What will my study involve?

UC is the only university in Aotearoa New Zealand to offer the study of Astronomy at all levels.

Te Kura Matū | School of Physical and Chemical Sciences has an exciting programme of teaching and research, often using state-of-the-art facilities as part of its core work. These include:

• field stations for meteor and atmospheric research, which are located at Te Mata Hāpuku Birdlings Flat, and at Scott Base, Antarctica
• an internationally important astronomical observatory at Ōtehīwai Mount John, Takapō Tekapo, equipped with computer-controlled instruments and cryogenic detectors
• UC-constructed Hercules, a high resolution spectograph to search for planets and do improved stellar astrophysics.

The School collaborates nationally and internationally as well. For example, we have a collaboration with Nagoya University in Japan, who installed a 1.8 metre telescope at Ōtehīwai Mount John for finding planets orbiting distant Milky Way stars.

Courses

UC offers the following postgraduate programmes in Astronomy:

 

• Graduate Diploma in Science
• Bachelor of Science with Honours
• Postgraduate Certificate in Science
• Postgraduate Diploma in Science
• Master of Science
• Doctor of Philosophy

See the individual qualification pages for more information on degree requirements.

To complete a GradDipSc with an Astronomy focus, you will need to complete at least 60 points in 100-300 level ASTR courses throughout your degree. In total 90 points must be at 300-level in the GradDipSc from Astronomy and/or other Science courses.

Complete 120 points made up from:

 

• ASTR480
• ASTR422
• ASTR423 or ASTR425 or ASTR426
• PHYS415
• Three courses chosen from MDPH403, MDPH406, and PHYS 411-460 (with a maximum of two courses from PHYS 440-460)

You need to complete at least 45 points in ASTR 400-level courses for the major. In total 60 points must be completed for the PGCertSc from Astronomy and/or other Science courses.

At least 120 points is required for the major. Students can chose from two pathways:

 

• ASTR480
• ASTR422
• ASTR423 or ASTR425 or ASTR426
• PHYS 407
• Three courses chosen from MDPH403, MDPH406, and PHYS 411-460 (with a maximum of two courses from PHYS 440-460)

Or:

 

• ASTR422
• ASTR423 or ASTR425
• Six courses chosen from MDPH403, MDPH406, ASTR 421-430, and PHYS 411-460 (with a maximum of three courses from PHYS 440-460)

Part I of the MSc in Astronomy is 120 points (eight courses) from:

 

• ASTR480
• ASTR422
• ASTR423 or ASTR425 or ASTR426
• PHYS407
• Three courses chosen from MDPH403, MDPH406, ASTR 421-430, and PHYS 411-460 (with a maximum of three courses from PHYS 440-460)

You will need a B+ Grade Point Average to proceed to Part II of the degree.

Part II requires ASTR690 MSc Thesis.

In the PhD, you will complete a thesis of original research in the Astronomy field (ASTR790 Astronomy PhD).

Career opportunities

Students majoring in Astronomy acquire a wide range of skills, from the use of spectroscopic and photometric detector systems (and the analysis of the data obtained), through electronics and optics, to computer skills for analysis and interpretation of data. This produces a graduate who is well equipped to undertake employment not only in astronomy, but in any number of fields that require practical experience or that involve analysis of real data.

Studying Physics and Astronomy equips graduates with skills in problem solving, abstract thinking, evaluating, communicating, and decision making. It develops high levels of curiosity, inventiveness, and mathematical and computer competencies.

Graduates may follow traditional paths and work either as scientists, technicians, research assistants, engineers, astronomers, patent agents, technical authors, or even managers at an observatory or in an institute. However, many Astronomy graduates move into other fields, particularly computing and information technology, management, and science communication or media work. With some additional study, graduates can become meteorologists, geophysicists, material technologists, or medical physicists.

Find out more about what you can do with a degree in Astronomy.