Prospectus

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Astronomy

The Leiden master’s programme in Astronomy consists of four research-oriented specialisations and three combined specialisations. Please see below for an overview of all Astronomy courses on offer in 2017-2018. For a preliminary overview of Astronomy courses on offer in 2018-2019, click here.

For information on courses and requirements of each specialisation, please follow the links below:

Courses 2017-2018

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Astronomy Core Courses

Origin and Evolution of the Universe 6
Galaxies: structure, dynamics and evolution 6
Interstellar Medium 6

General Astronomy Courses

Large Scale Structure and Galaxy Formation 6
Star and Planet Formation 6
Computational Astrophysics 6

Instrumentation-related Astronomy Courses

Astronomical Telescopes and Instruments 6
Detection of Light a 3
Detection of Light a + b 6
Astronomy from Space 3
High Contrast Imaging 3
Project Management for Scientists 3

Specialist Astronomy Courses

Deep Learning 3
Astrochemistry 3
Databases and Data Mining in Astronomy 3
Compact Objects and Accretion 3

Inter-faculty Electives

Science and the public: contemporary and historical perspectives 6

Course Levels

Level indication

The level of an individual course is indicated with a number ranging from 100 to 600 as follows:

  • Level 100
    Introductory course; no course prerequisites
    Intensive supervision, textbooks in Dutch, guided work groups, etc
    Mostly first year courses, some second year (bachelor’s)

  • Level 200
    Introductory course; no specific course prerequisistes
    Independent study techniques required, books in English may be used
    Mostly second year courses, some first year (bachelor’s)

  • Level 300
    Course for advanced students; course prerequisites at level 100 or 200
    Books in various languages (only if relevant)
    Examinations test the student’s skills in applying acquired knowledge and insights into new problems

  • Level 400
    Specialised course; course prerequisites at level 200 or 300
    Books mostly in languages other than Dutch; extensive use of scientific articles
    Examination may include a small research project, an oral report, or written papers
    Third year bachelor’s or first year master’s course

  • Level 500
    Master course: scientifically oriented course
    Course prerequisites at level 300/400
    Scientific advanced specialist/professional literature

  • Level 600
    Master course: very advanced scientific course with as prerequisite a level 400/500 course
    Latest developments in scientific field
    Examination consists of a contribution to an unsolved problem, with an oral presentation

Career Orientation

Career orientation
During the Astronomy master’s education programme, we support you in making choices that are relevant to your future career. You will be stimulated to think about your ambitions and potential and to reflect on how to reach your goals. By actively exploring the possibilities, you enable yourself to make motivated study and career choices.

We organise various activities to help you think about questions like:

  • What are my strong skills and what skills can I still learn?

  • In which subjects do I want to specialise?

  • What subject will I choose for my Master Research Project?

  • Which electives fit my future ambitions?

  • Which type of job would I like to do after my Astronomy master’s?

  • What kind of employer would I like to work for?

Events Click here for the Astronomy career event calendar. This calendar contains an up-to-date overview of all career events relevant to Astronomy master’s students, including:

LU Career Zone
The Leiden University Career Zone is a website that offers support to Leiden University students and alumni, both during their studies and career. It offers advice, information and tools, including professional tests to draft your personal profile and job aplication tips.

Soft skills
In the Astronomy course descriptions in this e-Prospectus, behaviour-oriented skills are listed for each course. Although these soft skills cannot be measured like course objectives, being aware of the skills you acquire is important. They determine how you approach your work and your life and are therefore highly relevant to shaping your study path and future career.The soft skills you will come across in the Astronomy course descriptions include:

  • Problem solving - recognizing and analyzing problems, solution-oriented thinking

  • Analytical skills - analytical thinking, abstraction, evidence

  • Structured thinking - structure, modulated thinking, computational thinking, programming

  • Complex ICT-skills - data analysis, programming, simulations, complex ICT applications

  • Project management - planning, scope, boundaries, result-orientation

  • Responsibility - ownership, self-discipline, bear mistakes, accountability

  • Motivation - commitment, pro-active attitude, initiative

  • Self-regulation - independence, self-esteem, aware of own goals, motives and capacities

  • Verbal communication - presenting, speaking, listening

  • Written communication - writing skills, reporting, summarizing

  • Collaboration - teamwork, group support, loyalty, attendance

  • Flexibility - adaptability, dealing with change, teachability, eagerness to learn

  • Critical thinking - asking questions, checking assumptions

  • Creative thinking - resourcefulness, curiosity, thinking out of the box

  • Integrity - honesty, moral, ethics, personal values

Contact
Questions about your study and/or career path? Make an appointment with the Astronomy Study Advisor.

Pre-master's

The Astronomy pre-master’s programme is designed specifically to eliminate relatively minor deficiencies in the prior education of applicants lacking specific knowledge or experience required for successful participation in the Astronomy master’s programme.

Click here for more information on the Astronomy pre-master's programme