The Graduate Program of the University of Arizona Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory trains students to become independent scientists with the knowledge and skills to conduct and communicate world-class astronomical research. A Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Arizona signifies a student’s excellence in research, which is demonstrated through a significant, original, and scholarly contribution to astrophysical knowledge. We admit graduate students who have met high standards of achievement and shown potential for conducting original research, with the expectation that they will succeed in attaining a doctoral degree in astronomy and astrophysics. The academic program is structured in support of this goal, emphasizing research throughout the graduate career; providing mentoring from individual advisors and our interactive community of students, postdocs, scientists, and faculty. Students will gain firsthand experience with the tools and facilities that define the state of the art in our field.
The Astronomy Graduate Program at The University of Arizona was established in 1927 and since then has become one of the highest profile astronomy Ph.D. programs in the country. Over the past ninety years nearly two hundred fifty astronomers have earned Ph.D. degrees in "Astronomy and Astrophysics" from the Department of Astronomy/Steward Observatory. Our graduates now hold a great variety of positions worldwide in research and higher education and continue to shape the present and future of astronomy and astrophysics.
Steward Observatory and the Department of Astronomy are among the powerhouses of U.S. Astronomy. Our highly selective Ph.D. program offers an exciting and inspiring intellectual environment with the resources, expertise, and support you need to flourish as a scientist and modern scholar.
(Click on images to enlarge to full size. Top photo: many of our grad students at the Steward Internal Symposium, November 2019. Bottom photo: the 2018 entering grad student class. Images courtesy of Michelle Cournoyer.)
