Description and Roadmap
Academic year 2024/2025 (awaiting approval)
B.S. in Astrophysics
The B.S. in Astrophysics is designed to prepare students to attend graduate school in astrophysics, physics, or a related field. Our Astrophysics program provides a solid background in mathematics and physics with the aim of studying the physical universe, including planets, stars, galaxies, and cosmology. To complement classwork, students have the opportunity to participate in modern research projects. With a strong mixture of astronomy, physics, math, and computation skills, graduates can proceed to graduate school in a STEM field, or into employment in a variety of technical professions.
The B.S. in Astrophysics major requires 81 credit hours of course work. All electives should be approved in consultation with the Physics and Astronomy faculty advisor.
Requirements:
| MATH: 1512, 1522, 2531, 314, 316 | [18 credits] |
| PHYS: 1310, 1320, 2310, 2415, 301, 302, 303, 330, 366, 405, 406, 491 | [37 credits] |
| PHYSL: 1310L, 1320L, 2310L | [3 credits] |
| ASTR: 2110, 2115, 421, 422 | [12 credits] |
| ASTRL: 2110L, 2115L | [2 credits] |
In addition, students should complete 9 credits of electives of Upper-Level ASTR/PHYS courses (excluding problems or research courses) following:
- 6 credit hours chosen from Upper-Level ASTR/PHYS course offerings.
- 3 credit hours chosen from Upper-Level ASTR/PHYS Lab courses.
B.S. Astrophysics – Roadmap
Academic year 2024/2025 (awaiting approval)
| Semester 1 | Credits | Semester 2 | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MATH 1512 (Calculus I) | 4 | MATH 1522 (Calculus II) | 4 | |
| PHYS 1310+1310L (Physics I + lab) | 3+1 | PHYS 1320+1320L (Physics II + lab) | 3+1 | |
| ASTR 2110+2110L (General Astronomy I + lab) | 3+1 | |||
| Semester 3 | Credits | Semester 4 | Credits | |
| MATH 2531 (Calculus III) | 4 | PHYS 2415 (Computational Physics) | 3 | |
| PHYS 2310+2310L (Physics III + lab) | 3+1 | PHYS 330 (Intro to Modern Physics) | 3 | |
| ASTR 2115+2115L (General Astronomy II + lab) | 3+1 | PHYS 366 (Math Methods) | 4 | |
| MATH 316 (ODEs) | 3 | |||
| Semester 5 | Credits | Semester 6 | Credits | |
| PHYS 303 (Analytical Mechanics) | 3 | PHYS 405 (Electricity and Magnetism I) | 3 | |
| MATH 314 (Linear Algebra) | 3 | PHYS 491 (Quantum Mechanics I) | 3 | |
| ASTR 421 (Concepts in Astrophysics I) | 3 | ASTR 422 (Concepts in Astrophysics II) | 3 | |
| PHYS/ASTR Upper-level Elective | 3 | |||
| Semester 7 | Credits | Semester 8 | Credits | |
| PHYS 493L (Contemporary Physics Lab) | 3 | PHYS 301 (Stat Mech and Thermo) | 3 | |
| PHYS 406 (Electricity and Magnetism II) | 3 | PHYS/ASTR Upper-level Elective | 3 | |
| PHYS/ASTR Upper-level Elective | 3 | |||
In addition to the program-specific requirements outlined here, all undergraduate students are required to fulfill other general undergraduate degree requirements for UNM and the College of Arts and Sciences to earn a minimum of 120 credits, including UNM's General Education Program requirements.
