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What can I do to be an astronomer? What classes would I take in college? Is it expensive to be one?
I'm in 11th grade in high school, the sky interests me and fills my head with questions, theories, and emotions. I would like to know how to be one who studies the sky?
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If you want to be an astronomer, your declared major should be physics in college. The cost of an undergraduate degree should be quite similar for most of the majors.
The courses you will be taking in college will be the full complement of physics courses offered as well as enough mathematics courses to support your physics courses. Many schools offer astrophysics courses in the upper division.
Astronomy/astrophysics is a subdiscipline of physics, and you will need at least a master’s degree in physics before you can engage in research projects in astronomy. You need to find a graduate school that offers advanced degree in astronomy/astrophysics.
The next question is graduate school. Is it expensive? Tuition for graduate school is typically a lot higher than that for undergraduate school.
The cost of graduate school depends on whether you can obtain a graduate assistantship in your graduate school. Typically, with a graduate teaching/research assistantship, your full tuition will be waived. Furthermore, you will be given a stipend for your living expenses. Basically, you are attending graduate school for free plus a monetary gift to live a fugal life. This is how I got through graduate schools for my master’s degree and doctoral degree.
Without graduate assistantship, one may seek available scholarships or have to work part-time to support graduate study.
The courses you will be taking in college will be the full complement of physics courses offered as well as enough mathematics courses to support your physics courses. Many schools offer astrophysics courses in the upper division.
Astronomy/astrophysics is a subdiscipline of physics, and you will need at least a master’s degree in physics before you can engage in research projects in astronomy. You need to find a graduate school that offers advanced degree in astronomy/astrophysics.
The next question is graduate school. Is it expensive? Tuition for graduate school is typically a lot higher than that for undergraduate school.
The cost of graduate school depends on whether you can obtain a graduate assistantship in your graduate school. Typically, with a graduate teaching/research assistantship, your full tuition will be waived. Furthermore, you will be given a stipend for your living expenses. Basically, you are attending graduate school for free plus a monetary gift to live a fugal life. This is how I got through graduate schools for my master’s degree and doctoral degree.
Without graduate assistantship, one may seek available scholarships or have to work part-time to support graduate study.