For information about this Master’s programme, see the website.
The Master’s programme in Astronomy consists of the following specialisations:
Astronomy and Instrumentation (stream)
Astronomy and Cosmology (stream)
Astronomy and Education
Astronomy and Science-Based Business
Astronomy and Science, Communication and Society
| Course | EC | Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Core courses |
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| Interstellar Medium | 6 | ||
| Origin and Evolution of the Universe | 6 | ||
| Galaxies: structure, dynamics and evolution | 6 | ||
| Stellar Structure and Evolution | 6 | ||
|
General courses |
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| Computational Astrophysics | 6 | ||
| Large Scale Structure and Galaxy Formation | 6 | ||
|
Instrumentation-related / Specialist courses |
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| Astronomy from Space | 3 | ||
| Astronomical Telescopes and Instruments | 6 | ||
| High-energy astrophysics | 3 | ||
| Astronomical Systems Design | 3 | ||
| Detection of Light | 3 | ||
| Radio Astronomy | 6 | ||
|
Inter-faculty electives* |
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| Science and the public: contemporary and historical perspectives | 6 | ||
| Science Methodology | 4 | ||
|
Note *One of these two courses may be chosen as an elective/non-astronomy course |
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The Research in Astronomy specialisation is a two-year programme, leading to the MSc degree in Astronomy. It consists of advanced courses in astronomy and courses on science topics related to astronomy, as well as two research projects. The structure of the programme [120 EC] is as follows:
Courses Year 1 & 2 Astronomy courses 36 EC Year 1 & 2 Non-Astronomy courses (electives) 24 EC Research projects Year 1 Minor Research Project in Astronomy 24 EC Year 2 Major Research Project in Astronomy 36 EC Please note that the following course is mandatory for students following the Research in Astronomy programme:
In addition, the Research in Astronomy course programme must contain:
a minimum of two other Core courses [12 EC]
at least one Instrumentation-related course, accounting for at least 6 EC in total
a choice of Astronomy courses of any type [12 EC]
For an overview of all courses offered in 2014-2015, see the Astronomy tab.
Non-Astronomy courses (electives) may be selected from the courses offered by the Leiden MSc programmes in Physics, Mathematics or Computer Science.
The stream Astronomy and Instrumentation is part of the two-year Research in Astronomy specialisation, leading to the MSc degree in Astronomy. The programme consists of coursework [60 EC], as well as two research projects [60 EC]:
Courses Year 1 & 2 Courses in Instrumentation 24 EC Year 1 & 2 Courses in Astronomy 36 EC Research projects Year 1 Minor Research Project in Astronomy 24 EC Year 2 Major Research Project in Instrumentation 36 EC Please note that the following courses are mandatory for Research in Astronomy students who follow the Astronomy and Instrumentation programme:
Stellar Structure and Evolution [6 EC]
Astronomical Instruments and Telescopes [6 EC]
Detection of Light [3 EC]
In addition to the mandatory courses, electives are to be chosen for Astronomy [30 EC] and for Instrumentation [15 EC].
Descriptions of all mandatory and elective courses within the programme are listed below:
| Course | EC | Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mandatory courses |
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| Astronomical Telescopes and Instruments | 6 | ||
| Stellar Structure and Evolution | 6 | ||
| Detection of Light | 3 | ||
|
Electives in astronomy/instrumentation |
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| Astronomy from Space | 3 | ||
| Computational Astrophysics | 6 | ||
| High-energy astrophysics | 3 | ||
| Interstellar Medium | 6 | ||
| Origin and Evolution of the Universe | 6 | ||
| Astronomical Systems Design | 3 | ||
| Galaxies: structure, dynamics and evolution | 6 | ||
| Large Scale Structure and Galaxy Formation | 6 | ||
| Radio Astronomy | 6 | ||
|
Inter-faculty electives* |
|||
| Science Methodology | 4 | ||
| Science and the public: contemporary and historical perspectives | 6 | ||
|
Note *Students may choose only one of these two courses as part of their coursework in Astronomy (36 EC). |
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Other instrumentation-related courses The following courses offered by the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering (AE), at Delft University of Technology, may be included as instrumentation-related courses in the above programme: More information on how to enroll as a guest student at Delft University of Technology can be found here. |
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The stream Cosmology is part of the two-year Research in Astronomy specialisation, leading to the MSc degree in Astronomy. The programme is provided jointly by the Leiden Astronomy and Physics Departments. It is fully embedded in the Leiden Astronomy and Theoretical Physics Master’s degrees. The so-called The Leiden de Sitter Cosmology programme consists of 50% coursework and 50% research projects undertaken under the supervision of academic research staff of both departments. Cosmology students take courses from a predefined menu, which covers the full spectrum from theoretical early universe physics to observational cosmology and astronomy. The two research projects done by de Sitter students will also have to cover practical and theoretical aspects of cosmology. Check out the Cosmology website for further information.
