Astronomy and Astrophysics

The Department of Astronomy is part of the College of Arts and Sciences. It offers both a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and a Bachelor of Art (B.A.) degree.

When pursuing a B.S. degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics, students will study the entire universe—it's past, present, and future. You have the opportunity to confront fundamental questions about the nature of our universe and our place in it. The Astronomy and Astrophysics B.S. also requires advanced physics and mathematics coursework. It will not only prepare you for graduate programs in the field, but it also prepares you for a large variety of other possible career paths. Businesses, industries, and government agencies actively seek Astronomy majors for their strong analytical and quantitative reasoning skills. Students who wish to pursue graduate studies in astronomy in the future should pursue a B.S. major.

When pursuing a B.A. degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics, students are interested in astronomy as the subject of a liberal arts education, or as a background in the physical sciences for a wide range of career possibilities such as teaching, journalism, law or government or public policy, medicine, science writing and science in the media, visualization, and business. The focus is on a breadth of knowledge rather than on depth or specialization.

Students in the program would be able to use telescopes at campus observatories. Many also use and analyze data from the Wisconsin-Indiana-Yale-NOAO Observatories, other ground-based observatories, and space-borne observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope in Swain Hall.

For detailed information about this major and degree requirements, visit the departmental website, and the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Bulletin.