Course in Astrophysics/Astronomy

acri

Or any course to do with space. Im looking for a course to apply to in these fields but the best I can find is Physics with Astronomy in DCU. Anyone have any ideas on any other courses to do with space? ANY ideas welcome.

Scarinae

I found four options for you:
1. Physics & Astronomy, NUI Galway (GY312) - 325 points, final round 2004
2. Physics with Astronomy, DCU (DC167) - 360 points, final round 2004
3. Physics with Astrophysics, NUI Maynooth (MH204) - 410 points, final round 2004
4. Arts, NUI Maynooth (MH101) [Physics with Astronomy is an option! In Arts! Isn't that mad as toast?] - 365 points, final round 2004

I hope that helps a bit! I found the courses on www.qualifax.ie and I got the points scores off www.cao.ie

acri

thanks. much appreciated.

Scarinae

No problem!

rainbow kirby

I think astrophysics is also an option in the science course in Trinity if you do physics in 1st and 2nd years.

Scruff

Think the Theoretical Physics course in Trinity also deals in Astrophysics. At least it did when i was looking into doing it.
Think you'll find the amount of courses in Ireland related to this area pretty limited. Have you considered looking into going to the U.K.?

They also have a good selection of Astrophysics courses in Aberystwyth in Wales.
http://www.aber.ac.uk/physics/ugrad/course_physics_space.shtml

Scarinae

rainbow kirby wrote:

I think astrophysics is also an option in the science course in Trinity if you do physics in 1st and 2nd years.

Well, you can do Physics as your 3rd/4th year option and there's probably a bit of Astrophysics involved in it, but I was more looking up specific courses. Also, you'd have to do another subject in 1st/2nd year Science - Biology, Chemistry, or Geography/Geology, which would kinda suck if you wanted to specialise straight away

dudara

I don't see my old alma mater being represented here, so let me plug Physics and Astrophysics in UCC, entry points of 435 last year, with a median of 470 points. As a graduate of the old physics course (before it became physics and astro), let me say that the department there is good, with supportive staff.

David19

You can do Astrophysics in Trinity. Its through the science degree. In your first two years you do maths, physics and another subject(choice). In your last two years you do astrophysics.

http://www.tcd.ie/Physics/Courses/page35.php

Ask about it on the Trinity board, there's a few doing science and one of them wants to do the astrophysics option.

Errant11235

Dudara, I've applied to the physics astro course in UCC. Can you give me a bit more information about it? I e mailed one of the lecturers but they were really vague about it and possible careers afterwards.
Any info would be greatly appreciated as I am in two minds whether to change my first preference to Applied Physics in UL.

dudara

You will do a realtively general 1st year and then your degree options after 1st year are
1. Physics
2. Astrophysics
3. Physics and Maths
4. Physics and Applied Maths
5. Education in Physical Sciences.

I did the pure Physics course. Once in 2nd year, it got much harder, because we were now separate from all the engineers etc that we had shared courses with in 1st year. In 2nd and 3rd year, we all took the same physics units, which were Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Atomic and Molecular, Thermal Physics, Electromagnetism and Optics. 4th year then consisted of some compulsary and some optional units.

I think that if you chose the Astrophysics option you will be taking suitable units in place of some of the ones I've mentioned above.

If you choose a joint honours with Maths/Appl Maths, then you'll do all the physics units mentioned plus roughly half of a maths/applied maths degree on top.

I'm not familiar with the Astro section of the course at all. My personal opinion is that they started to offer the course in an attempt to sexify physics. I'm of the opinion that if you want to do physics, that you're far better off getting a broad physics degree and then specialising.

As to jobs, well I'm doing a PhD. Very few will stay directly in Physics after graduating. There just aren't that many jobs in it. however, there are plenty companies such as consultants etc looking to hire people who can think.

Errant11235

So in your opinion is it a good course? I know its probably changed alot but did you enjoy it? I'm not doing applied maths for the leaving but I am expecting an A in honours maths and physics. Do you think that would be enough or would I be completely out of my depth. And one final question; is the course really competitive for options after first year?
Thanks.

dudara

With an A in Maths and Physics, you'll be as able for the course as you can be. Applied Maths would be a bonus, but not essential.

I enjoyed it. If I was reapplying, i'd do it all again. The size of the department in UCC means that all the staff know all the students. I had a great 3 years there (once we were no longer pleb 1st years). There is no competition for options in 2nd year, as far as I know, because the number of students is relatively small.

Scarinae

Errant11235 wrote:

I'm not doing applied maths for the leaving but I am expecting an A in honours maths and physics. Do you think that would be enough or would I be completely out of my depth.

