While the University of Kansas does not have a Ph.D. program in Astronomy, it is possible to earn a Ph.D. in Physics at KU with an astrophysically-oriented dissertation. We also award M.S. degrees in Physics to students who have completed astrophysical research projects, as well M.S. degrees in Computational Physics and Astronomy.

Our largest student population has been our undergraduate majors seeking a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Astronomy. These degree programs offer an excellent undergraduate education, training some of the finest problem solvers and analysts of the future! The majority of our undergraduate majors are involved in research projects during their years here; a few will earn summer scholarship support from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or through research grants to faculty supervising their projects. KU majors have also competed successly on a regular basis for summer internships at REU sites around the country and KU majors currently are guaranteed one slot at the REU program hosted by SDSU at Mt. Laguna Observatory outside of San Diego.

A partial list of KU Astronomy alumni is found at this website and includes some of the many highly successful professionals in and out of Astronomy who have been through the program. KU undergrads who have completed their Ph.D.s include graduates of Berkeley, Boston Uniersity, CalTech, New Mexico State, Texas, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Washington University, St. Louis. KU grads are currently enrolled in the graduate programs at Berkeley, CalTech, and Michigan. The quality of the preparation is also indicated by the ongoing trend in the national competition for Goldwater Fellowships. Astronomy/Physics major, Angie Linn, was our first nominee and winner in 1996/97, three majors within Physics and Engineering Physics were nominated and won in 1997/98, Astronomy/Physics major, Stuartt Corder, was a nominee and winner in the 1998/99 competition. Physics/Engineering Physics majors were winners in 1999-2000 and 2000/01, while  Astronomy/Physics major, Adam Kraus, was a KU nominee and winner in the 2001/02 competition. Astronomy/Physics majors Josh Meyer, Hannah Swift, and Luis Vargas were nominees and winners in 2002/2003, 2003/2004, and 2006/2007, respectively.

Scholarship Funds

Scholarship funds are available to incoming students majoring in Astronomy thanks to two endowed funds explicitly designated to support astronomy students, the Tombaugh Fund and the Harriet Johnson Scholarship Fund. Details on both of these may be found at this site. In addition, female majors in any departmental undergraduate degree program are eligible for support from the Badgely Scholarship Fund. Scholarships for incoming freshmen within the Department of Physics and Astronomy usually are awarded on the basis of the information submitted as part of the admissions process. It is therefore crucial that probable majors designate Physics and/or Astronomy as their likely major to be considered for these funds.

Majoring In Astronomy

A common question of students with an interest in majoring in Astronomy (and their parents) is what one can do with an Astronomy degree after graduation. The answer for those with a desire to become professional astronomers is that a B.S. degree in Physics and/or Astronomy is a necessity, but is not sufficient. A professional career, either at a university or a research lab, requires a Ph.D. Given that astrophysics often attracts some of the best and brightest students in the sciences and that the number of permanent positions available is always significantly less than the number of Ph.D.'s, the competition within the profession is stiff. The goal of the  KU undergraduate program is to provide such students with the best training possible while helping them to gain admission to the best graduate programs that are consistent with their abilities.

To improve a student's chances for success, we recommend that astronomy majors double-major in either Astronomy and Physics or Astronomy and Math. This also gives the student more options if their interests or talents develop in unexpected directions by the time of their graduation. Entrance to a good graduate program normally requires a GPA within the major of 3.0 or better; higher-rated graduate programs require GPA's of 3.5 or above. Due to the combination of degree requirements for a double-major and the need to maintain a competitive GPA, we strongly encourage students to take 5 years to complete the program, though students entering KU with a significant number of AP credits have finished in 4 years.

In contrast, students within the B.A. program usually enter the progran with an interest beyond Astronomy such as Science Education or Science Journalism. The B.A. provides access to a broad array of basic science that can serve as an invaluable foundation for such professional interests. The same insight often applies to B.S. students who choose not to continue beyond the undergraduate level; the problem-solving skills, mathematical training, and, computer skills serve a wide range of professions outside astronomy. 

If you are a high school student pondering a career in Astronomy or Astrophysics, what can you do to prepare? Astronomy is applied Physics, applied using the tools of advanced mathematics, the technology of modern telescopes, and state-of-the-art computer software. As a high school student, you are encouraged to take any and all math and science classes available that can reasonably fit within your schedule, with an emphasis on Physics and, if possible, Pre-Calculus and Calculus. AP classes in Math or Physics should be taken as a preparation rather than a substitute for university-level classes. Detailed lists of the course sequences for a B.S. major in Astronomy  and for a B.A. major in Astronomy may be found at the web site of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. As a crude comparison of your level of preparation, the average composite ACT score for incoming majors within Astronomy and Physics is between 28 and 30. At minimum, if you have any interest in majoring in Astronomy at KU, we strongly encourage you to contact and speak with a faculty member within the program to discuss your options and to aid in planning your course schedule at KU. 

Additional information on astronomy careers is available from the American Astronomical Society.