What would be the best college for astrophysics?
I want to go to college for astrophysics and i would like to know what would be the best place to go.
I would also like to know what courses i should take and what type of degree I would need.
I want to go to college for astrophysics and i would like to know what would be the best place to go.
I would also like to know what courses i should take and what type of degree I would need.
If you want to be an astronomer/astrophysicist, you'll want to major in physics in college, with a double major or minor in astronomy and math. However, there really aren't any jobs available in astronomy if you don't have a Ph.D.
As an undergrad, you'll need as much physics as possible, with math, astronomy, and a little computer science. You'll want to spend your summers doing research, and try to publish a paper, to help your grad school applications.
Grad school in astronomy takes 4-8 years, depending on the field, your advisor, your data, etc. So it's 8 – 12 years of college before you get a job – and astronomers typically do one or two post-doctoral positions, which are 2 or 3 year research appointments before getting a 'real' job. So it will take awhile, and astronomy doesn't pay that much – compared to a doctor or lawyer at least, who spend less time in school. So don't do it unless you really love it.
Remember that you won't stay in the same university for both undergrad and graduate school – it's not recommended. But the schools below have good grad programs, and going to them will help you get into one of the others.
Good schools:
Harvard
Berkeley
CalTech
UCLA
UC Santa Cruz
UT Austin
Cornell
Columbia
MIT
U of Hawaii
U of Chicago
U of Toronto
UMass Amherst
U of Arizona
up-and-coming programs:
Ohio State
Clemson U
U of Michigan
U of Maryland
U of Virginia
U of Colorado (Boulder)
i hope you are no older than 9 or 10…otherwise you have a lot more homework to do than worrying about where to study
Massachusett Institute of Technology (MIT)
Perhaps the best places to study astronomy (if you are REALLY serious about hands on training) are the schools with the best telescopes. Here is a list of links to just a few of them.