Program Requirements

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

48 units must come from completion of the coursework component

48 units must come from completion of the research component

A minimum of 48 units must come from completion of 8000-level courses

The 96 units must consist of:

18 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

ASTR6002 Galaxies and Cosmology (6 units)

ASTR6007 Stars (6 units)

ASTR6013 Astrophysical Processes (6 units)

A minimum of 12 units from completion of courses Astronomy & Astrophysics courses from the following list:

ASTR8004 Astronomical Computing (6 units)

ASTR8006 Galaxies (6 units)

ASTR8011 Observational Techniques (6 units)

ASTR8016 Optical Instrumentation (6 units)

ASTR8020 Diffuse Matter and Star Formation (6 units)

ASTR8021 Astrophysical Processes II (6 units)

ASTR8022 Stars II and Exoplanets (6 units)

A maximum of 6 units from completion of Complementary Science courses from the following 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)

MATH8201 Topics in Computational Mathematics (6 units)

MATH8202 Theory of Partial Differential Equations (6 units)

PHYS6101 Advanced Quantum Mechanics (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)

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

SCOM6003 Science in Popular Fiction (6 units)

SCOM6015 Speaking of Science (6 units)

SCOM6501 Strategies in Science Communication (6 units)

SCOM8014 Communicating Science with the Public (6 units)

SCNC8000 Science Internship (6 units)

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

48 units from completion of the following research component:

           ASTR8010 Astrophysics Research Project, 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 remain enrolled in the Master of Science (Advanced) Astronomy & Astrophysics and continue to the research component. A condition of supervisor approval is that the research project is feasible and it should be noted that the majority of research projects will require on campus attendance.

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 or the Graduate Diploma of Science.

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

Study Options

Admission Requirements

Applicants must present a Bachelor degree or international equivalent

• with a minimum GPA of at least 5.5/7.0
• with at least 8 courses in a cognate discipline, which must also have a minimum GPA of 5.5/7.0.
• with a minimum of 2 courses of undergraduate second year Physics; and a minimum of 2 courses of undergraduate second year Mathematics.
• with completion of a short research project equivalent to ANU ASTR3005 Astrophysics Research Topic.

The GPA requirement for this program must be met by both the program as a whole, as well as by the 8 courses in a cognate discipline. Where more than 8 cognate courses have been completed by the applicant, ANU will take the best 8 courses when assessing the cognate GPA.

The GPA for a Bachelor program will be calculated from (i) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades and/or (ii) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades other than those from the last semester (or equivalent study period) of the Bachelor degree. The higher of the two calculations will be used as the basis for admission.

Cognate disciplines: Astronomy & Astrophysics, Computer Science, Earth & Marine Sciences, Physics, Mathematics

Ranking and English language proficiency: 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. 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. 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 admission requirements and post-admission support

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.

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.

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.

Applications for course credit: 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

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.

Other Requirements

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

Further Information

Additional admission information:

Students applying for this program will need to have a background in physics equivalent to undergraduate second year quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and electromagnetism in order to meet prerequisites for many of the ASTR- and PHYS- courses listed in this program. They will also need to have a background in Mathematics, equivalent at least to the level of ANU MATH2306.

Progression hurdle:

This program has a progression hurdle that must be satisfied in order to progress to the research project: Students must achieve a minimum 70% average mark in the first 24 units of coursework and have the approval of the supervisor for the research project. A condition of supervisor approval is that the research project is feasible and it should be noted that the majority of research projects will require on campus attendance.

Course offered by the College of Science and College of Health and Medicine:

An indicative list of courses offered by the College of Science and the College of Health and Medicine can be found under current students page on the College website via this link.