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A Career in Astronomy and Access to Astronomy Classes

-- | November 17, 2015

Question: Hello. I am a college student, and I am extremely interested in astronomy. I am taking math and chemistry but my school doesn’t offer astronomy classes. Can I still get a career in astronomy with a degree in chemistry or would it be best to try and transfer to a school that offers astronomy?

Also, I’m worried I won’t be smart enough to succeed in astronomy. I was a valedictorian in high school, but I’m still worried to take the risk of transferring schools for an astronomy program and then not be able to complete it. Any advice? Thank you. — Kristin

Answer: Most astronomers are actually trained as physicists or chemists who later specialize in the astrophysical application of physics or chemistry. I would not worry too much about the lack of access to astronomy classes at your undergraduate school. It is more important to take as much physics and math, and chemistry if your ultimate goal is to study interstellar chemistry, that you possibly can so that you can have a good grounding in these subjects, which are fundamental to astrophysical research. Also, having a good background in physics, chemistry, and math allows for you to have many options for career path in addition to astronomy. Finally, pursuing a career in astronomy is not all about “smarts”. A strong desire to study the universe is often more important than being “smart”. In the end, if you decide to pursue a career in astronomy you need to be certain that it is what you want to do in life, and that is the most important aspect of one’s choice of career.

Jeff Mangum

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