PhD Coursework

Course Requirements

Students must accumulate 64 credits with a grade of B− or higher from graduate-level classes. Of these:

24 units must be for 4-unit astronomy (AS) courses numbered CAS 701–749
2 units must be from CAS AS 720 Graduate Research and Scholarship
8 units must be from advanced AS courses numbered CAS 750–799,
– or, with the permission of the Director of Graduate Studies, relevant graduate-level courses offered within Boston University such as physics or engineering courses. (Advanced courses outside of Boston University require petition to the Astronomy faculty.)
8 units must be from completing all of the four 2-unit AS seminar courses (which may be repeated for additional credit):
- CAS AS 850/851 – Graduate Literature Seminar I and II
- CAS AS 865/866 – Graduate Research Seminar I and II
The remaining up-to-22 units are normally expected to come from research courses numbered CAS AS 900–919

In addition to the requirements listed above, all students are expected to participate in a student-centered seminar series (AS 850/851 and/or AS 865/866) and a professional-centered scientific colloquium series, each semester that they are in residence.