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Fall 2025 applications are now closed. Applications for Fall 2026 will open in July 2025.
Check out our Prospective Students page for more information about applying to the APS Ph.D. program!
The Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences is one of the few programsthat combines both astrophysics and planetary science, providing a unified view ofspace sciences; the solar system and comparative planetology; stellar and galacticastronomy; and cosmology. Students are given hands-on experience with telescopes,optics, instrumentation, and computer image processing and modeling.
The Interdisciplinary Emphasis lends itself to a career in education, sciencejournalism, science policy, information technology, science management, or technicalwork where a graduate degree is not required.
The Physics Emphasis isintended for students who wish to do research and continue on to graduate work inastronomy or planetary sciences. This emphasis also lends itself well to a career in technicalwork related to the field.
Our Ph.D. program allows graduate students to practice teaching, assist in cutting-edge research, and begin to take part in the larger professional astrophysics community.
- The APS department recognizes our scientific and educational missions are strengthened by contributions from diverse perspectives. We aim to promote a fair, inclusive, and supportive environment for all. As a member organization of the American Astronomical Society, our department adheres to their and encourages all our faculty, students, and staff to do the same.
If you feel we have failed in this goal, or if there are any issues or areas of concern that the APS Executive Committee should be aware of, please use the .
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