Overview

Key facts:

The primary goal of the Astronomy program at the Columbia University is to cultivate the ability to perform independent academic research. Shortly after arrival on campus, incoming students choose a faculty-guided research project, and in the first two years work with two different faculty members in distinct areas of astronomy
The culmination of the two years of preparation comes in the form of a dissertation proposal presented before a committee in the third year. The remaining part of the graduate student's career is devoted to completing a seminal work of original research.
Research in astronomy and astrophysics is conducted in both the Department of Astronomy and the Department of Physics. Students in the Astronomy Department routinely work with faculty member from both departments that share the historic Pupin Laboratories building. A number of students also pursue PhD dissertation research at the neighboring American Museum of Natural History whose faculty is closely affiliated with the Department. Our faculty and students also have close ties with other research groups in New York City, including the new Simons Center for Computational Astronomy, CUNY, and New York University.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Radiative Processes

Physics of The Interstellar Medium and Intergalactic Medium

Stellar and Galactic Dynamics

Stellar Structure and Evolution

Physical Cosmology

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 84 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2025-09-02 00:00:00
- Apply before 2024-12-14 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

Astronomy & Space Sciences View 34 other PhDs in Astronomy & Space Sciences in United States

Academic requirements

GRE^®

Required

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

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Other requirements

General requirements

In addition to the requirements listed below, all students must upload transcripts showing courses and grades from the school(s) they attended, a statement of academic purpose, a personal statement, and three letters of evaluation from academic sources.

All international students whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate degree is from a non-English-speaking institution must submit scores of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

53576 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 26788 USD per semester during 84 months.
National

53576 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 26788 USD per semester during 84 months.
In-State

53576 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 26788 USD per semester during 84 months.

Living costs for Manhattan

2638 - 5751 USD /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

About fifteen students are accepted each year for the PhD program. All admitted students receive full funding, including tuition and stipend. Standard fellowships are for five years, and involve teaching or other types of department service during at least three of the five years. Students are very often successful in obtaining further support from competitive fellowships offered by Columbia, as well as from the various national fellowship competitions. In addition, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences makes summer stipend support available for up to five years to students who maintain good academic standing.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Astronomy.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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