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:
| 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 | ||
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
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:
Intake with Astronomy Study Advisor
Lectures from alumni
Career Information Meeting Astronomy (CIMAS)
Leiden Observatory Science Day
Company visits, dinners and lectures
Field-specific conferences (Physics@Veldhoven, Fysica, Nederlandse Astronomen Conferentie)
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.
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