Studying astronomy at university
Example course modules
- Health issues and ethics
- Foundations of astronomy
- Introduction to astrobiology
- Physics of the sun
- Igneous petrology
- Stars and their spectra
- Relativity
- Cosmology
- Metamorphic petrology
- The physical universe
- Optical physics and elecctromagnetism
Teaching hours / week
Average for this subject
Average for all subjects
Average hours for this subject: 17 (Low N/A - High N/A). Average hours for all subjects: 14.
The time you'll spend in lectures and seminars each week will vary from university to university, so use this as a guide.
Who studies this subject
What students say about astronomy
What you need to get on a course
Subjects you need
A-levels (or equivalent) usually required
- Maths
- Physics
Useful to have
- Chemistry
- Further maths
Application checklist
Here's a guide to what to expect from the application process - also check individual university entry requirements, as these may differ.
- January application
- October application
- Personal statement
- Portfolio
- Interview
- Entry test
- Work experience
- Audition
Personal statement advice
Your personal statement is a core part of your university application, and getting it just right takes time. Before you start work on yours, take a look at our five quick tips on writing a personal statement. We'll help you past that writer's block!
Personal statement tips and advice
Career prospects
Six months after graduating
- Information technology and telecommunications professionals
Longer term career paths
Jobs where this degree is useful
- Physicist
- Aerospace design engineer
- Astronomer
Other real-life job examples
- Actuary
- Software developer
- Instrumentation engineer
What employers like about this subject
Students on an astronomy degree will gain subject-specific skills including planning, execution and reporting of experiments and data analysis and the relation of that data to theories in physics and astronomy. Transferable skills you can develop will include communication skills, project management, IT skills, time management, team-working, problem solving, data investigation, high-level numeracy and good research skills. Astronomy graduates get jobs in the space, scientific research, IT and finance industries. If you are aiming for a career in research, you will usually need to take a postgraduate qualification (probably a doctorate) after your first degree and so many astronomy graduates take further degrees.
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