Master's Programme in Astronomy, 120 ECTS
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The Master’s program in Astronomy at Stockholm University gives you a well-rounded and broad base in astronomy and astrophysics, including a number of options to specialize in an area of your own choice. The two-year program leads to a Master of Science degree in Astronomy.
During the course of the program you will study advanced courses in astronomy, covering topics such as observational techniques, gas dynamics, stellar structure and evolution, astrophysical radiation processes, cosmology, galaxies, etc. The final part of the degree consists of a thesis project spanning at least six months, giving the opportunity to get more deeply involved in research in a specific area within astronomy.
Astronomers work in many varying areas, including research, teaching, computing and image processing. The program also offers a good foundation for PhD studies.
Area of interests: Science and Mathematics
Science and mathematics help us understand how the world around us is connected – from the origin and structure of the universe, to the development and function of humanity and all other organisms on earth. Scientific knowledge makes it possible to critically examine the credibility of information in different areas of everyday life, society, and the media. As a scientist or mathematician, you will be attractive on a large job market that covers all parts of society and includes everything from pure technology companies to environment and healthcare, as well as research.
Area of interests: Science and Mathematics
Science and mathematics help us understand how the world around us is connected – from the origin and structure of the universe, to the development and function of humanity and all other organisms on earth. Scientific knowledge makes it possible to critically examine the credibility of information in different areas of everyday life, society, and the media. As a scientist or mathematician, you will be attractive on a large job market that covers all parts of society and includes everything from pure technology companies to environment and healthcare, as well as research.
Subject
Astronomy
Since ancient times, celestial mysteries have fascinated mankind. In contrast to the earliest observers of the sky, contemporary astronomers have tools to observe more of the Universe than is visible to the naked eye. For example, only during the past few decades has it become possible to study the large scale structure and evolution of the Universe, as well as planetary systems around nearby stars. For the first time it is now possible to scientifically study and debate both the origin of the Universe and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
All astronomy rests on a solid base of physics. Astronomical observations were an important part in the development which led to the birth of modern science almost four centuries ago. Contemporary astronomy again highlights this connection, as several of the most fundamental questions in physics can be answered through direct astronomical observations.
The Department of Astronomy offers courses at all levels. If you are interested on a general level, we give a number of overview courses in astronomy. These courses are given in Swedish, and do not require previous studies in mathematics or physics.
For students wishing to learn the physical foundation of astronomy, we offer a Bachelor’s program in Astronomy. During the three-year program you will study physics and mathematics, and their applications in astronomy.
For those who already have a Bachelor’s degree in astronomy/physics (or the equivalent) we offer a number of second level courses. They cover all major areas of astronomy, and are the main part of our Master’s program in Astronomy. The advanced courses are given in English, as is the Master’s program.
Astronomers work in many varying areas, including teaching, computing and image processing. The Master’s program also offers a good foundation for PhD studies.
Physics
Physics deals with ‘matter and its motion’ as well as ‘space and time’. Important concepts are then force, energy, mass and charge. It is an experimental science and its goal is to understand the natural world. The interplay with theoretical model building and experimental work is then important. It is an old science subfield and it developed through the subfield of astronomy to which it is strongly related. The ‘modern’ science discipline physics developed during the 17th century when it diverged from disciplines like mathematics, biology and chemistry. Today one can see that the boundaries between these fields of science are more difficult to define again. Today, physics is a broad and highly developed subject. Research is divided into many subfields: condensed matter physics; atomic, molecular, nuclear and optical physics; high energy physics, elementary particle physics and astrophysics. At Fysikum there are research groups in all the main areas of physics. There is a number of open questions in physics. Mainly physics is studied in study programs at Stockholm University but we have also a lot of separate courses. There is a Bachelors of Science programme in Physics and three masters programmes in respectively Physics, Theoretical Physics and Computational Physics. The teaching of the masters programmes are in English. In the B.Sc programme English textbooks are used extensively.