Our Study Programs

To understand our place in the Universe, it is important to study astronomy from both scientific and cultural perspectives. Our program in cultural and Indigenous astronomy offers students across the university an opportunity to pursue their interests in the topic from single subjects to full degree programs at all academic levels, from undergraduate to graduate. You can enrol in any of our undergraduate Breadth subjects, combine them through our Breadth Track option, participate in research projects, or earn graduate research degrees.

These subjects allow you to study astronomy with respect to science, society, culture, and history, as well as participate in research at all levels.

See below for Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies, and Public Options

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

Our undergraduate programs provide an opportunity for students to pursue their interests, from current offerings of single subjects to a full Breadth Track (2024). These subjects cover a wide range of approaches to understanding the cosmos and our place within it in terms of science, culture, history, and society. All of the following coursework subjects are available as Breadth options, but some will not be available for students enrolled in certain degrees. Please check the linked course guide for clarity.

Subjects in Cultural Astronomy

  • PHYC10010: Indigenous Astronomy (Semester 1)
  • HPSC20015: Astronomy in World History (Summer)
  • PHYC20017: Archaeoastronomy (Semester 2)
  • PHYC30025: Astronomy and Society in the Space Age (Semester 1, 2025)

Subjects in Astronomy and Astrophysics

  • MULT10011: Life, Earth, and the Universe (Semester 1)
  • PHYC10008: From the Solar System to the Cosmos (Semester 2)
  • PHYC30019: Astrophysics (Semester 1)

Research Subjects

  • MULT30015: Independent Research Project (Faculty of Arts)
  • SCIE30001: Science Research Project (Faculty of Science)

BREADTH TRACK

A breadth subject is a subject from a different area of study to the degree or Major in which you are enrolled, enabling you to broaden your area of study. The cultural astronomy breadth track will develop your knowledge about the role of astronomy in culture and society in the past, present and future. This is suitable for students from any degree.

For the cultural astronomy breadth track, students need to complete the following three subjects:

Students not enrolled in the Bachelor or Arts can extend this breadth track by adding:

GRADUATE STUDIES

Students wishing to pursue graduate studies in cultural astronomy have four primary options (three Masters degrees and the Doctorate), depending on your interests and background.

The Master of Science features a full curriculum of physics coursework in addition to a research thesis. The other degrees are research/thesis-only, each varying in expected word-count/length.

Students wishing to pursue an Master of Science will require an undergraduate degree in physics, mathematics, or engineering, but can complete their research thesis on a cultural astronomy topic. MSc students may also take two subjects from non-physics areas, such as science communication or the social sciences.

Students wishing to pursue a Master of Arts need to enrol in the Faculty of Arts through an appropriate program, such as history and philosophy of science, archaeology, anthropology, or Indigenous studies.

Students wishing to pursue a Master of Philosophy or a Doctor of Philosophy may enrol in any Faculty. Applicants have the opportunity to pursue their degree in the Faculty of Science through the School of Physics, even if you do not have a physics background. This is because PhDs are “university doctorates” that are not bound to a specific discipline.