Astronomy and Astrophysics
Program Overview
The graduate program in Astronomy and Astrophysics is offered by the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, leading to the Doctor of Philosophy. In some cases, the Department may admit students to the Master of Science as preliminary phase before proceeding to the PhD.
The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics is actively engaged in a wide range of observational and theoretical research on solar system dynamics, stars, stellar systems, the interstellar medium, the Galaxy, galaxies, quasars, clusters of galaxies, cosmology, and problems in general relativity. The Department has close ties with the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) and the Dunlap Institute, which further enhance the opportunities for our students to interact with leading researchers.
Faculty and students use the major optical, radio, and satellite observing facilities of the world and are engaged in many large survey projects. We have an active experimental program using telescopes on long-duration stratospheric balloons and a complementary program designing and building instrumentation for optical, millimetre, and radio telescopes.
There are approximately 100 faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and staff in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, CITA, and Dunlap Institute. Students benefit from direct interactions with the broad range of external speakers invited to weekly seminar programs and colloquia.
Quick Facts
| Domestic | International | |
|---|---|---|
| Application deadline | PhD: Fall 2025 entry 10-Dec-2024 | PhD: Fall 2025 entry 10-Dec-2024 |
| Minimum admission average | PhD: B+ average in Master’s | PhD: B+ average in Master’s |
| Direct entry option from bachelor's to PhD? | PhD: Yes (minimum A-minus average in courses in the relevant discipline) | PhD: Yes (minimum A-minus average in courses in the relevant discipline) |
| Is a supervisor identified before or after admission? | PhD: After | PhD: After |
| If a supervisor is identified after admission (as per question above), is admission conditional upon securing a supervisor? | PhD: No | PhD: No |
| Is a supervisor assigned by the graduate unit or secured by the applicant? | PhD: The applicant should refer to the our department website for this info. | PhD: The applicant should refer to the our department website for this info. |
| Are any standardized tests required/recommended? | MSc, PhD: N/A | MSc, PhD: N/A |
“My passion for asking questions and finding answers has flourished.”
- Jielai Zhang
- Alumna, PhD, Astronomy & Astrophysics, GG Gold Medal Recipient