Courses Year 1 & 2 Courses in Physics 24 EC Year 1 & 2 Courses in Astronomy 36 EC Research projects Year 1 Minor Research Project in Astronomy 24 EC Year 2 Major Research Project in Cosmology 36 EC Please note that the following courses are mandatory for Research in Astronomy students who follow the Cosmology programme:
Astronomy Courses:
Stellar Structure and Evolution [6 EC]
Origin and Evolution of the Universe [6 EC]
Large Scale Structure and Galaxy Formation [6 EC]
Physics Courses:
Particle Physics and Early Universe [6 EC]
Theory of General Relativity [6 EC]
In addition to the mandatory courses, electives are to be chosen for Astronomy [18 EC] and for Physics [12 EC].
Descriptions of all mandatory courses within the Cosmology programme are listed below:
| Course | EC | Semester 1 | Semester 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large Scale Structure and Galaxy Formation | 6 | ||
| Stellar Structure and Evolution | 6 | ||
| Origin and Evolution of the Universe | 6 | ||
| Particle Physics and Early Universe | 6 | ||
| Theory of General Relativity | 6 | ||
The Astronomy and Education (EDU) specialisation consists of a one-year Astronomy research component and a one-year Education component.
Student teachers develop their competences to innovate their practice (e.g., by developing and testing instruction on a specific topic). This specialisation meets the requirements to obtain the degree Eerstegraads lesbevoegdheid in Physics, needed for teaching at Dutch secondary schools.
Courses Year 1 & 2 Courses in Astronomy and other 30-50 EC Year 1 & 2 Courses and Internship 40-60 EC Research projects Year 1 & 2 Astronomy Research project 30 EC ### More information
For an overview of all Astronomy courses offered in 2014-2015, see the Astronomy tab.
Other courses may be selected from the courses offered by the Leiden MSc programmes in Physics, Mathematics or Computer Science.
The Astronomy and Science-Based Business (SBB) specialisation prepares students for a career in science-related business and administration and for innovation and enterprise from an astronomy perspective.
In addition to knowledge of astronomy, students obtain competence with respect to organisations, people in organisations and the establishment and management of processes. The first year of the track focuses on astronomy; in the second year the student will specialise in Science-Based Business.
Courses Year 1 & 2 Courses in Astronomy and other 30-50 EC Year 1 & 2 Courses and Internship 40-60 EC Research projects Year 1 & 2 Astronomy Research project 30 EC ### More information
More information on SBB courses can be found on the SBB website.
For an overview of all Astronomy courses offered in 2014-2015, see the Astronomy tab.
Other courses may be selected from the courses offered by the Leiden MSc programmes in Physics, Mathematics or Computer Science.
More information can be found on the SBB website.
The Astronomy and Science, Communication and Society (SCS) specialisation is a two-year programme, leading to the MSc degree in Astronomy. It consists of a one-year Astronomy research component and a one-year Communication component.
It offers students the opportunity to combine previous research training with a programme in different aspects of science communication, such as journalism, new media, museology and information visualisation.
Students of this Master’s specialisation have an excellent opportunity to broaden their studies outside their own specialist field, and during the internship are able to try out the interesting opportunities offered by a career as scientific communicator or scientific journalist. The experiences and insights gained will be of benefit to those who intend to continue in an academic environment, for example as a PhD candidate in their own specialist field. The ability to communicate about science is an essential skill which all scientists should have mastered.
Courses Year 1 & 2 Courses in Astronomy and other 30-50 EC Year 1 & 2 Courses and Internship 40-60 EC Research projects Year 1 & 2 Astronomy Research project 30 EC ### More information
More information on SCS courses can be found on the SCS website.
For an overview of all Astronomy courses offered in 2014-2015, see the Astronomy tab.
Other courses may be selected from the courses offered by the Leiden MSc programmes in Physics, Mathematics or Computer Science.
More information can be found on the SBB website.