As one of the top fifteen research departments in the country there is considerable faculty expertise spanning a wide range of subjects from the evolution of stars, to simulations of massive black holes with supercomputers, to observations with the Hubble Space Telescope and other satellites, to studies of the evolution of the universe. Faculty research is well supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Students therefore get to know each other well and often work together. Close contact with the faculty is an integral part of the learning environment. Students can also work at the University's Observatory or in summer research projects supported by grants.
Advanced students can enroll in graduate courses.
Most students who complete our Astronomy-Physics degree go on to graduate programs in astronomy or physics, frequently at the best schools in the country. Students who complete the Astronomy degree are well prepared for a wide range of careers. Our graduates are employed by universities, NASA, federal observatories and laboratories, planetariums, and aerospace and computer corporations, or have gone into professions such as medicine, law, the military, business, science writing, and science education. The department is very well equipped to support its students. There is an excellent research collection in the Astronomy library as well as in the library of the nearby National Radio Astronomy Observatory.