ASTRONOMY

Committee on Academic Studies (CAS)

The CAS in the Department of Astronomy has the primary responsibility for administering the graduate program. The purpose of the committee is to ensure that students receive adequate guidance, to see that uniform academic standards are applied, and to define the professional qualifications expected by the department for advanced degrees in astronomy. At regular intervals the committee reviews the progress of each graduate student. It also reviews and approves study programs, arranges oral examinations, and names dissertation examination committees and dissertation advisory committees.

Advising

A faculty advisor is assigned to each incoming graduate student to help the student make informed decisions about coursework and research opportunities.

Each student is free to choose a new advisor at any subsequent time, but should inform the department administrator and the CAS of such changes after obtaining the new advisor’s consent.

Study plans are prepared by students in consultation with their advisor at the start of each fall term, and are submitted to the CAS.

The First Two Years

Course Requirements

Students are expected to obtain a satisfactory grade (A or B) or otherwise demonstrate knowledge of the material in AY 251 or Physics 251a, graduate-level quantum mechanics, or Physics 210, general relativity, other advanced physics courses may be substituted upon petition to the CAS.

Candidates for advanced degrees should obtain a broad knowledge of astronomy by obtaining a satisfactory grade or by passing an oral examination in five Core courses: AY 150, 201a, 201b, 202a, and 202b. Equivalent courses taken elsewhere can also satisfy this requirement.

In addition, students are expected to take for credit at least one of the lecture courses offered by the department or, in several cases, by other departments. Astronomy 192, Principles of Astronomical Measurement, and Astronomy 200, the graduate seminar in astronomy are highly recommended.

Study plans are prepared by students in consultation with their advisor during the second half of the fall term, and are submitted to the CAS. Early in the fall term of the first year, a written placement examination will be given. The Basic Astronomy Placement Test will cover the basic concepts/core of astronomy and astrophysics as covered by the undergraduate texts The Physical Universe by Shu and An Introduction to Astrophysics by Carroll & Ostlie. If a student does not pass this written placement examination, the student must take an individual oral examination on material at the same level to be given at the start of the second term.

Research Project

No general examinations are required; however, before beginning work on a dissertation, a student must complete one research project. The purpose of the project is to introduce students to methods of research and to ensure that they can organize material and present it cogently in written form. The Research Project is ideally in a field or problem different from a subsequent PhD dissertation. The student may work as a member of a research group, but in that case the project report should be written entirely by the student, though it need not be the final version submitted for publication. Students are expected to select an area of research early in their second term in residence, and should submit a proposal for a research project to the CAS before May 15 of their first year. Normally, students devote the summer following their first academic year to research their project. The final research report is due before May 15 of the second year. The report need not describe a completed research project, but can be a description of work accomplished. Its total length should not exceed fifty pages. The report is evaluated by the supervisor and three readers. They also conduct a brief oral examination on the subject of this research as well as other topics in astrophysics from the Core courses. At the time the research project proposal is submitted, the CAS will appoint a research project committee consisting of the student’s chosen advisor plus two or three additional members. It is normally expected that this committee will serve as the Research Examination Committee for this oral examination.

If a student does not complete his or her research examination by the beginning of the first term of the third year, the Research Examination Committee must meet with the student and the student’s advisor and both provide the CAS with an evaluation of the student’s progress, and also provide the student with recommendations on how to complete the project in a timely manner.

Foreign Language Requirement

The Department of Astronomy has no formal requirement in foreign languages. Students should, however, be familiar with the scientific literature in foreign languages that relates to their own work.

Master of Arts (AM)

Candidates are admitted to the PhD program only. The AM degree will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of the University residence requirement: a minimum one year of full-time study in residence or equivalent. Candidates for the master’s degree must successfully complete the above departmental requirement of five Core astronomy courses (AY 150, 201a, 201b, 202a, and 202b), plus either AY 251 or Physics 251a or 210, and one additional elective.

Harvard undergraduates with advanced standing may also complete a master’s degree in astronomy and astrophysics during their fourth year. They should be admitted to the GSAS and complete eight half-courses including AY 150, 201a, 201b, 202a, and 202b (Physics 251 or 210 is not required for the combined AB/AM degree). The elective course can be taken from the 100-level, 200-level, or Astronomy 300. None of these eight courses can be counted for the AB degree. Some 200-level courses should be taken during the third year, since most are only offered in alternate years. Therefore interested students should contact the department early, preferably during their first or second year.

Teaching Requirements

Department of Astronomy graduate students are required to satisfactorily teach for two terms. A student’s teaching will be evaluated by the course head. Students who are not proficient in the English language are required to demonstrate to the course head their proficiency before they are allowed to teach. Various routes to improving English communications skills are available through the University; the department will help students achieve the necessary proficiency. The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning offers activities and services to aid those who teach, and is especially useful for new teaching fellows or those who are unfamiliar with teaching in the American classroom setting.

The first two terms of a student’s teaching are part of her/his compensation package from the department (unless the student has an external fellowship, see below). Many students wish to teach more than the required amount. The department believes that students should have this opportunity if they are in good academic standing and are making good progress toward their degree. Students who undertake additional teaching will normally keep half of their teaching stipend if sufficient research funds are available. Students that wish to teach additional courses should obtain the consent of their advisors and, by University rules, must be in good academic standing. If a student has received an outside fellowship that permits additional support, they may keep the stipend from teaching in addition to the fellowship. Students also may not teach more than one course per term without the consent of the Committee on Academic Studies. It is the responsibility of the student and their advisor to ensure that additional teaching (beyond the two required terms) will not slow progress toward completion of academic/degree requirements.

Dissertation

Thesis Advisory Committee

By November 15 of the student’s third year, both the student and advisor should submit to the CAS a dissertation proposal and a list of possible dissertation advisory committee members.

The thesis advisory committee monitors the student’s progress toward the completion of the dissertation, giving both advice and supervision. It includes members with interests and knowledge broadly related to the dissertation research. The student and committee will meet together at least once per term.

The first meeting of the thesis advisory committee should take place by December 15 of the third year of graduate study. In advance of each meeting the student provides the committee members with a brief summary of current progress and problems.

PhD Dissertation

It should generally take a student two to three years to complete the PhD dissertation. Before the final oral examination, the student is required to give a public lecture on the dissertation topic. Information on due dates for degree applications and submission of dissertations may be obtained from the department administrator. The final manuscript should conform to the requirements described in the booklet The Form of the PhD Dissertation.

Final Oral Examination

The Committee on Academic Studies will appoint a committee to conduct a final oral examination at which the candidate will defend their PhD dissertation. The examining committee will normally include at least one member from outside the Department of Astronomy and two departmental faculty members. The examination will be confined to the dissertation and topics bearing directly on it. Note that a public lecture on the dissertation must be given before the final oral.

Duration of Graduate Study

Duration of graduate study should not ordinarily exceed five years, and students in their sixth year are encouraged to finish promptly.