MSc in
MSc in Astronomy
University of Sussex School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Key Information
Campus location
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
1 - 2 year
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
GBP 22,975 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* or home students GBP11275
Introduction
Please note: this course is now closed for international applicants for 2023. It remains open for UK applicants.
Explore astronomy and astrophysics at an advanced level, focusing on observational, theoretical or computational astronomy. This course is one of only three full-time, broad-based astronomy MSc courses in the UK.
This course is for you if you graduated with a physics- or applied mathematics-based degree with a substantial physics component, and wish to learn how to apply your knowledge to astronomy. Our Astronomy Centre carries out world-leading research in many branches of theoretical and observational astrophysics. Our particular focus is on the early universe, and galaxy formation and evolution.
The Department is a founder member of the South-East Physics Network of physics departments (SEPnet), which supports vital research, teaching and development in the South East.
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Our goal is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to regardless of financial barriers so that we continue to attract talented and unique people.
Scholarships available:
- Article 26 Scholarship
- Aziz Foundation Scholarship
- Chancellor's International Scholarships
- Chancellor's Masters Scholarship
- Climate Leaders Scholarship
- Dr John Birch Music Scholarship (Organ)
- Dr John Birch Music Scholarships
- Friends of the University of Sussex Scholarship
- Mandela Scholarship
- Saïd Foundation Scholarships
- Sports Scholarships Scheme
- Sussex Alumni Award
- Sussex Bangladesh Scholarship
- Sussex Egypt Scholarship
- Sussex Graduate Scholarship
- Sussex GREAT Scholarship China
- Sussex GREAT Scholarship Malaysia
- Sussex GREAT Scholarship Mexico
- Sussex India Scholarship
- Sussex Nigeria Scholarship
- Sussex Pakistan Scholarship
- Sussex Turkey Scholarship
- Sussex Vietnam Scholarship
- Technopolis UK Masters Scholarship
Working while you study
Our Careers and Employability Centre can help you find part-time work while you study.
Curriculum
Full-time and part-time study
Choose to study this course full time or part-time, to fit around your work and personal life.
On the full-time course, you study core modules and options in the autumn and spring terms. You work on the project throughout the year. In the summer term, you focus on examinations and project work. Modules for the full-time course are listed below.
On the part-time course, you take the core modules in the autumn and spring terms of your first year. After the examinations in the summer term, you begin work on your project. Project work continues during the second year when you also take options. For details about the part-time course, contact us.
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2022/23. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to COVID-19, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let our applicants know of material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
We’ll do our best to provide as much optional choice as we can, but timetabling constraints mean it may not be possible to take some module combinations. The structure of a small number of courses means that the order of modules or the streams you choose may determine whether modules are core or optional. This means that your core modules or options may differ from what’s shown below.
Core modules
Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.
All year
- Project (MSc Astronomy)
Autumn teaching
- Cosmology
- Galactic Astrophysics
Spring teaching
- Astrophysical Processes
- Stellar and Planetary Physics
Options
Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests. This list gives you a flavour of our options, which are kept under review and may change, for example in response to student feedback or the latest research.
While it’s our aim for students to take their preferred combinations of options, this can’t be guaranteed and will be subject to timetabling. Options may be grouped and if so, students will be able to choose a set number of options from the selection available in any particular group.
Autumn teaching
- Data Analysis Techniques
- General Relativity
- Programming in C++
- Programming through Python
Spring teaching
- Advanced Cosmology
- Frontiers in Particle Physics
- Monte Carlo Simulations
MSc project
Your project is supervised by faculty. Supervisors and topics are allocated, in consultation with you, at the start of the autumn term. Often the projects form the basis of research papers that are later published in journals.
Career Opportunities
The course has an excellent reputation, both nationally and internationally, and graduates from this MSc work and study all over the world.
Many of our graduates go on to take a research degree and often find a permanent job in astronomy. Others have become science journalists and writers.