Doctor's Degree in Astrophysics at Princeton University |
Princeton University
|
Princeton University is a Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above Research Universities (very high research activity) with 7,261 students in Princeton, NJ.
|
|
This school offers the following degree levels:
Bachelor degree, Masters degree, Doctor's degree |
| Also, students of this school are eligible for federal aid such as Pell Grants and Direct Loans from the US Department of Education. |
View more details on
Princeton University. |
Princeton University
Doctor's degree
Astrophysics
|
|
|
The Ph.D. program in astronomy at Princeton is unusual in providing an early opportunity to engage in research. It typically takes only four years to complete.
In the first two years, a student completes three or four research projects under supervision of faculty members. Although they are called semester projects, their difficulty and duration vary significantly. Some of them may (and should) result in published papers. In addition to research, during the first two years of the program students take courses offered by both astrophysics and physics departments. The Ph.D. thesis project is often in an area different from the previous research projects and normally takes two years to complete.
In the end of the second year, students take the oral general examination. The student chooses four topics out of the following six: Stellar Systems, Extragalactic astronomy, Stellar Structure, High-energy astrophysics, Diffuse Matter in Space, Plasma astrophysics. Five of these topics are covered by classes offered at our department. The committee of four faculty members examines the student for about two hours mostly on the four chosen subjects, but also on other topics in astrophysics. However stressful the whole experience is, it is not intended to be a "make or break" hurdle, and most people (95%) pass the exam on the first attempt (which is not necessarily the case in other institutions). Students who are making good progress in their research and classes - and even those who may be a little behind in some part of the schedule but maintain interest - routinely put in a very good performance after a month or two of studying.
View more details on
Princeton University.
|
|
|
|
