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Kaden
Student
Wynne, Arkansas
1
Question
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How difficult is it to become an astrophysicists, and is it worth it?
On average, how much schooling is required for this profession? If one were to graduate with a bachelor’s in physics, is there a specific degree for astronomy to pursue when going to grad school? Is the field in demand nowadays? While I have a passion for the field and that’s the reason why I plan on pursuing it, I also understand that i’ll likely go into some debt. Does an astrophysicist job pay well enough to get said debt paid off somewhat quickly?
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Andrew Au
Professor of Mathematics & Statistics, Retired
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Andrew’s Answer
Is it worth all the effort to become an astrophysicist?
The short answer is whether it is your passion. If you are passionate about research in astrophysics, you will be willing to put in the necessary effort to achieve your goal.
The long answer is a bit more nuanced. You need a graduate degree, probably a Ph.D., to be a research scientist in astrophysics. The first step is an undergraduate degree in physics. Then you will search for a graduate degree program that offers astrophysics as a subdiscipline. You will go for at least master’s degree in the field.
We do not have a crystal ball on the future job market almost a decade down the line. Typically, a research scientist will be paid reasonably well. Hence, if you manage your finances well, you should be able to live reasonably well.
The last question is how to finance your studies. Most importantly, one should avoid excess student debt. You should be able to earn a solid physics degree in most of the public universities, which will not cost as much as private schools. For the graduate programs, based on your undergraduate performance, there are graduate assistantships (graduate teaching assistantship or graduate research assistantship) to help graduate students through the degree programs. Typically, tuition will be waived with an assistantship plus a small stipend to live a fugal life.
I started college in 1971 and worked for a bachelor’s degree in physics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. There was a very well-known astrophysics program there because of the Mauna Kea Observatories on the Big Island. I took a course in astrophysics in my undergraduate years, but I was advised that the job market was tough then. I went to Arizona State University for my graduate degree. I earned my master’s degree in physics with concentration in solid state physics there. I went to Stony Brook University for my Ph.D. in geophysics. Because I was granted graduate assistantship from both Arizona State University and Stony Brook University, my whole graduate education was free, and with a handsome stipend to live on. Upon graduation in 1984, I was offered a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Carnegie Institution for Science. It is fate that I was offered a job as a consulting scientist in astrophysics working onsite at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. I left that company and moved to another company after one year and worked on various NASA programs for two decades.
We do not know how the future will enfold for us. The best way is to follow your passion and work hard to achieve what we can.
The short answer is whether it is your passion. If you are passionate about research in astrophysics, you will be willing to put in the necessary effort to achieve your goal.
The long answer is a bit more nuanced. You need a graduate degree, probably a Ph.D., to be a research scientist in astrophysics. The first step is an undergraduate degree in physics. Then you will search for a graduate degree program that offers astrophysics as a subdiscipline. You will go for at least master’s degree in the field.
We do not have a crystal ball on the future job market almost a decade down the line. Typically, a research scientist will be paid reasonably well. Hence, if you manage your finances well, you should be able to live reasonably well.
The last question is how to finance your studies. Most importantly, one should avoid excess student debt. You should be able to earn a solid physics degree in most of the public universities, which will not cost as much as private schools. For the graduate programs, based on your undergraduate performance, there are graduate assistantships (graduate teaching assistantship or graduate research assistantship) to help graduate students through the degree programs. Typically, tuition will be waived with an assistantship plus a small stipend to live a fugal life.
I started college in 1971 and worked for a bachelor’s degree in physics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. There was a very well-known astrophysics program there because of the Mauna Kea Observatories on the Big Island. I took a course in astrophysics in my undergraduate years, but I was advised that the job market was tough then. I went to Arizona State University for my graduate degree. I earned my master’s degree in physics with concentration in solid state physics there. I went to Stony Brook University for my Ph.D. in geophysics. Because I was granted graduate assistantship from both Arizona State University and Stony Brook University, my whole graduate education was free, and with a handsome stipend to live on. Upon graduation in 1984, I was offered a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Carnegie Institution for Science. It is fate that I was offered a job as a consulting scientist in astrophysics working onsite at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. I left that company and moved to another company after one year and worked on various NASA programs for two decades.
We do not know how the future will enfold for us. The best way is to follow your passion and work hard to achieve what we can.