astronomy courses offered each semester. These lists also include the prerequisites, current status of enrollment, and waitlist sizes for each class.

Requirements for the Major

Astronomy majors are required to take a three-semester introductory astrophysics course sequence: ASTR 130, ASTR 131, and ASTR 232. Besides introducing the students to basic concepts throughout the discipline of astronomy, the courses focus on problem-solving skills that are foundational for future majors courses. All Astronomy majors are also required to take ASTR 310 (Observational Astronomy).

Students majoring in Astronomy must also obtain a good background in physics and mathematics. The Physics courses required for all majors is PHYS 171, 265, 272, and 273, along with the associated labs, PHYS 275 and 276. The mathematics required for all Astronomy majors is MATH 140, 141, 241, and 243.

The Astronomy major offers three specializations, and students typically choose one as they near completion of the courses described above.

• Astrophysics Specialization. This specialization is intended for students planning to attend a PhD program in astronomy, astrophysics, or a similar field upon completion of an undergraduate degree. Students planning to teach astronomy at a 4-year college or university or to be a leader of research in astronomy at organizations such as NASA are likely to need a PhD. In addition to the Astronomy, Physics, and Math courses listed above, students in this specialization are required to take these additional items:
  • Three 400-level Astronomy courses
  • 3 credits of experiential learning; i.e., "research for credit", under the titles of ASTR 488, ASTR 498, or ASTR 399 (by invitation only). The credits may be completed in one semester or over several semesters. Relevant research for credit in physics, geology, AOSC, or other fields may be used to satisfy this requirement, with approval of the Astronomy advisor.
  • Two of the following three Physics courses: PHYS 401, PHYS 404, PHYS 410
  • Students majoring in any Physics specialization must take this specialization of Astronomy.
• Astronomy - Data Science Specialization. This specialization is intended for students planning on research careers involving extensive data analysis, which may be in fields such as astronomy, physics, environmental/climate science, health care, finance, or other fields. This specialization would also prepare students for Master's programs in areas related to data science. In addition to the Astronomy, Physics, and Math courses listed above, students in this specialization are required to take these additional items:
  • Three upper-level Astronomy courses from the list of ASTR 320 and all 400-level Astronomy courses. (ASTR 320 is not required unless it is a pre-/corequisite for one of the 400-level courses taken.)
  • Two upper-level Data Science courses
  • Three upper-level courses from a list of MATH/STAT courses related to data science.
  • Students completing this specialization are set up for and expected to also complete the Data Science Minor.
  • Students majoring in Computer Science may NOT take this specialization in Astronomy; CS students wishing a Data Science specialization should do this via the CS major.
• Astronomy - Physical Science Specialization. This specialization is designed for students planning to split their academic focus and interest between astronomy and another field. This might be a related science, such as Geology, AOSC, or some combination of environmental/climate science, or it might be a different discipline, such as communication, writing, or policy. Students in this specialization might go into careers such as science teaching, science communication, science policy. Students in this specialization would also be well-prepared for Master's programs, such as in communication, policy, or a teaching certification. In addition to the Astronomy, Physics, and Math courses listed above, students in this specialization are required to take these additional items:
  • Three upper-level Astronomy courses from the list of ASTR 320 and all 400-level Astronomy courses. (ASTR 320 is not required unless it is a pre-/corequisite for one of the 400-level courses taken.
  • Three upper-level science courses in a complementary field, chosen from a list of courses approved by Astronomy for this specialization (see the sample 4-year plan for the list).
  • Two upper-level courses from a list of courses relating to science policy, science communication, and science applications, chosen from a list of courses approved by Astronomy for this specialization (see the sample 4-year plan for the list).
  • Students choosing this specialization are encouraged to double major or minor in a complementary field that will further their career goals.

Other Program Requirements and Conditions

• The Astronomy program requires that a grade of C- or better be obtained in all required courses, including the courses fulfilling specialization requirements.
• The Experiential Learning requirement for the Astrophysics specialization may be satisfied by a suitable paid internship and a zero-credit course, with permission of the Astronomy advisor. Those students must complete an additional 400-level Astronomy course.
• Students with extensive computer programming experience may replace PHYS 265 with PHYS 474: Computational Physics (3 cr) or ASTR 415: Computational Astrophysics (3 cr); students completing ASTR 415 for this requirement may not count it toward the 400-level Astronomy course requirement.
• Once a student has begun the Astronomy major at the University of Maryland, no more than one course at the 300-/400-level from a "study abroad" type program may be used in place of an ASTR-prefix course required for the major.

4-year plans

The Astronomy Department maintains sample 4-year plans for all specializations that includes the General Education requirements:

• Astrophysics
• Astronomy - Data Science
• Astronomy - Physical Science

Facilities

The Department of Astronomy is a full partner in the 4.3m Lowell Discovery Telescope (LDT), one of the largest and most technologically advanced telescopes in the continental U.S. We have joined Caltech and other partners in the Zwicky Transient Facility, a time-domain survey for studying rare and exotic transient phenomena with first light at Palomar Observatory in 2017. The Department is involved with major space missions, such as NASA's Deep Impact, EPOXI, and Rosetta missions which have explored comets. Additionally, the Department operates a small observatory on campus which has four fixed telescopes ranging in aperture from 20" to 7" and several portable telescopes. This facility is used for undergraduate majors' classes and for small-scale research projects. The Department operates a high-performance computing cluster for computation-intensive science projects, and we have a new visualization laboratory for state-of-the-art simulations and displays of large datasets. Opportunities are available for undergraduates to become involved in research with all of these facilities. A number of our students also conduct research and instrumentation projects with distinguished scientists at the nearby NASA Goddard Space Flight Center or at other sites. 
Learn more about the department's research facilities. 
Learn more about on and off-campus research opportunities.

Departmental Honors Program

The Departmental Honors Program offers students of exceptional ability and interest in astronomy opportunities for research participation. Honors students work with a faculty advisor on a research project for academic credit. Certain graduate courses are open for credit toward the bachelor's degree. Students are accepted into the Honors Program by the Department's Honors Committee on the basis of recommendations from their advisors and other faculty members. Honors candidates submit a written report on their research project that, together with an oral comprehensive examination in the senior year, concludes the program and may lead to graduation "with honors (or high honors) in astronomy."

Further information about advising and the Honors Program can be obtained by emailing the department at astro-ug@umd.edu.

Courses for Non-Science Majors

There are a variety of courses offered for students who are interested in learning about astronomy but do not wish to major in it. These courses do not require any background in mathematics or physics and are designed especially for the non-science major. ASTR 100 or ASTR 101 provides a general survey of astronomy. (ASTR 101 is similar to 100 but includes hands-on astronomical laboratory work.) Several 300-level courses are offered primarily for non-science students who want to learn about a particular field in depth, such as the solar system, cosmology, and life in the universe.