Pennsylvania State University Park Campus

Astronomy involves the study of the properties, physical nature and origins of the planets, stars, galaxies and universe as a whole. It involves development of instrumentation, observations of celestial objects with ground- and space-based telescopes, and interpretation of findings using the mathematical laws of physics such as gravity, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics. The undergraduate major provides a strong and broad foundation in mathematics, physical science, and computation as well as a detailed understanding of modern astronomy. Many research opportunities are available to complement the formal class work. Graduates proceed to advanced degrees in astronomy and other sciences, and into a wide variety of technical professions.