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Graduate Program
Department of Astronomy
The Department of Astronomy at the University of Texas is one of the largest in the United States, with
twenty-two active teaching faculty, seventeen research scientists, a number of research associates and
postdoctoral fellows, and about 45 graduate students. The research activities of the faculty and staff span
virtually all of modern astronomy.
In recent years the faculty have won five of the major awards of the
American Astronomical Society, as well as numerous other honors and fellowships, placing the Department
among the top few American astronomical institutions. The low student-teacher ratio allows students to
work closely with experts in their field of interest.
The association between the Department of Astronomy and McDonald Observatory provides excellent opportunities in
optical astronomy.
We offer strong programs in millimeter and submillimeter astronomy, infrared astronomy, radio astronomy,
space astronomy, and theoretical astrophysics.
Collaborations with groups in physics, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering,
computer science, and geological science are also common.
Visiting scientists from around the world join our astronomers in research; astronomers and graduate students, in turn, frequently use
national radio and optical observatories and facilities elsewhere.
McDonald Observatory
The Observatory complex is located 450 miles west of Austin in the Davis Mountains, one of the darkest sky areas in the continental
United States. At present, there are four operating telescopes: 9.2-m Hobby*Eberly Telescope (HET), 2.7-m Harlan J. Smith Telescope,
2.1-m Otto Struve Telescope, and the 0.8-m Telescope. The HET is an innovative departure from classical telescope design and is
dedicated primarily to the spectroscopic analysis of light.
The Observatory is equipped with a wide range of state-of-the-art instrumentation for optical and infrared imaging and spectroscopy,
as well as operating one of the first and most productive lunar ranging stations.
In addition to its own facilities, McDonald Observatory has a share in a submillimeter wave telescope on Mauna Kea.
Our astronomers and students also make frequent use of national and international facilities, including the Hubble Space
Telescope and the NASA Infared Telescope Facility. The Whole Earth Telescope project, led by Texas astronomers, involves
simultaneous observations on telescopes worldwide.
Graduate students typically receive about 25% of the nights on the two largest telescopes at McDonald, with additional time
being granted to their advisors for joint projects. Students doing dissertation research receive high priority on all telescopes.
Austin Facilities
The University of Texas at Austin is a leading institution of higher education and research, the largest state-supported university, and the oldest and largest of the University of Texas System. It is second only to Harvard in the number of endowed faculty positions and many of the faculty are members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as Pulitzer or Nobel Prize winners.
The University offers many excellent facilities and resources to graduate astronomy students.  The University of Texas at Austin has the sixth largest academic library system in North America, the fifth largest in the United States, with more than eight million volumes. Robert Lee Moore Hall is home to a large Physics-Math-Astronomy Library and the Astronomy Department itself houses a wealth of astronomical reference materials in the Péridier Library. A 16-inch telescope on the roof of Robert Lee Moore Hall and a 9-inch telescope in nearby T.S. Painter Hall offer students and the public an introduction to the night sky. The Astronomy Department and the Observatory also offer up-to-date computer facilities, including sophisticated networks of workstations and personal computers. Machine and electronic shops, as well as specialized equipment, are also available.
Graduate Astronomy Program
The Graduate Program includes courses which will introduce students to the basic ideas of modern astronomy and astrophysics, as well as more advanced material including:
Course
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Title
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AST 380E
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Radioactive Processes and Radiative Transfer
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AST 381
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Theoretical Astrophysics
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AST 381C
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Gravitational Dynamics
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AST 382C
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Astrophysical Gas Dynamics
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AST 383
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Stellar Astronomy
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AST 383C
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Stellar Atmospheres
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AST 383D
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Stellar Structure and Evolution
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AST 384T
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Current Studies in Astronomy for Teachers
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AST 185C
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Conference on Modern Astronomy
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AST 386
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Extragalactic Astronomy
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AST 386C
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Properties of Galaxies
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AST 389
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Dynamical Astronomy
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AST 392D
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Mathematical Techniques in Astronomy
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AST 392E
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Optical Techniques in Astronomy
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AST 392G
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Observing Techniques in Astronomy
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AST 392J
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Astronomical Instrumentation
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AST 393F
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Survey of the Interstellar Medium
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AST 396C
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Elements of Cosmology
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AST 398T
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Supervised Teaching in Astronomy
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Additional course information is available in the
Graduate Catalog.
Students select six courses from a list of ten required courses and two elective courses from the list above. AST 185C, a conference course designed to introduce students to the scientific literature and our faculty, is also required and is taken in the first year. We offer a number of advanced courses, as well as five seminar series, which allow faculty, research staff, students, and visiting scientists to present their current research.
Throughout their graduate career, students carry out research projects designed to introduce them to the frontiers of modern astronomy. At the end of their second year, students defend their research to date. Students have the option of taking a Masters Degree at this time, and then continuing with the doctoral program or going directly into the doctoral program without applying for a Masters Degree. We have lists of current graduate students and their research
projects, as well as the research interests of our faculty and research scientists.
Another good source for current research interests in the department is the most recent AAS Annual Report
available in our research section.
Check here for our graduation statistics
as well as a list of former graduate students.
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For more information:
Graduate Admissions
Department of Astronomy
1 University Station, C1400
Austin, TX 78712-1083
phone: (512) 471-3350
fax: (512) 471-6016
email: Graduate Coordinator
hours: M-F: 8-12, 1-5 PM
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Useful links:
University of Texas Graduate School
UT Graduate Admissions Office
Graduate Catalog
Graduate Catalog: Astronomy Program
UT International Office
Graduate Student Assembly
Graduate Outreach Program
Fellowship Information
Astronomy Weekly Seminar Schedule
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