Astronomy Minor

Program Overview

The Astronomy minor at this institution offers a core curriculum in astronomy, including observational astronomy, planetarium science, and comparative planetology. Students can supplement their core coursework with additional electives in physics, computer science, earth science, or mathematics. The minor prepares students for careers in astronomy education, planetarium management, science museum work, or graduate studies in astronomy.

Program Outline

Outline:

Core Courses:

(17 hours)

• ASTR 204 Astronomical Investigations [GEKN] 1 hr
• ASTR 205 Principles of Astronomy [GEKN] 4 hrs
• ASTR 315 Observational Astronomy 3 hrs
• ASTR 320 Planetarium Science 3 hrs
or PSCI 340 Milestones in Physics and Astronomy 3 hrs
• ASTR 330 Comparative Planetology 3 hrs
• ASTR 370 Beyond the Solar System 3 hrs

Additional Coursework:

(6-8 hours)

• PHY 221 Mechanics, Sound and Heat [GEKN] 4 hrs
• PHY 222 Electricity and Light 4 hrs
Students who intend to pursue graduate studies in astronomy should complete a Physics major. These students will take PHY 223 rather than PHY 221 and PHY 224 rather than PHY 222. PHY 223 and PHY 224 will apply to their Physics major and cannot also count toward this minor. In this case, a student must take 6-8 credits of restricted electives from the list below:
• COSC 111 Introduction to Programming 3 hrs
• COSC 112 Introduction to Programming Online Lab 1 hr
• COSC 211 Programming Data Structures 3 hrs
• COSC 212 Programming Data Structures Online Lab 1 hr
• COSC 315 Symbolic Computing 4 hrs
• ESSC 110 The Dynamic Earth System [GEKN] 4 hrs
• ESSC 111 The Earth System through Time 4 hrs
• ESSC 325 Geomorphology 4 hrs
• MATH 319 Mathematical Modeling 3 hrs
Other courses, not listed, are possible with advisor approval.

Careers:

The astronomy minor will prepare you to teach astronomy, to become a planetarium director, to get a job in a science museum, to give you the background (with a major in physics) for graduate studies in astronomy, or to just satisfy your natural curiosity about space.