Astronomy Major
Examine phenomena beyond the earth's boundaries.
Study astronomy and become an innovative thinker. You will be prepared for success. This program prepares you to pursue a graduate degree or enter the job market. You can be a physicist or astronomer, or explore medical or law fields that have become increasingly technical. Wherever you end up, the astronomy program equips you to ask critical questions, a skill that will help in any profession.
Why study astronomy at the College of Charleston?
The College of Charleston has an on-campus observatory and labs. You will also have access to a network of telescopes in sites around the world and in space. You'll take classes specific to physics and astronomy, and graduate with a background in the liberal arts. You'll also have the opportunity for hands-on research with award-winning faculty.
What will I learn?
You will develop a strong foundation in physics. You'll study topics like black holes, intelligent life, galactic astronomy, and more. Get ready to gain important research skills. You will learn how to collect and analyze data. You'll then learn how to communicate data to an audience.
View Curriculum: Astronomy
Program Highlights
-
Hands-On Learning
Gain hands-on experience using the department’s facilities: our on-campus observatory and labs.
Use the network of telescopes in various sites around the world and in space. Not only will you have access to these resources, but you may collaborate with diverse teams across the globe.
Take part in research with faculty. You can present your results at local, regional, national, and even international conferences.
-
Internship Opportunities
Many of our students take part in internships. Our department frequently offers part-time jobs. You may become a lab assistant during the academic year. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has a very broad summer program of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in many fields. You'll conduct research at major research institutions all over the country and in many disciplines.
Careers & Outcomes
Our graduates are divided between two options: finding a job after graduation or continuing your education in graduate or professional school. We prepare you academically and help you with the details of pursuing your goals. You may enter the job market, pursue a graduate degree in physics, or a related field, get into medical school or other professional schools.
You can enter careers in diverse fields such as:
- applied physics.
- astronomy.
- atmospheric physics.
- computer science.
- education.
- electrical engineering.
- engineering physics.
- environmental science.
- medical physics.
- nuclear engineering
- optics.
Out of This World Learning
Planning a NASA mission to land a rover on the dwarf planet Ceres isn’t something a whole lot of people can say they’ve done. But that’s exactly what College of Charleston sophomore Tyler Glymph did during his internship with NASA last summer.
Read More
About the Minor
If you have a passion for learning about the universe, you may want to minor in astronomy. The minor is also a smart option for students who want to enter fields in aerospace, scientific writing, scientific journalism, or education. You'll develop technical skills, problem-solving abilities and a foundation in physics and astronomy.
View Curriculum: Astronomy Minor