Course details

Summary

Astronomy and astrophysics are concerned with the study of the nature and distribution of matter and radiation throughout all time and space in the Universe. Astronomers have always been keen to harness the latest technological advances in their quest for ever more precise and revealing observations. As a consequence, astronomy in recent years has been one of the most rapidly expanding of all physical sciences and many exciting and unexpected discoveries continue to be made.

Recommended preparation

Year 12 mathematics and physics are strongly recommended for ASTR112 Astrophysics.

Certain courses require a background in Year 13 physics and calculus. If you have no, or only a limited, background in these subjects you may wish to consider taking our Headstart summer preparatory course.

Courses

100-level courses

Students intending to advance in Astronomy are strongly advised to include in their first-year courses:

ASTR112 Astrophysics

PHYS101 Engineering Physics A: Mechanics, Waves and Thermal Physics

PHYS102 Engineering Physics B: Electromagnetism, Modern Physics and 'How Things Work'

MATH102 Mathematics 1A

MATH103 Mathematics 1B and

MATH170 Mathematical Modelling and Computation or COSC121 Introduction to Computer Programming or COSC122 Introduction to Computer Science.

200-level and beyond

At an advanced level, Astronomy is heavily based on physics. Students intending to pursue study in Astronomy must first and foremost obtain a good grounding in Physics and Mathematics.

The courses ASTR211 Imaging the Universe and ASTR212 Dynamical Astronomy and the Solar System are taught in alternate years in the second semester. ASTR211 covers computer image processing, astrometry, photometry and spectroscopy. ASTR212 covers solar system astronomy and dynamic astronomy. Students in their first year can undertake these courses once they have completed a first semester prerequisite.

At 300-level (Bachelor of Science) and 400-level (Bachelor of Science with Honours and Master of Science), courses cover the detailed structure and evolution of stars, galaxies, and the Universe.

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 which require practical experience or which involve analysis of real data.

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.

Further study

The Certificate in Science can be used as a stepping stone to a Bachelor of Science.

Entry criteria

Admission to UC with University Entrance, or equivalent, is required to enrol for a Certificate in Arts. Applicants must have completed New Zealand University Entrance through NCEA; or Cambridge International Examinations (CIE); or International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or any other equivalent overseas qualification.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade; CAE or CPE minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 57 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50.