Areas of specialization within the program prepare students for careers in professional astronomy, computational astrophysics, secondary education in the physical sciences, ROTC programs in the Air Force or Navy, data analysis, or laboratory science. Graduates of the program may teach, write, assist with research and instrumentation at government or industrial labs, work in planetariums or national observatories, serve in the military, or continue their studies in graduate school. The University's astrophysics program is small and informal. Undergraduates work closely with faculty and graduate students and complete a supervised observational or theoretical research project during their senior year. As part of the major program, students may take courses in astronomy, physics, geology, mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or the history of science and technology.
Many students elect to major in both astrophysics and physics.
Faculty and IT advisors can help students make choices that best meet their needs. Faculty and students also use the resources of large facilities like Kitt Peak National Observatory in Chile, Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico, Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii, and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The department has an extremely fast automated photographic plate scanner that can simultaneously analyze two plates at 100,000 star images per hour. Research projects also benefit from a large network of computers and the department's direct link to the University's Supercomputing Institute. The U of M is an equal opportunity educator and employer.