The outline below illustrates the recommended schedule of coursework and departmental requirements for completing a Ph.D. All students are required to take the five required core courses.

For more information about planetary astronomy at CU, visit the Planetary Program's website. For more detailed information on examination timelines, see the Important Information page.

Year 1: Fall

Coursework

Support

Requirements & Main Activities
  • Core: Atomic & Molecular Processes, Math Methods.
  • Planetary Elective: Origins (even years), or Surfaces and Interiors (odd years).
  • Astrophysics Elective: Origins or Cosmology (even years), or ISM/Star Formation or Astrophysical Plasmas (odd years).
  • Space Physics Elective: Fluids 2 (even years), or Astrophysical Plasmas (odd years).
  • Teaching (TA) or Research (RA) Assistantship -- Usually TA
  • Find your academic advisor and discuss classes. You should have met them in your entrance interview (during Fall Orientation).
  • Prepare for in-state tuition: Get a CO driver's license, register to vote, register your car, save your lease or buy a house, and read the tuition classification information.

Year 1: Spring

Coursework

Support

Requirements & Main Activities
  • Core: Fluids; Observations, Data Analysis, & Statistics
  • Planetary Elective: Atmospheres (even years), or Special Topics (odd years).
  • Astrophysics Elective: Galaxies or Stellar Astrophysics (even years), or High Energy or Instrumentation (odd years).
  • Space Physics Elective: Magnetospheres (even years), or Solar/Stellar Magnetism (odd years).
  • Teaching (TA) or Research (RA) Assistantship -- Usually TA
  • Scout research groups for summer support. Sometimes this comes from your Comps advisor, sometimes from your (possible) thesis advisor. Sometimes grad students will find external funding through a summer fellowship program.
  • Find a research group to try. For the last several years, there have been Faculty Research Talks where faculty give a brief overview of what research they do and what openings they may have.

 

Year 1: Summer

  • Support: RA

Year 2: Fall

Coursework

Support

Requirements & Main Activities
  • Core: Radiative & Dynamical Processes.
  • Planetary Elective: Origins (even years), or Surfaces and Interiors (odd years).
  • Astrophysics Elective: Origins or Cosmology (even years), or ISM/Star Formation or Astrophysical Plasmas (odd years).
  • Space Physics Elective: Fluids 2 (even years), or Astrophysical Plasmas (odd years).
  • Teaching (TA) or Research (RA) Assistantship -- Usually RA
  • Evaluate research interests.
  • Apply for in-state tuition: Talk to the graduate program coordinator, and then fill out the In-State Tuition Application. Failing to do so could result in you paying your own tuition!

Year 2: Spring

Coursework

Support

Requirements & Main Activities
  • Electives

 
  • Teaching (TA) or Research (RA) Assistantship -- Usually RA

Year 2: Summer

Year 3: Fall

  • You will probably have 1 or 2 courses left that you need to take.
  • Requirements & Main Activities: Take Comprehensive Exam ("Comps")
  • Comps deadline: October 31. You will need to petition the department to extend this if you will not be ready (usually granted).

Subsequent Years

  • Coursework: Coursework is usually completed after 5 semesters in our department.
  • Support: Support is usually through an RA, though many graduate students will occasionally TA in later years for additional experience or salary.
  • Terminal Masters: A graduate student can choose to complete their Comps and then exit the program with a M.S. degree.
  • Dissertation: Dissertation work usually begins immediately following the Comprehensive examination. It is encouraged to be on a different project with a different advisor. The median time to completion is 5.6 years.
  • At least once a year, students, with their advisor, are expected to arrange a meeting with 3-4 of their thesis committee members.