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Astronomy & Astrophysics Astronomy
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Majors & Minor

Undergraduate students interested in a degree in Astronomy & Astrophysics can select between two majors: a Bachelors of Arts (BA) and a Bachelors of Sciences (BS).  The department also offers a minor in Astronomy & Astrophysics.  A detailed description of the requirements are described below.

Please note that for current students, our major will be available in the Major/Minor tool beginning Fall 2024 quarter.

Career Preparation

An undergraduate degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics provides a foundational skill set for many career paths. The diverse curriculum enables careers in research, data science, consulting, science communication, science outreach, science policy, and technical writing. The curriculum, rooted in problem-solving skills, order of magnitude estimation, and hands-on coding exercises, allows students to obtain jobs in multiple industry sectors, including technology, space, medical imaging, quantitative finance, and instrumentation. Few degrees offer the breadth of experience that a degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics offers, and our undergraduates are prepared for a variety of career choices both within and outside their field of study.

Bachelor of Arts in Astronomy and Astrophysics

The Bachelor of Arts in Astronomy and Astrophysics is intended to give students a detailed background in the full landscape of astronomy and astrophysics while also offering students breadth by requiring courses in other related disciplines.  Students take upper division courses on topics such as stars, planets, galaxies and cosmology, and then select from a wide range of courses in math, physics, geophysics, engineering, chemistry, or biology to complete their major study.  The intention of the major is to serve students interested in careers in science communication, science outreach, science policy, teaching in the sciences at the K-12 level, or a variety of positions in industry.

B.A. Lower Division Requirements

  • PHYS 2 A-B-C-D or PHYS 4 A-B-C-D-E
  • 1 programming course from the following: DSC 10, BILD 62, COGS 18, PHYS 41, CSE 6R, CSE 8A, CSE 11
  • MATH 18 and 20A-B-C-D-E
  • ASTR 20A+B
  • Students taking the PHYS2 series are recommended, but not required, to take ASTR 18

B.A. Upper Division Requirements

  • Core: 3 courses from the following:  ASTR 120, 122, 123, 124
  • Lab: 1 practical skills course from the following:  ASTR 150, 152, 154, 155
  • Electives: 8 additional upper division courses:
    • At least 4 additional ASTR courses 
    • At least 3 upper division courses from other depts: PHYS / SIO / MAE / ECE/ MATH / DSC / CHEM / BIO 
  • Optional: Honors thesis counts as 2 of the 8 additional courses.  If completing the honors thesis for those two, the remaining courses must be at least 3 ASTR courses and at least 2 courses in other departments

Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics

The Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics offers students an in-depth course of study in the theoretical and experimental underpinnings of modern astrophysical science.  The upper division sequence of core physics material is complemented by elective courses in topical areas such as stars, galaxies, planets and cosmology.  Multiple laboratory courses provide the students with the practical skills to make a smooth transition into advanced research work in astronomy and astrophysics.  This major is intended to prepare interested students for graduate study, but also serves students interested in careers in multiple industries.

B.S. Lower Division Requirements

  • PHYS 2 A-B-C-D and ASTR 18 or PHYS 4 A-B-C-D-E
  • 1 programming course from the following: DSC 10, BILD 62, COGS 18, PHYS 41, CSE 6R, CSE 8A, CSE 11
  • MATH 18 and 20A-B-C-D-E 
  • ASTR 20A+B 

B.S. Upper Division Requirements

  • Core: 6 required specific courses:  ASTR 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106
  • Core: 3 required courses from the following: ASTR 120, 122, 123, 124
  • Lab: 1 required practical skills course from the following:  ASTR 150, 152, 154, 155
  • Electives: 3 additional (any) upper division ASTR courses  
  • Optional: Honors thesis counts as 2 of the additional ASTR courses 

Minor in Astronomy and Astrophysics

The Minor in Astronomy and Astrophysics provides a broad overview of the discipline, allowing students to choose from a variety of theoretical and experimental courses.  The minor consists of a total of 68 units, with 48 in lower division courses and 20 in upper division Astronomy and Astrophysics courses. The minor is meant to complement a variety of other courses of study on campus.

Upper-division courses being applied to the minor must be taken at UC San Diego in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and must be taken for a letter grade. Students must earn a grade of C- or above in all courses applied to the minor, including transfer course work. The minimum overall GPA requirement for the minor is a 2.0. A petition is required for any waivers/substitutions to the minor requirements (e.g., applying a non–UC San Diego upper-division Astronomy course).

Lower Division Requirements  

  • Phys 2 A-B-C-D or Phys 4 A-B-C-D-E
  • 1 programming course from the following: DSC 10, BILD 62, COGS 18, PHYS 41, CSE 6R, CSE 8A, CSE 11
  • MATH 18 and 20A-B-C-D-E 
  • Recommended but not required: ASTR 20 A-B

Upper Division Requirements:  

  • Any 5 ASTR courses