The Planetary Science & Astronomy Major
The Bachelor of Science degree in Planetary Science & Astronomy has significant overlap with the ASTRO major, but the first two years also include more foundational coursework at the 000 and 100 level in biology, geosciences, and astronomy. Beginning in the sophomore year, students begin to select from a long list of courses in a wider variety of disciplines, and this flexibility is provided to allow students to develop skills that may lead to employment in: formal education, informal education, or industry. Students who have a strong interest in a PhD program in Planetary Science are encouraged to consider the Astrophysics major or the Geosciences major, as the Planetary Science major will not necessarily provide the proper mix of coursework for a student to be competitive for entry into such a program unless a student chooses their courses very carefully. A minimum of 122 credits is required for this degree.
MILESTONES FOR THE PLANETARY SCIENCE & MAJOR
Admission and the First Year
Much of the advice above for the ASTRO major also pertains to the PASTR major, so in the following sections we will only highlight the differences between the two majors.
Students who enter the College of Science are designated as SCIEN premajors. If you expressed an interest in the PASTR major then you will be considered as a PASTR premajor and you will be assigned an advisor in the Astronomy & Astrophysics department. We expect that during the first year students may remain undecided about ASTRO or PASTR, but no final decision is necessary at this time. However, discussing the two programs in detail with an advisor is recommended for all those students who may wish to switch from their initial choice.
The first year's academic program includes the same First Year Seminar, math, and chemistry courses as the ASTRO major, but is rounded out with foundational courses in astronomy and geoscience.
Move to University Park Campus
Because Astro 291 and 292 are optional in this major, students at commonwealth campuses do not need to request an early change of assignment, as recommended for ASTRO majors, and can complete two years at their initial campus.
The Second Year and Entry to Major
In the second year, students in the PASTR major can take the same astronomy course sequence as ASTRO majors, but we expect many students in this program will choose instead to take some of the prerequisites for later astrobiology courses as well as additional geoscience/earth science coursework. In a typical program, the student requests entry into the PASTR major, from his/her initial SCIEN major, in the spring semester of the second year.
Entry into the major requires:
- A GPA of at least 2.00 in all courses.
- Earned a grade of C or better in MATH 140
- Earned a grade of C or better in at least four of the following courses: ASTRO 120, ASTRO 130, ASTRO 140, BIOL 110, CHEM 110, EARTH 2, GEOSC 1, GEOSC 20, or STAT 200
The Third and Fourth Years
During the third year, students may take the two required 400-level courses ASTRO 401 and 402W, although one or both courses may be taken in the fourth year, instead. The Astrobiology course, GEOSC/BIOL 474 is also a requirement during the final two years. The major includes 20-23 credits of advanced electives and supporting courses, most of which will be taken during these years, too. The list of approved courses that fulfill these requirements is very large, so the student should consult extensively with their advisor to create a coherent plan to complete these requirements.
Graduation
Deviations from requirements for the PASTR major are possible, too; the student and advisor should submit a petition to the Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Programs for electronic submission to the Associate Dean of the college before the course is taken. Requests to waive a requirement are rarely accepted, though reasonable requests for substitution are possible. Because many of the ASTRO 400 level courses are on the list of advanced electives, students with the necessary prerequisites who take ASTRO 400 level courses can choose to substitute those for some of the 100 level courses (e.g., ASTRO 420W could substitute for ASTRO 140).