Astronomy

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Chair: Associate Professor C. Orzel
Faculty: Professor R. Koopmann; Associate Professors C. Orzel, N. Mann, H. Watson; Assistant Professors C. Bores Quijano, C. Gleason; Senior Lecturers S. LaBrake,  F. Wilkin; Lecturer S. Suriano
 

The Physics and Astronomy Department offers a bachelor of arts degree in Astronomy as well as minors in Astronomy and in Astrophysics. The astronomy major is appropriate for students interested in careers such as teacher of earth science, planetarium director, science museum educator, science writing, and historian of science. Students interested in pursuing advanced degrees in astronomy are advised to major in Physics  and minor in Astrophysics . Example 4-year schedules are available on the Department of Physics & Astronomy website.

Complex Questions Courses

Courses numbered in the 050’s are designed particularly for non-science majors seeking to satisfy Complex Questions requirements, and all of these courses carry Complex Questions credit. These courses may count toward the major in astronomy or the interdepartmental major (see requirements for the Astronomy, B.A.  major and  Astronomy (ID), B.A.  ID major), but they may not be counted toward the major in physics or toward any other science or engineering major.

Course Selection Guidelines

Placement: Students who score a grade of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement C-exam (mechanics and/or electromagnetics), an A on the physics A-levels, a 5 or above on the Higher Level or a 6 or above on the standard exam of the International Baccalaureate (provided they earn the IB diploma), may be given credit for up to a maximum of two courses (PHY 120  and/or PHY 121  ). If a student does not earn the IB diploma, they will be given credit only if they pass the higher level exam with a grade of 6 or above. Students who score a grade of 4 or 5 on both the Physics 1 and Physics 2 AP exams will earn one SET credit in Physics.

Courses Suitable for Non-Majors:  AST 050  , AST 051   fullfill the Global Challenges Natural and Physical Sciences (GNPS) Complex Questions requirement: AST 058   fulfills the Global Challenges Data and Quantative Reasoning (GDQR) Complex Questions requirement. Other courses suitable for selected non-majors include, AST 052  , AST 200  , AST 210  , AST 220  , AST 230  , AST 240   and AST 250  .

Prerequisites: There are no placement test requirements for courses in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. All courses numbered above 100 have prerequisites. Please review the course descriptions below and listed under Physics  to identify the requirements.

Programs

• Astronomy, B.A.

• Astronomy (ID), B.A.

• Astronomy Minor
• Astrophysics Minor

Courses

• AST 050 -  The Solar System
• AST 051 - Introduction to Astronomy
• AST 052 - Relativity, Black Holes, and Quasars
• AST 058 -  Astrobiology: Life in the Universe
• AST 100 - Introduction to Astrophysics
• AST 200 -  Stellar Structure and Evolution
• AST 210 -  Galaxies
• AST 220 -  Cosmology and General Relativity
• AST 230 -  Observational Astronomy
• AST 240 -  Radio Astronomy
• AST 250 -  Planetary Science
• AST 290 - Astronomy Practicum 1
• AST 291 - Astronomy Practicum 2
• AST 292 - Astronomy Practicum 3

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