Master of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics

The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics has one of the largest and most productive graduate programs in the country. Students receive intensive training to prepare them for careers in academia, public education and outreach, and private industry.
The graduate program in Astronomy and Astrophysics prepares students for careers in astronomy, space science and education. Graduate instruction and research opportunities are available in theoretical, observational, and instrumental astronomy and astrophysics. Currently active areas of theoretical research include high-energy astrophysics (including theory of neutron stars, black holes, and gamma ray bursts), relativity and cosmology, stellar dynamics and planet formation, and computational methodology. Observational areas include spectroscopic and photometric observations of high-redshift quasars, galaxies and the intergalactic medium, gamma-ray bursts, X-ray and visible light studies of quasars, starburst and other active galaxies, visible light studies of nearby galaxies and their stellar populations, infrared study of brown dwarfs and protoplanetary disks, spectroscopy and modeling of binary, magnetically active, pre- and post-main sequence stars, spectroscopic searches for planetary systems. Instrumental areas include: development of X-ray telescopes and detectors, and high-precision visible and near-infrared light spectrographs. Department faculty members participate in several university cross-disciplinary organizations: Astrobiology Research Center, Center for Astrostatistics, Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, and the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos.

Admission to the Penn State Astronomy and Astrophysics graduate program is highly selective. Typical successful applicants have a high junior-senior GPA (above 3.0 on a standard U.S. 4-point-scale), research experience, and strong letters of recommendation from those who can attest to their academic and research abilities. All applicants to the graduate program must have a Bachelor's degree upon their arrival. Bachelor's degrees from non-traditional program backgrounds may be considered for admission, as discussed in our graduate admissions FAQ. Be sure to read our graduate admissions FAQ and the requirements for admission to The Graduate School before preparing your application. To begin the application process, go to the admissions site for The Graduate School. Complete the on-line application form for the Ph.D. program of the Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University Park campus of Penn State University. This form will ask you for:

Your biographical information.
Your educational background.
Your work experience.
A PDF version of your curriculum vitae.
The names and addresses of three people familiar with your qualifications for graduate school. The application deadline is January 4, 2024. Note that this is the deadline for all letters of reference to be received, and The Graduate School system will not send out a request for those letters until the application is complete. Applicants should thus coordinate with their letter writers and submit their applications far enough in advance for their letter writers to meet the deadline.
A personal statement (the content of which is detailed in a prompt during the application process).
Scores from the TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) examination for international students (with exceptions noted below). A score of at least 620 on the paper test, 260 on the computer based test, or 105 on the internet-based (iBT) test are viewed most favorably, but a lower score does not exclude consideration. In addition, Penn State University also requires a minimum of 19 points on the new speaking portion of the iBT test. Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may still be considered for provisional admission. Provisional admission requires an institutional test of English proficiency upon first enrollment and, if necessary, remedial course work. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5.