Astronomy
What this major studies in college, how to prepare in high school where a source says so, and careers open with a bachelor’s degree. Every fact below names its source.
Last checked:
What it is
Astronomy involves the study of the properties, physical nature and origins of the planets, stars, galaxies and the universe as a whole. [1]
Astronomy involves building instruments, observing celestial objects with telescopes on the ground and in space, and interpreting the findings with the laws of physics, such as gravity, electromagnetism and quantum mechanics. [1]
Typical college courses
A student planning to go on to graduate school in astronomy should have had physics courses covering electricity and magnetism, atomic and nuclear physics, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and quantum theory. [2]
Computer science, too, permeates all facets of astronomy today. [2]
The astronomy and astrophysics B.S. requires, each with a grade of C or better, Astronomical Methods and the Solar System, Astronomy of the Distant Universe, General Physics: Mechanics, and General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism, among other courses. [1]
The B.S. also requires Introduction to Modern Physics and Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations. [1]
The rows below show one named program as an example: the Penn State bachelor of science in astronomy and astrophysics, 2026–2027 bulletin. Course descriptions are in our own words. Course names and numbers differ at every college; confirm each college’s own list.
| Course | Status | What it covers (example: Penn State bulletin) | Comes after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astronomical Methods and the Solar System | Required in this example program[1] | Astronomical Methods and the Solar System (ASTRO 291), the first half of a two-semester survey that astronomy majors generally take in the sophomore year, covers the history of astronomy, Newtonian gravity and orbits, light and atoms, telescopes and their instruments, and the sun, planets, moons, asteroids and comets. [3] | It comes after PHYS 212, with MATH 230 before or at the same time. [3] |
Get ready with these topics: Orbits and Kepler's laws · Formation of the solar system · The Sun: fusion, energy and life span · Gravity and electric forces: inverse-square laws · Orbits and satellites · Light as a wave and as a particle | |||
| Astronomy of the Distant Universe | Required in this example program[1] | Astronomy of the Distant Universe (ASTRO 292) continues the survey with how stars form, change and die, including supernovae, pulsars and black holes, then galaxies and quasars, and finally modern cosmology, from the expanding universe to the Big Bang. [3] | It comes after ASTRO 291. [3] |
Get ready with these topics: The Big Bang and the expanding universe · Stars: life cycles and the H-R diagram · How stars make the elements · The Sun: fusion, energy and life span · Waves: frequency, wavelength and speed · Modern physics: atoms and nuclear energy | |||
| General Physics: Mechanics | Required in this example program[1] | General Physics: Mechanics (PHYS 211) is a calculus-based first course in classical mechanics: motion and vectors, forces and Newton's laws, work and energy, momentum and collisions, rotation, gravity, oscillations and waves, with at least one lab or activity period each week. [4] | MATH 140 is taken before or at the same time. [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Physics skills: units, vectors and graphs · Describing motion: position, velocity and acceleration · Newton's second law: net force, mass and acceleration · Momentum and its conservation · Conservation of energy: modeling energy in a system · Torque, rotation and equilibrium · Vectors: components and operations | |||
| General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism | Required in this example program[1] | General Physics: Electricity and Magnetism (PHYS 212) is a calculus-based first course in electric charge and fields, Gauss's law, electric potential and capacitance, current and circuits, magnetic fields, induction and Maxwell's equations. [4] | It comes after MATH 140 and PHYS 211, with MATH 141 at the same time. [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Electric charge and fields · Gravity and electric forces: inverse-square laws · Electric current, voltage and resistance · Electromagnetism: currents and magnetic fields · Motors, generators and the power grid · Fields and stored energy · Vectors: components and operations | |||
| Introduction to Modern Physics | Required in this example program[1] | Introduction to Modern Physics (PHYS 237) covers special relativity and the ideas and math of quantum mechanics, applied to topics such as atoms and molecules, nuclei, particles, condensed matter or astrophysics, and it prepares students for upper-level quantum mechanics. [4] | It comes after PHYS 212, with PHYS 214 before or at the same time. [4] |
Get ready with these topics: Light as a wave and as a particle · Modern physics: atoms and nuclear energy · Waves: frequency, wavelength and speed · Atoms and electron arrangement | |||
| Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations | Required in this example program[1] | Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations (MATH 251) covers first- and second-order equations, special functions, solutions with Laplace transforms, higher-order equations, Fourier series and partial differential equations. [5] | It comes after MATH 141. [5] |
Get ready with these topics: Differential equations and slope fields · Separation of variables and exponential models · Higher-order derivatives · Antiderivatives and indefinite integrals · Exponential functions and the number e | |||
Typical high school preparation
- Students who take mathematics or science courses after the tenth grade generally have the best chance of successfully pursuing a science or engineering career. [2]
- A better approach is to complete math through pre-calculus in high school. [2]
- Both chemistry and physics courses are also strongly recommended in high school as adequate preparation for the first year of college. [2]
This is general advice from the cited source, not a rule for every college. Confirm each college’s own list.