It sounds like you have nothing to worry about. Hardly any people do Applied Maths, there will be a lot of people in the course who won't have done it, and they will take that into account. You're going for an A in honours Maths and Physics - think of all the people going into the course who won't have done so well. They'll probably be able to manage it, so you'll have no problems with it I'd say

Errant11235

Thanks, thats reassuring. So Dudara is there alot of Lab work involved in the course or is it mainly theory? And out of curiousity, what are you doing your PhD on?
Fishie, did you do you course? If so, how did you find it, would you recommend it or not?

Is the course widely recognised in Ireland? Anyone I've talked to about Physics courses in Ireland is either in Trinity or recommended me to go there, but thats not really an option for me. Very few mentioned UCC, and I guess thats why I have this niggling feeling that it might not be the best decision. Applied Physics in UL is my second preference, and I suppose it would be easier for me to go there. I know a good few people who will be going there next year. Where as in UCC I will know absolutely no one! Its a tough decision.

Scarinae

Errant11235 wrote:

Fishie, did you do you course? If so, how did you find it, would you recommend it or not?

No, I'm in sixth year as well, just I know from talking to people who are in college that the courses aren't as amazingly hard as you might think. Remember when you were in primary school, and you looked at what 1st/2nd years were doing in secondary - it looked so hard it was unbelievable, but when you actually got there yourself it was fine, and now looking back it looks ridiculously easy? College is the same. True, a lot of people do drop out because they find it too hard - but that's generally either because they picked a course that didn't suit them, or else they didn't do a tap. Sounds as if this course would suit you, and if you're getting A's then you probably have a good study method as well.

Errant11235 wrote:

Is the course widely recognised in Ireland? Anyone I've talked to about Physics courses in Ireland is either in Trinity or recommended me to go there, but thats not really an option for me. Very few mentioned UCC, and I guess thats why I have this niggling feeling that it might not be the best decision. Applied Physics in UL is my second preference, and I suppose it would be easier for me to go there. I know a good few people who will be going there next year. Where as in UCC I will know absolutely no one! Its a tough decision.

A degree is a degree. I think Trinity has a little bit of extra prestige for some reason, but that's not to say there's anything wrong with the other colleges. I'm not familiar with the course you're talking about, but I have a friend in second year Maths in UCC and he loves it! He isn't there because he couldn't get in anywhere else either - he got 7 A1's in his leaving, he just wanted to go to Cork. I've been on the UCC campus a couple of times and it's lovely - it just seems ot be the right size or something, and it's got a real collegy feel about it. You don't know anyone, but you'll get to know so many people in college - I wouldn't say that'll be a problem for more than a day or two. Don't base your choice on what your friends are doing or what other people think looks best, go for whatever course grabs you the most - that way you'll be fine. And if you've friends in another college, it'll just give you an excuse to go visit them and crash the college balls and stuff! You'll do well whatever you do

ApeXaviour

Just to plug another one for astrophysics in TCD.. It's a four year course and for the first 3 months of fourth year you have a good possibility (depending on 3rd year marks) of doing your (funded) research project in an observatory in Hawaii or Florida.

Pretty kewl eh? Also the physics dept in tcd is top notch

dudara

There's a good amount of lab work in the UCC course, but the physics is also pretty theoretical, so a good mix I'd say. We had standard labs in 1st year, then superivsed labs in 2nd year. In 3rd and 4th years, our labs were unsuperivsed and open-ended. We were given bunches of kit, told what to measure, and then we had to figure out how to do it ourselves. Reports were handed up by a certain date. How you did it was up to yourself. Physics isn't easy, you'll need your A in maths and physics to keep you going, but the satisfaction level from the work is high.

UCC is a great campus, and the course is good, and very well recognised internationally. We have world-class physicists here in Cork.

Me, my PhD is on semiconductor physics.

Errant11235

Ok thats a great help Dudara, at least now I can get focused on getting the points for the course!

JackKelly

ApeXaviour wrote:

Just to plug another one for astrophysics in TCD.. It's a four year course and for the first 3 months of fourth year you have a good possibility (depending on 3rd year marks) of doing your (funded) research project in an observatory in Hawaii or Florida.

Pretty kewl eh? Also the physics dept in tcd is top notch

You haven't a got a link to that corse do you? I can't see it on qualifax, only theoretical physics, and it would be something i would be greatly interested in.

David19

TimAy wrote:

You haven't a got a link to that corse do you? I can't see it on qualifax, only theoretical physics, and it would be something i would be greatly interested in.

I already gave a link to the course.

http://www.tcd.ie/Physics/Courses/page35.php

ghostchant

In ucd you can do astrophysics as a topical degree in 3rd and 4th year, and in theoretical physics you can do theoretical astrophysics in 3rd year (i think) and, if you're feeling adventurous, advanced theoretical astrophysics in 4th year, but i'm sure trinity's TP course offers that too.

just mentioning them cos i don't think anyone's plugged ucd yet

rainbow kirby

And if you do any of the astrophysics courses in UCD, you get Peter Duffy, who's an absolute legend, as your lecturer.