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What Educational Degrees Do Most Astronomers Have?

-- | November 12, 2015

Question: Hey Jeff – I have been looking around your “Careers in Astronomy” thread and cannot seem to find this question.

What is your actual degree in astronomy?
I would like to know as I am about to do a greater project about Astronomy for my senior year in High school and would like to use you as a source, which demands that I have knowledge of your degree as an expert.

Best wishes from an astronomy enthusiast in Denmark. — Daniel

Answer: Like most professional astronomers, I have a Doctorate (Ph.D.) degree. I also have Masters and Bachelors degrees, and all of my degrees are in Astronomy. Now, professional astronomers generally have Bachelors and Ph.D. degrees in one of the physical sciences; principally physics, chemistry, or astronomy. We also tend to have strong backgrounds in mathematics and computing, which are the primary tools, in addition to physics, that astronomers use to conduct their research.

Jeff Mangum

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