Research in Astronomy

Specialisation of: Astronomy
Degree: Master of Science in Astronomy
Mode of Study: Full-time
Duration: 2 years
Start date: Flexible, for international students preferably September or February
Language of instruction: English
Location: Leiden
Croho/isat code: 60200
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The Master’s specialisation in Research in Astronomy is the best option for students who aspire to a scientific career in astronomy (or in a related field).

Programme

The programme includes a number of advanced astronomy courses which are chosen from the subjects offered each year. Only the course on Stellar Evolution is required for all students. Students also takes courses outside the field of astronomy, primarily in mathematics or physics, and carry out two different research projects supervised by members of the scientific staff. The course on Science-Based Business Fundamentals from the Science-Based Business track may also be taken as part of the Research in Astronomy track.

The major project results in a master’s thesis. Under certain circumstances, students with deficiencies in their prior education may enter this track, which then will be adapted to compensate for gaps in their training. The minor research project may be reduced and the number of astronomy courses may be increased. A selection of courses from the bachelor’s curriculum (for instance Stars, Radiative Processes, and Galaxies and Cosmology) may be required. Such remedial courses should be taken as early as possible in the programme.

For the most up to date course overview, see the Astronomy website

Prof. Kuijken

“In the Netherlands astronomy is considered to be a field worth investing in, not least because of the strong links with information technology.”

“An important feature of this master’s is that our students spend half their time working on research projects with members of our department. We involve them in front line research in all possible areas, from cosmology to the chemistry of the interstellar medium.

The Sterrewacht in Leiden is the oldest university observatory in the world. It dates from 1633, and has a very rich history. More recently, Leiden’s reputation can be largely attributed to Professor Jan Oort,
who put Leiden on the world map. Our department is still one of the most active astronomy research institutes in the world. In the Netherlands, astronomy is considered to be a field worth investing in, not least because of the strong links with information technology. Even though astronomy does not directly serve a financial or economic purpose, nonetheless the government has invested hundreds of millions of euros in this field. These funds are now being used for projects like the LOFAR radio telescope, which will be used to make fundamentally new observations. These are very exciting developments.

My research concerns the distribution of dark matter, one of the major issues in present-day astronomy. Most of the matter in space cannot be seen, but you do become aware of it when measuring gravity. I am head of an international research group which is researching how light is deflected by gravity. The world of astronomy is very international. Astronomers frequently work together and use satellites and telescopes from across the world.”

Photo Astronomy 2