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[Astrophysics Department] [Graduate Admissions Office] |
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For any general or admission information about the graduate program in astrophysics,
please contact Jill Knapp, Director of Graduate Studies.
Thank you for your interest in the graduate program at the Department of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University. On this page we will try to summarize important information about the program and graduate student life at Princeton, as well as outline differences from graduate programs at other universities. This page is written by graduate students and reflects our views and opinions. For an official information brochure and an application form please visit the Graduate Admissions Office website.
On this page:
The Ph.D. program in astronomy at Princeton is unusual in providing an early opportunity to engage in research. It typically takes only four years to complete.
In the first two years, a student completes three or four research projects under supervision of faculty members. Although they are called semester projects, their difficulty and duration vary significantly. Some of them may (and should) result in published papers. In addition to research, during the first two years of the program students take courses offered by both astrophysics and physics departments. The Ph.D. thesis project is often in an area different from the previous research projects and normally takes two years to complete.
Emphasis on early research is a hallmark of the Ph.D. program in astronomy at Princeton. At many institutions, students are exposed to only one area of research during their graduate careers - that concerned with their thesis; course work alone is often not sufficient to enable students, in later years, to enter new fields. The Princeton program provides students with intensive exposure to several different areas of research, giving them the background necessary to work in any of these areas after graduation. In a rapidly changing field like astrophysics, experience has shown that a wide background is very useful.
Students get to choose their project advisors. In practice, in the beginning of each semester students talk with several faculty members about available projects and choose the one they prefer. Ties with the Physics Department and the Institute for Advanced Study as well as with the Plasma Physics section of the department are close and friendly, so it is possible to complete a project with a member of these.
For many years, the Astrophysics Department has had a reputation of being a theory-oriented place, but in recent years the department has become engaged in various exciting observational projects as well. Here are some of them:
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Sloan Digital Sky Survey |
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Apache Point Observatory |
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The Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment |
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The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe |
Our Department is also actively involved in the
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Program in Integrative Information, Computer and Application Sciences (PICASso) |
The list of current astro course offerings can be found here. The five graduate courses offered at the astrophysics department (Stellar Systems, Extragalactic Astronomy, Stellar Structure, High-energy astrophysics, Diffuse Matter in Space) aim at preparing students for the general examination (aka qualifier) in the end of the second year. These are excellent classes taught by astro faculty members that cover basic and advanced topics of modern astronomy. To take one course each semester during the first two years is the departamental requirement.
Graduate students are also required to attend the graduate student seminars each semester, except for their last semester at Princeton. Students take turns to present 50 min talks which they prepare using recent publications on the seminar subject. The seminar is run in turns by faculty members, who usually choose a topic related to their research area as the general theme for the seminar in a given semester. In fall, the seminar focuses on theory, whereas in spring it is mostly observational. As a result, by the time of graduation students are familiar with the current state of research in seven different areas. However, the more important goal of the seminar is to teach and practice presentation skills, be comfortable with a large audience and practice answering tough questions from the audience. The seminar is also attended by students from the physics department and astro undergraduates and is regarded as very useful.
Students are also free (and encouraged, but not required) to take classes in the Physics or Plasma Physics department (or, for that matter, courses in languages, history, politics...) Princeton University offers more than you can handle.
By the end of the second year, most people have an idea of what they are interested in for a long-term project. The thesis can be a continuation of one of the semester projects, or it can be in a completely different area. A thesis committee consisting of four or five faculty members monitors the progress during the committee meetings once a semester. In our department, theses normally take two years to complete.
Under exceptional circumstances the student may request financial assistance and extension of candidacy for the fifth year. Exceptional circumstances usually include bad weather during the observing season, need for extensive software to process observations, etc. It is extremely unlikely to get an extension for a theoretical thesis which is not affected by such factors. Laziness is a very common circumstance and is not considered grounds for extending the candidacy. Alas.
There are additional practical advantages to Princeton's program. First, a student who applies for a post-doctoral position will have one or more published papers in addition to the thesis work in progress. Second, the emphasis on early research establishes a pattern of high scientific interest and output, helping students to enter post-doctoral and faculty positions at an early date.
About our recent graduates:
Here you can find the fundamentals of a job search (page by Jeremy Kepner).
