Arizona State University The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 12 courses 84 total credits
The Doctor of Philosophy program in astrophysics develops your creative scholarship and prepares you for professional careers in astrophysics, astronomy or related fields. In this program, you take graduate-level courses in stars and interstellar media, galaxies and cosmology; obtain quantitative skills through analysis and modeling; and conduct independent, fundamental astrophysical research. In addition, you may have observing opportunities through regional and international telescope observatories. You work closely with a research advisor on a wide variety of topics, including theoretical physics, cosmology, galaxy dynamics, stellar evolution, exoplanets, and the development and building of instrumentation. As a graduate student in astrophysics, you become a leader in observational and theoretical research. You participate in NASA- and National Science Foundation-funded space missions and study topics such as how stars are born and die, how galaxies interact and evolve, and how the universe changed as it developed from its earliest beginnings. The program's world-class faculty have research expertise across the full breadth of astrophysics, including the solar system, stars and galaxies from the Milky Way to the most distant galaxies in the universe. Current ASU research applies both computational and observational approaches to the exploration of a variety of topics, such as fundamental cosmology and whether there is life on exoplanets.
| Required Core | 1 credits |
| Electives or Research | 53 credits |
| Other Requirements: Astrophysics Sequence | 9 credits |
| Other Requirements: Galaxies and Cosmology Sequence | 3 credits |
| Other Requirements: Exoplanets and Planetary Science Sequence | 3 credits |
| Other Requirements: Instrumentation and Techniques Sequence | 3 credits |
| Culminating Experience | 12 credits |
| Total Credits | 84 credits |
Required Core
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SES 502 | Exploring SESE Research | 1 |
| Total Required Core | 1 credits | |
Electives or Research
Other Requirements: Astrophysics Sequence
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AST 521 | Stars and Interstellar Medium I | 3 |
| AST 522 | Stars and Interstellar Medium II | 3 |
| AST 591 | Seminar: Astrophysics | 2 |
| SES 501 | SESE Colloquium | 1 |
| Total Other Requirements: Astrophysics Sequence | 9 credits | |
Other Requirements: Galaxies and Cosmology Sequence
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AST 531 | Galaxies and Cosmology I | 3 |
| AST 532 | Galaxies and Cosmology II | 3 |
| AST 533 | Galaxies and Cosmology III | 3 |
| Total Other Requirements: Galaxies and Cosmology Sequence | 3 credits | |
Other Requirements: Exoplanets and Planetary Science Sequence
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AST 598 | Topic: Origins of Solar Systems | 3 |
| AST 598 | Topic: Origins of Solar Systems | 3 |
| SES 598 | Topic: Water in the Solar System | 3 |
| Total | 3 credits | |
Other Requirements: Instrumentation and Techniques Sequence
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AST 552 | Astronomical Instrumentation and Data Analysis | 3 |
| SES 598 | Topic: Water in the Solar System | 3 |
| SES 598 | Topic: Water in the Solar System | 3 |
| SES 598 | Topic: Water in the Solar System | 3 |
| Total Other Requirements: Instrumentation and Techniques Sequence | 3 credits | |
Culminating Experience
| Code | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SES 799 | Dissertation | 12 |
| Total Culminating Experience | 12 credits | |
Additional Curriculum Information
Students select one course from each other requirement category. Substitutions may be made per department approval. When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree in a related field to be used for this degree.
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