Related majors
Each card opens that major’s page. Compare the courses before you choose, and confirm each college’s own list.
Physics
Penn State's physics major provides a sound program of technical and general education for students planning a career in physics and related fields. [6]
Earth and Environmental Science
Global climate change and more local environmental change present major challenges, and solving them requires people with a solid scientific understanding of natural earth and environmental systems and of the social, economic and political sides of these problems. [7]
Mathematics
Penn State's bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in mathematics share a common core of mathematics courses, and both prepare students for graduate work in mathematics. [8]
Where this degree can lead with a bachelor’s
National figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay varies by state, setting and experience. This is not a promise of pay or a job.
Examples from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Other careers may need more study after the bachelor’s degree.
Astronomers
Physicists and astronomers study the interactions of matter and energy. [9]
Those with a bachelor's degree in astronomy also may qualify to work as an assistant at an observatory. [9]
The median annual wage for astronomers was $128,820 in May 2025. [9]
Overall employment of physicists and astronomers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. [9]
Physicists and astronomers typically need a Ph.D. for jobs in research and academia. [9]
Atmospheric scientists, including meteorologists
Atmospheric scientists study, report on, and forecast the weather and climate. [10]
In addition to meteorology and atmospheric science, course requirements for atmospheric scientists may include physics, mathematics and computer programming. [10]
The median annual wage for atmospheric scientists, including meteorologists, was $99,070 in May 2025. [10]
Employment of atmospheric scientists, including meteorologists, is projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations. [10]
Atmospheric scientists typically need a bachelor's degree in meteorology or a related field to enter the occupation. [10]
Questions people search
Chosen from our search-question research. Every answer is cited.
How to become an astronomer
Physicists and astronomers typically need a Ph.D. for jobs in research and academia. [9]
A student planning to go on to graduate school in astronomy should have had physics courses covering electricity and magnetism, atomic and nuclear physics, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and quantum theory. [2]
Your next step
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Sources
- The Pennsylvania State University. Astronomy and Astrophysics, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/eberly-science/astronomy-astrophysics-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- American Astronomical Society (AAS). Planning Your Education. https://aas.org/learn/planning-your-education. no edition stated (page from the AAS careers booklet "A New Universe to Explore: Careers in Astronomy"). Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASTRO) course descriptions. https://bulletins.psu.edu/university-course-descriptions/undergraduate/astro/. University Bulletins, 2026–27 edition. Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Physics (PHYS) course descriptions. https://bulletins.psu.edu/university-course-descriptions/undergraduate/phys/. current University Bulletins (the MATH and EDSGN course pages show the 2026–27 edition). Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Mathematics (MATH) course descriptions. https://bulletins.psu.edu/university-course-descriptions/undergraduate/math/. University Bulletins, 2026–27 edition. Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Physics, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/eberly-science/physics-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Earth Science and Policy, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/earth-mineral-sciences/earth-science-policy-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- The Pennsylvania State University. Mathematics, B.S.. https://bulletins.psu.edu/undergraduate/colleges/eberly-science/mathematics-bs/. 2026–2027 Undergraduate Bulletin. Checked .
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physicists and Astronomers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/physicists-and-astronomers.htm. OOH page last modified October 29, 2026 (pay data May 2025; projections 2025–35). Checked .
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Atmospheric Scientists, Including Meteorologists. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/atmospheric-scientists-including-meteorologists.htm. OOH page last modified August 27, 2026 (pay data May 2025; projections 2025–35). Checked .
Format: Publisher. Page title. URL. Edition or catalog year. Checked date.