In the end of the second year, students take the oral general examination. The student chooses four topics out of the following six: Stellar Systems, Extragalactic astronomy, Stellar Structure, High-energy astrophysics, Diffuse Matter in Space, Plasma astrophysics. Five of these topics are covered by classes offered at our department. The committee of four faculty members examines the student for about two hours mostly on the four chosen subjects, but also on other topics in astrophysics. However stressful the whole experience is, it is not intended to be a "make or break" hurdle, and most people (95%) pass the exam on the first attempt (which is not necessarily the case in other institutions). Students who are making good progress in their research and classes - and even those who may be a little behind in some part of the schedule but maintain interest - routinely put in a very good performance after a month or two of studying. The structure and feel of the exam reflect the non-competitive atmosphere of the department, and everybody wants you to pass: you, your fellow second years, your advisor and the faculty at large (not to mention your mother).
In order to be admitted to PhD candidacy (the last two years of the program) the student must have published (or submitted) in a refereed journal at least one paper based on research done at Princeton during the first two years, and have passed the general examination.
Here you can find Admission and Graduation Statistics over the last few years.
Teaching - here is the official word:
Students are required to serve as Assistants in Instruction (Teaching Assistants) for one (and only one) semester sometime during their graduate career, although this requirement may be waived in exceptional circumstances.This requirement is unlike that in many other institutions where teaching assistantships are the primary means of financial support for graduate students throughout their courses of study. In practice, most students in our department serve as teaching assistants for one of the undergraduate astro courses (usually in the third year, i.e., after the generals and still long before the defense, a brief period when students have a false sense of having lots of free time). The limited teaching requirement spares a lot of time for research.
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Graduate students typically have their own offices starting from their second year and up. Some first-year students will be sharing office space with each other. Every student has a computer (Sun or Linux) and a phone. Offices are located in the basement of Peyton Hall, the Astronomy department building. There is also a graduate student lounge for social gatherings and the everyday half-past-three-o-clock tea. Graduate students gather for Thunch, a weekly lunch on Thursdays where they invite someone famous and get to know him/her better. |
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While all faculty members are generally available for questions, grad students often resolve many questions by asking other grad students. This is especially true about computer-related issues.
Princeton Web contains a lot of information about grad student life, for example on the Princeton University Graduate School webpage. Some of the social events for graduate students are listed on the web-page of The Graduate College. A lot more can be found on the University-wide calendar.
Here it is important to emphasize that unlike most other institutions, Princeton University offers nice and affordable housing for all graduate students during the first three years. (After that chances to get University housing decrease but hopefully by then you've figured the system out and can survive on your own.) It is especially important in the Princeton area where the cost of living is very high. All first-years are offered housing if they apply on time. There is dormitory-type housing (The Graduate College), apartment-type housing (Hibben/Magie, Butler, Lawrence) and house-type housing (Annex). More housing info can be found on the Housing Department webpage.
Some students are supported by outside fellowships. If this is not the case, here is the official word:
The Ph.D. program in Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton normally lasts four years. The department guarantees funding for four years, including summer support, if the student's academic performance is satisfactory. Funding for a fifth year of study, or fraction thereof, is subject to availability of funds and the approval of the student's thesis committee, which is normally obtained at the beginning of the fourth year of study.
Unlike many other institutions, students do not have to worry about whether or not their advisors can find financial support for them. In addition to the monthly stipend, there is a travel grant which can be used for traveling to conferences, observing sites, etc. There is also a computer grant to help you buy your own computer.
Graduate students about their experiences at Princeton Astrophysics Department:
To see what a typical day in the life of a Princeton grad student is like, click here for a Day in the Life of Creature.
Group pictures of graduate students
Current graduate students and links to their personal webpages
If all of the above sounds fine, please visit the Graduate Admissions Office website, where you can request an information brochure and an application form.
If you have questions, you can contact
the Director of Graduate Studies Prof. Jill Knapp (gk@astro.princeton.edu) or
the Graduate Administrator, Charlotte Zanidakis (ccooney@princeton.edu).
Last update: February 7, 2008
e-mail to webmaster
This webpage was written by Nadia Zakamska ('05), Edwin Sirko ('06) and Simon DeDeo ('05) with the help of all graduate students.
The previous version of this page was written by Wesley Colley ('97) and David Goldberg ('00).