Some students may wish to receive a degree that highlights their interest and preparation in Astronomy. We now offer a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Astronomy degree for these students.
Please note that students may still obtain a BS in Physics degree and be well prepared for a graduate Astronomy program by taking the Astronomy courses as electives.
The BS in Astronomy includes a minimum of 32 credit hours. Most students headed for graduate school end up taking closer to 40 credit hours. To be properly prepared for graduate school, a student should also plan on taking at least 371 (E&M), 381 (Advanced Mechanics), and 421 (Quantum)
Below is a table showing all the courses offered and where they might fit into a typical schedule. Explanatory notes are given at the end.
| Course Title | Semester Suggested | Semester hours | Required/ Elective |
| ASTR-101 Astronomy | 1 | 3 | Required |
| ASTR-101L Astronomy Lab | 1 | 1 | Required |
| ASTR-221 Observational Astronomy (Spring, odd years) | 2 or 4 | 1 | Required |
| ASTR-252 Stellar Astrophysics (Spring, even years) | 4 or 6 | 3 | Required |
| ASTR-253 Galactic Astrophysics (Fall, even years) | 5 or 7 | 3 | Required |
| ASTR-445 Experimental Astronomy (Senior Research in Astronomy) | 7 and 8 | 2 | Required |
| PHYS-109 Physics: Mechanics - Statics | E/P | 3 | Elective |
| PHYS-190 Topics in Physics (Freshman Seminar) | 1 | 1 | Recommended |
| PHYS-141 Physics: Mechanics and Heat (or PHYS-151) | 1 | 3 | Required |
| PHYS-141L Experimental Physics I (Laboratory) | 1 | 1 | Required |
| PHYS-142 Physics: Electricity, Magnetism and Waves (or PHYS-152) | 2 | 3 | Required |
| PHYS-142L Experimental Physics II (Laboratory) | 2 | 1 | Required |
| PHYS-151 Physics: Mechanics and Heat - Honors | 1 | 3 | (Required) |
| PHYS-152 Physics: Electricity, Magnetism and Waves - Honors | 2 | 3 | (Required) |
| PHYS-215 Mechanics of Materials | E/P | 3 | Elective |
| PHYS-243 Physics: Atoms, Nuclei, and the Solid State | 3 | 3 | Required |
| PHYS-245 Experimental Physics III (Laboratory) | 4 | 1 | Required |
| PHYS-246 Data Reduction and Error Analysis | 4 | 1 | Required |
| PHYS-250 Analytical Mechanics | 4 | 3 | Required |
| PHYS-252 Materials Science | 3 | 1 | Elective |
| PHYS-281 Electricity and Electronics | 3 | 3 | Elective |
| PHYS-320 Microprocessor Applications | E/P | 4 | Elective |
| PHYS-333 Mechanical Measurements Laboratory | E/P | 4 | Elective |
| PHYS-342 Electronics | E/P | 4 | Elective |
| PHYS-345 Experimental Physics IV (Laboratory) | 5 | 1 | Required |
| PHYS-360 Thermal Physics (Spring, odd years) | 6 or 8 | 3 | Required |
| PHYS-371 Electromagnetic Fields | 5 | 3 | Recommended |
| PHYS-372 Electromagnetic Waves (Spring, odd years) | 6 or 8 | 3 | Elective |
| PHYS-381 Advanced Mechanics (Fall, even years) | 5 or 7 | 3 | Recommended
|
| PHYS-421 Quantum Mechanics I (Fall, odd years) | 5 or 7 | 3 | Recommended |
| PHYS-422 Quantum Mechanics II (Spring, even years) | 6 or 8 | 3 | Elective |
| PHYS-430 Nuclear and Particle Physics (Spring, even years) | 6 or 8 | 3 | Elective |
| PHYS-430L Nuclear and Particle Physics (Laboratory) (Spring, even years) | 6 or 8 | 1 | Elective |
| PHYS-440 Condensed Matter Physics (Spring, odd years) | 6 or 8 | 3 | Elective |
| PHYS-490 Scientific Endeavor (Spring, odd years) | 6 or 8 | 3 | Recommended |
| PHYS-492 Research and Reading in Physics | -- | 1-3 | Elective |
| PHYS-499 Physics Colloquium | All | 0 | Required |