Astronomy Major

<p>Hi, I'm a rising senior interested in being an astronomy major in college but I'm not sure whether it would be the right choice for me as I'm not great at math (I worked fairly hard and got a C+ in my Honors PreCalc class last year). However, I haven't taken a Physics class yet so maybe I might be better at that. Astronomy is something I'm very interested in majoring in, and I'm willing to work very hard and do the math, but I also don't want to struggle for my entire college years. What do you think?</p>

<p>Well, you need to have a very solid foundation in math if you want to do astronomy. Physics is also quite crucial as well, and physics builds on the math principles. You’ll have to take a full calculus sequence, plus usually differential equations and linear algebra at the minimum to do astronomy. Most astronomy majors would take some additional math beyond that though too, usually specialized towards the specific fields they’re interested in. </p>

<p>There’s still plenty of time to get your math up to par, but if you really want to major in astronomy, the best thing you could do would be to really work on solidifying your math foundation. All of the later math classes are going to build on the concepts of pre-calc. </p>

<p>You might want to check this out. It’s a great guide to some of the most frequently asked questions that students interested in astronomy have. This was written by a working astronomer too, so he knows what he’s talking about. It’s a good read.</p>

<p>[FAQ</a> about a career in astronomy - The Astronomy Cafe - Ask the Astronomer](<a href=“Questions and Answers | Sten's Space Blog”>Questions and Answers | Sten's Space Blog)</p>

<p>Unfortunately, if you are not very strong in Math, majoring in Astronomy is not a very realistic aspiration. In college, you will need to take three semesters of Calculus for Math and Physical Science majors plus a semester of Differential Equations and another of Linear Algebra at a minimum. It will be strongly recommended that you take two more upper division semesters of Advanced Math for science majors. You will also need to take nearly all of the Physics courses needed to get a BS in Physics. Upper division Astronomy courses are extremely mathematical. Before going to medical school I earned my undergraduate degree in Astronomy so I am speaking from experience.</p>

<p>When you take the SATs you really need to get a 700 or better in Math to have a good chance of succeeding in an Astronomy major.</p>

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<p>That’s true in many schools, but it’s far from universal(pun intended ;)). There are many schools that don’t require Astronomy majors to take any Physics beyond the introductory University Physics sequence. For instance, here’s the Astronomy curriculum at UIUC- [Course</a> Information Suite, Course Catalog, Class Schedule, Programs of Study, General Education Requirements, GenEd](<a href=“http://provost.illinois.edu/ProgramsOfStudy/2013/fall/programs/undergrad/las/astronomy.html]Course”>http://provost.illinois.edu/ProgramsOfStudy/2013/fall/programs/undergrad/las/astronomy.html) - They actually don’t require Diff EQ or Linear Algebra for the actual Astronomy degree, but they strongly encourage Astronomy students to either double major, or at least minor in a subject like math, physics, or computer science. </p>

<p>You’re right that most schools require Astronomy majors to take some Electromagnetism, Classical Mechanics, some Quantum, and others. General Relativity is a very crucial subject as well. For an Astronomy major though, the more physics you know, the better. Astronomy and Physics are inseparably linked to one another, and most modern Astronomy really IS Astrophysics for the most part.</p>

<p>I have a question regarding job prospects for Astronomy. Is it worth it to go for masters/PHD? Also typically what kind of job offers can you get? NASA? Independent groups? </p>

<p>I will be a junior this year, and I am contemplating whether to take astronomy or economics.</p>

<p>It’s virtually impossible to do any work as an astronomer without a PhD. The field is very oriented on original, individual research. </p>

<p>There are lots of potential job paths. NASA, universities, private science labs, observatories all around the world. It’s a very competitive field though, so employment isn’t a guarantee, like it is in many other fields. Astronomers/physicists tend to be highly employable in many other fields though, simply because of their problem solving abilities and mathematical skills.</p>

<p>Additionally, a high school level astronomy course isn’t even remotely comparable to actual astronomy. It’ll still be an interesting course, but it isn’t really necessary. Take whichever seems most appealing to you. I’d personally take astronomy.</p>

<p>edit- To expand on that, a high school level astronomy course is typically going to be based more on memorizing a lot of terminology. For someone that wants to major in astronomy, this is important, but an astronomy major will often bypass the GenEd style introductory astronomy course, and go right to a more advanced introductory astronomy course that actually involves mathematics. A high school astronomy course is not likely to really contain any math. If you want to major in astronomy, the best thing to do right now is get as much math and physics under your belt as you can. Modern astronomy is essentially astrophysics, and astronomy majors typically have to take a good portion of the physics courses that a physics major would take.</p>