help

Undergraduate Education Choices for Future Astronomer

-- Seung Jun | March 29, 2020

Question:

Hello! I am a South Korean high school senior who is very interested in astronomy. I was recently admitted to Cambridge, UC Berkeley, and UCLA for their undergraduate programs, and I wanted to ask for advice on deciding which university I should attend.

For context, I am not sure about which subfield or skill in astronomy I should specialize in. As of now, I am especially interested in planetary science and teaching/education (i.e. I enjoy teaching people), but I suspect my interests could change during my undergrad years. However, I am 100% confident that I would still dream of becoming an astronomer no matter what; it’s just that I’m not sure which ‘kind’ I want to become.

Also, I do want to live and work in the US for now, but I am not certain about this as well.

Moreover, I heard that many American astronomers enter a PhD program right away without earning a Master’s degree. However, Cambridge offers the option to either graduate in 3 years with only a Bachelor’s degree or to graduate in 4 years with an additional Master’s degree. If I were to apply for a PhD program in the US after attending Cambridge, which option should I choose?

Since it is very hard to contact an American or British astronomer in South Korea, any sort of little help would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Seung Jun Rhee

-- Seung Jun

Answer:

You actually have some very nice options to choose from! As all of your options will result in an excellent education which will serve you well in your future career as an astronomer, you should consider other factors, such as availability of research programs that you are interested in, when making your decision. Regarding the option to also obtain a Masters degree with your undergraduate education, even though that is a nice feature of the Cambridge program, it is not really an advantage or disadvantage when applying to graduate school. Most graduate programs are geared toward educating students who have bachelor’s degrees only. As I indicated above, you should attend a program which provides opportunities for research in areas that you are interested in studying.

-- Jeff Mangum

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
	Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.
	The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense..."
	AUI collaborates with the scientific community and research sponsors to plan, build, and operate cutting-edge facilities. We cultivate excellence, deliver value, enhance education, and engage the public.