Astronomy, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Students choose a research stream depending on their interest within the field. Courses beyond the required eight are sometimes necessary for advanced research. This will be assessed by the student's thesis committee.

Advance to Candidacy: In addition to the coursework below,  students must complete and present a research project in the second year of graduate study and pass the Thesis Proposal Defense in their third year. The Thesis Proposal Defense includes a thesis proposal write-up, an oral presentation of the thesis proposal, and a questions/discussion session on topics relevant to the thesis research. Admission to candidacy is based on course work, the second-year research project, and the Thesis Proposal Defense.

Post-candidacy: Complete at least 12 credits of ASTR899 Doctoral Dissertation Research and successfully defend a dissertation.