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Applied Sciences and Basic Sciences
Bachelor of Astronomy
Bachelor of Astronomy

Bachelor of Astronomy

  • ID:UBC010080
  • Level:4-Year Bachelor's Degree
  • Duration:
  • Intake:

Fees (CAD)

Estimated Total/program:
Apply
60
Accept letter
100
Visa
20
Fly
1

Admission Requirements

Entry Requirements

English Requirements

  • Complete four or more consecutive years of recognized, full-time education in English within Canada immediately prior to attending UBC.

  • Complete four or more consecutive years of full-time education in English in a country other than Canada where English is the principal language. These four years must be immediately prior to attending UBC.

  • Achieve a final exam grade of 70% or better on the provincial examination portion of Alberta English Language Arts 30-1, BC English 12 (achieved August 2019 or earlier), or equivalents.

  • Achieve a final grade of 4 or better on Advanced Placement (AP) English Language & Composition or AP Literature & Composition; or achieve a final grade of 5 or better on International Baccalaureate English A (higher-level or standard-level).

  • Achieve the competence standard indicated by one of the tests of English language proficiency that evaluates skills in listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

  • Successfully complete six credits of post-secondary first-year English studies at a recognized university in an English-speaking country. You must submit a transcript showing completion of these courses by February 15. For students at North American post-secondary institutions registered in English courses in the January to April term, we will accept a final transcript showing completion of these courses until May 15, if there are spaces left in your degree.

  • Graduate from a recognized degree program at an accredited university at which English is the primary language of instruction in a country where English is the principal language.

  • Attend four or more years at an eligible international secondary school that uses English as the language of instruction but operates in a country where the primary language is not English. These four years must be immediately prior to attending UBC. You will need to submit a transcript as soon as possible to UBC’s Undergraduate Admissions Office.

  • Achieve a UBC Certificate in English Language or CEL by completing Level 600 of the UBC English Language Institute’s English for Academic Purposes program on UBC’s Vancouver campus.

  • CAEL, Canadian Academic English Language assessment, Overall 70

  • Cambridge English Qualifications, B2 First

  • C1 Advanced

  • C2 Proficiency, 180

  • CEL, UBC Certificate in English, 600

  • IELTS, International English Language Testing System (Academic), 6.5, with no part less than 6.0

  • PTE, Pearson Test of English (Academic), Overall: 65

    • Reading: 60

    • Listening: 60

    • Writing: 60

    • Speaking: 60

  • TOEFL, Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based test (UBC’s institution code is 0965), Overall: 90

    • Reading: 22

    • Listening: 22

    • Writing: 21

    • Speaking: 21

Course Information

Astronomers and physicists study the material world and the energy that drives it, from the smallest particles like neutrinos and Higgs bosons to the very largest structures in the universe, and ultimately the universe itself. This program has a large overlap with mathematics, chemistry, biology, and engineering and can be approached from each of these angles.

Astronomy is often considered a sub-field of physics in which principles of physics and mathematics are used to investigate the fundamental nature of the universe and its evolution; the properties of galaxies; and the birth, evolution, and death of stars and black holes.

Astronomers apply this knowledge to solve problems in navigation, space flight, and satellite communications, as well as to develop the instrumentation and techniques used to observe and collect astronomical data.

Astronomy is available at the undergraduate level as a major, or as a combined honours in Physics and Astronomy, which is strongly suggested for students wishing to pursue graduate studies in astronomy and a career in research.

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Year 1:

  • CHEM 121 - Structure and Bonding in Chemistry

  • MATH 100 - Differential Calculus with Applications to Physical Sciences and Engineering

  • PHYS 117 - Dynamics and Waves

  • PHYS 118 - Electricity, Light and Radiation

  • PHYS 119 - Experimental Physics Lab

Year 2:

  • ASTR 200 - Frontiers of Astrophysics

  • ASTR 205 - Stars and Stellar Populations

  • MATH 221 - Matrix Algebra

  • PHYS 200 - Relativity and Quanta

  • PHYS 210 - Introduction to Computational Physics

Year 3:

  • ASTR 300 - Galaxies

  • ASTR 333 - Exoplanets and Astrobiology

  • ASTR 349 - Directed Research Project in Astronomy

  • PHYS 408 - Optics

  • MATH 316 - Elementary Differential Equations II

Year 4:

  • ASTR 406 - High-Energy Astrophysics

  • ASTR 407 - Planetary Science

  • ASTR 404 - Astronomical and Astrophysical Measurements

  • ASTR 405 - Astronomical Laboratory

  • PHYS 403 - Statistical Mechanics

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Pre Courses

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Pathway Courses

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Career Opportunity

Career Opportunity

A BSc in astronomy allows opens the door to a number of graduate programs in various physical sciences, or to professional schools such as medicine, law, or education.

Graduates from the astronomy program also have a range of career options as technical support personnel in observatories and astronomy educators, or as outreach experts at science centres and planetariums.

Program graduates

  • System Engineer, UrtheCast

  • Astrophysicist and scientific software developer, UBC Atlas Group

  • MSc candidate in astronomy, University of British Columbia

  • PhD candidate in mechanical engineering, University of British Columbia

Ability to settle

Overseas Student Health Cover

Medical Insurance: 500 CAD per year

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