Program Requirements

The Masters of Science (Advanced) in Astronomy & Astrophysics requires completion of 96 units which must consist of:

48 units from completion of coursework

48 units from completion of the research project

The 96 units must include:

12 units from completion of Science and Society Courses from the following list:

SCOM6015 - Speaking of Science (6 units)

SCOM6501 - Strategies in Science Communication (6 units)

SCOM8014 - Communicating Science with the Public (6 units)

SCOM6003 - Science in Popular Fiction (6 units)

VCPG6003 - Leadership and Influence in a Complex World (6 units)

SCNC8000 - Science Internship (6 units)

 A minimum of 30 units from completion 6000-8000 level courses in the subject area ASTR Astronomy & Astrophysics which must include:

18 units from completion of courses from the following list:

ASTR6002 - Galaxies and Cosmology (6 units)

ASTR6007 - Stars (6 units)

ASTR6013 - Astrophysical Processes (6 units)

12 units from completion of 6000-8000 level courses in the subject area ASTR Astronomy & Astrophysics

A maximum of 6 units from completion of courses from the complementary science list:

COMP6464 - High Performance Scientific Computing (6 units)

COMP6730 - Programming for Scientists (6 units)

COMP8300 - Parallel Systems (6 units)

COMP8410 - Data Mining (6 units)

COMP8600 - Statistical Machine Learning (6 units)

EMSC6022 - Planetary Science (6 units)

MATH6103 - Scientific and Industrial Modelling (6 units)

MATH6111 - Scientific Computing (6 units)

MATH6201 - Topics in Computational Mathematics (6 units)

MATH6202 - Theory of Partial Differential Equations (6 units)

PHYS6101 - Advanced Quantum Mechanics (6 units)

PHYS8015 - Photonics Laboratory (6 units)

PHYS8721 - Advanced Imaging Methods and Systems (6 units)

STAT6038 - Regression Modelling (6 units)

STAT6039 - Principles of Mathematical Statistics (6 units)

STAT7001 - Applied Statistics (6 units)

STAT7016 - Introduction to Bayesian Data Analysis (6 units)

48 units from completion of Research and Research Methodology Courses from the following list:

           ASTR8010: Astrophysics Research Project (48 units) which must be undertaken three times, in consecutive periods

Students must achieve a minimum 70% weighted average mark in the first 24 units of coursework and have the approval of the supervisor for the research project to continue in the Master of Science (Advanced) program.

If the total number of units attempted exceeds 24 in the in the same teaching period in which the 24th unit is attempted, exactly 24 units will be used in the calculation of the weighted average mark with units from the course with the highest mark applied first followed by further units from course in descending order of marks.

Students who do not achieve a minimum 70% weighted average mark or do not have approval of an identified supervisor will be transferred to the Master of Science in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Master Research

Masters (Advanced) program that meets this requirement through the substantial research-based project

Master Research Training

A student enrolled in the MScAA(Adv) program will take the ASTR8010, Astrophysics Research Project, course three times throughout the degree. This corresponds to 48 units of research training. The research component provides the opportunity to enhance and develop detailed knowledge and skills in a specific area of astronomy and astrophysics. It may include the acquisition and analysis of telescope data, the development of theoretical models, or the development and testing of new astronomical instrumentation.

Capstone Courses

ASTR8010 - Astrophysics Research Project 001

Hurdle Requirements

Students must achieve a minimum GPA of 5.0 in the first 96 units attempted to commence the 24 units of Masters courses in their Bachelor degree. Students who do not achieve this GPA will be able to complete and graduate from their Bachelor degree but will not be able to undertake Masters courses. If the total number of units attempted exceeds 96 in the same teaching period in which the 96th unit is attempted, all courses attempted will be used in the calculation of the GPA

Study Options

Admission Requirements

At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry.

Applicants must present a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.5/7.0.

• with at least 8 courses in a cognate discipline with a grade point average of at least 5.5/7.0 in these courses.
• completion of ASTR3005 Astrophysics Research Topic or equivalent.

In line with the university's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. 

Academic achievement & English language proficiency

The minimum academic requirement for full entry and enrolment is a Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 5.5/7.0. 

However, applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. 

If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of: 

• a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or

• demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency. 

Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.

Further information: English Language Requirements for Admission 

Diversity factors

As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.

Assessment of qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met.

 Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au

ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.

Credit Granted

Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 24 units (one semester) of credit.

Applicants with a Graduate Diploma or Bachelor degree with Honours in a cognate discipline may be eligible for up to 48 units (one year) of credit.

Cognate Disciplines

Astronomy & Astrophysics, Computer Science, Earth & Marine Sciences, Physics, Mathematics

Pathways

• Applicants with a Bachelor Degree or Graduate Certificate in a cognate discipline may be eligible for 24 units (one semester) of credit.
• Applicants with a Graduate Diploma or Honours in a cognate discipline may be eligible for 48 units (one year) of credit.

Fee Information

All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)

The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.

For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate high level knowledge in Astronomy & Astrophysics and relate it to a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts;

2. Apply their knowledge in the discipline to new problems;

3. Interpret, synthesise and critically analyse new published literature of relevance to Astronomy & Astrophysics;

4. Demonstrate skills relevant to research methodology and techniques for Astronomy & Astrophysics;

5. Critically analyse data within the discipline to reach independent conclusions;

6. Perform telescope observations or theoretical calculations, or construct astronomical instrumentation; interpret and analyse results, write reports and collate data into a thesis;

7. Demonstrate a critical understanding of science in society

8. Clearly communicate theory and results in both written and oral formats with university staff, peer students and the wider community on Astronomy & Astrophysics topics.

Research Strengths

Masters (Advanced) program that meets this requirement through the substantial research-based project

Inherent Requirements

Information on inherent requirements is currently not available for this program.