Astronomy Major
Graduates from this program have a range of career options which includes technical support personnel at international observatories and astronomy educators or outreach experts at science centres and planetaria. In addition the diverse background of skills in Physics and Astronomy acquired during the program can also be applied to a wide variety of careers outside astronomy.
The general faculty wide regulations for the Astronomy Major program are the same as described for the Physics Major program. One difference between the programs is that Astronomy Majors take the Honours Physics course PHYS 206 and 403, whereas Physics Majors take PHYS 216 and do not require PHYS 403. This makes it somewhat easier to switch to an Honours program either in Physics or Astronomy. Astronomy majors who complete the Majors program and wish to pursue postgraduate studies in Astronomy or Physics may be required to complete a fifth year of undergraduate courses to satisfy the entrance requirements for MSc/Ph.D. programs. The Science I program as well as the regular first year science stream are excellent entry points for this program. A coop option is also available. Students intending to continue in any physics or astronomy specialization should be competent in MATH and PHYS. It is advisable that a student entering any specialization in physics or astronomy have a minimum average of 60% in first-year PHYS and 60% in first-year MATH.
Below is a short description of the Astronomy Major's program. Please be aware that the official program requirements are to be found in the UBC calendar. For more details consult the relevant calendar section. For information on first year registration please go to first year.
| Year 1 - Terms 1 and 2 | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 107, 108, 109 (or 101, 102)1,2,3 | Enriched Physics I, Enriched Physics II and Experimental Physics | 7 |
| CHEM 121 (111)3,4 | Structural Chemistry | 4 |
| MATH 100, 101 (or 102, 103 or 104, 105 or 120, 121)3 | Differential and Integral Calculus | 6 |
| Communication Requirement5 | 6 | |
| Electives3,6,7 | 7 | |
| Total Credits Year 1 | 30 | |
|
1Advanced Credit or Placement in Physics are both excellent preparation but they are NOT a substitute for these first year Physics courses, which are prerequisites for all second year Physics courses. 2Students without Physics 12 must normally take PHYS 100 prior to PHYS 101 or PHYS 107. 3If an alternate course has a different credit value one should adjust the number of electives credits to compensate. The number of electives in each year is chosen to balance the total number of credits (i.e., make the yearly total equal to 30). However, since the number of available elective credits may not be a multiple of three, students are permitted to move elective credits between years. First-year physics, biology, chemistry, and mathematics can be replaced by SCIE 001. 4Students without Chemistry 12 must take CHEM 111 instead of CHEM 121. 5A total of six credits of coursework is required to meet the Communication Requirement. ENGL 112 is recommended. Qualified students are encouraged to consider 120 and/or 121. For a full list of acceptable courses see Communication Requirement. 6Students without Biology 11 or 12 must take 3 credits of 100-level Biology. BIOL 111 or 121 are recommended. 7Electives must be taken to ensure that all Faculty of Science requirements are met: (a) At least 18 credits must be from the Faculty of Arts, including ENGL credits used to satisfy the Faculty of Science Communication Requirement. (b) An additional 9 credits must be from Arts or Science outside the field of major to satisfy the Breadth Requirement. (c) Up to 18 credits may be taken from any faculty but students must ensure that they have at least 48 upper-level credits, including at least 30 upper-level credits from the Faculty of Science. Students without Biology 11 or 12 must take 3 credits of 100-level BIOL. Students interested in senior chemistry courses or who are planning to enter a career in teaching are reminded that they should take a second course of introductory chemistry. Some course alternatives have different credit value. The number of elective credits in each year is chosen to balance the total number of credits (i.e., make the yearly total equal to 30). Since the number of available elective credits in each year may not be a multiple of three, students are permitted to move elective credits between years. |
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| Year 2 - Term 1 and 2 | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ASTR 2018 | Stellar Astrophysics | 3 |
| ASTR 2028 | Galactic Astronomy | 3 |
| PHYS 200 | Relativity and Quanta | 4 |
| PHYS 209 | Experimental Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 2109 | Introduction to Computational Physics | 3 |
| MATH 217 (or 200, 317)3,10 | Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| MATH 221 (or 223) | Matrix Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 215 | Elementary Diff. Eqns. I | 3 |
| Electives7 | 4 | |
| Total Credits Year 2 | 30 | |
|
8One or both of these may be delayed until 3rd year. 9Computing skills at the level of PHYS 210 are required in the specialization. With written permission of an Undergraduate Physics and Astronomy Advisor, students who already have these skills may replace PHYS 210 with 3 credits of electives. 10Students without high grades in first-year MATH may substitute MATH 200+317 for MATH 217 |
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| Year 3 - Term 111 | Description |
Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ASTR 303 | Extragalactic Astronomy | 3 |
| PHYS 301 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| MATH 316 (or PHYS 312) | Elementary Differential Equations II | 3 |
| Electives7 | 6 | |
| Year 3 - Term 2 | Description | Credits |
| PHYS 203 | Thermodynamics | 4 |
| PHYS 20612 | Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 408 | Optics | 4 |
| Electives7 | 4 | |
| Total Credits Year 3 | 30 | |
|
11Consultation with the Astronomy departmental advisor is recommended before entering third and fourth year. 12Students who have not obtained a standing of at least 68% in PHYS 101+102, (107+108) may substitute PHYS 216. |
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| Year 4 - Terms 1 and 2 | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ASTR 402 | Fundamentals of Astrophysics | 3 |
| ASTR 404 | Astronomical and Astrophysical Measurements | 3 |
| ASTR 405 | Astronomical Lab | 3 |
| PHYS 304 | Introduction to Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 403 | Statistical Mechanics | 3 |
| Electives7,13 | 15 | |
| Total Credits Year 4 | 30 | |
| Total Credits to graduate13 | 120 | |
| 13When choosing electives keep in mind the following graduation requirements: You need a total of 30 credits in the faculty of Science numbered 300 or above. You need a total of 48 credits in courses numbered 300 or above in any faculty. You need 18 credits (includng ENGL credits used to satisfy the communication requirement) from the faculty of Arts. You also need a total of 9 credits from Arts or Science outside the field of the major (i.e. other than ASTR, MATH or PHYS) to satisfy the breadth requirement. | ||