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Graduate Programme
Graduate Course Offerings: 2009-2010
Direct-Entry PhD Program :
With a nominal finishing time of 5 years, our direct-entry PhD programme focuses on training students to do first-class research. In the first year, students are engaged in two separate research projects in two different research areas (one over the fall and winter terms, one over the summer months) through the two required research courses (AST 1501Y and AST1500Y). An oral exam by a committee of three faculty members is held for each. First year students are supported entirely by University and Departmental fellowships and teaching assistantship, and do not require to obtain support from a research supervisor. This allows them the flexibility to hunt for a suitable supervisor and an interesting thesis project after entering the programme.
The minimum course requirement is four half graduate courses(one 'half-course' is a course taken over one term), in addition to the research courses. At least two of these are from the AST elective or specialized courses. Courses are preferably taken within the first two years of the programme. Faculty also frequently offer a range of 'one-time-only' mini-courses (1/3 of a half-course, see here for a past list) which students take to gain deeper insight into a sub-field of astrophysics.
Students then decide on their PhD project (possibly related to one of the themes of the two research projects, but not necessarily) by choosing a thesis supervisor and preparing a written Ph.D. thesis proposal. A Ph.D. committee of three faculty members (including the advisor) is formed to judge and guide the student over his/her graduate career. The oral qualifying exam, conducted by a panel of faculty members, is taken after the fourth and within the fifth semesters of beginning the programme. And an oral Ph.D. defense is the last step.
Four-year PhD Program
Students with a Master of Science degree in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Toronto, or a Master of Science degree in an appropriate discipline or from elsewhere deemed equivalent by the Department, may apply for admission to the four-year Ph.D. program. The requirements for the four-year Ph.D. program are identical to those for the five-year program, except for the course requirements. There is no minimum course requirement in the four-year program except for courses deemed necessary by the Ph.D. committee of the student.
Master of Science Degree
We nominally encourage all students to apply to the direct-entry PhD or the Collaborative Program, and accept applications to the MSc program only under special circumstances.
Collaborative Programme with the Department of Physics.
All our students receive full Financial Support.
The minimum course requirement is four half graduate courses(one 'half-course' is a course taken over one term), in addition to the research courses. At least two of these are from the AST elective or specialized courses. Courses are preferably taken within the first two years of the programme. Faculty also frequently offer a range of 'one-time-only' mini-courses (1/3 of a half-course, see here for a past list) which students take to gain deeper insight into a sub-field of astrophysics.
Students then decide on their PhD project (possibly related to one of the themes of the two research projects, but not necessarily) by choosing a thesis supervisor and preparing a written Ph.D. thesis proposal. A Ph.D. committee of three faculty members (including the advisor) is formed to judge and guide the student over his/her graduate career. The oral qualifying exam, conducted by a panel of faculty members, is taken after the fourth and within the fifth semesters of beginning the programme. And an oral Ph.D. defense is the last step.
Four-year PhD Program
Students with a Master of Science degree in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Toronto, or a Master of Science degree in an appropriate discipline or from elsewhere deemed equivalent by the Department, may apply for admission to the four-year Ph.D. program. The requirements for the four-year Ph.D. program are identical to those for the five-year program, except for the course requirements. There is no minimum course requirement in the four-year program except for courses deemed necessary by the Ph.D. committee of the student.
Master of Science Degree
We nominally encourage all students to apply to the direct-entry PhD or the Collaborative Program, and accept applications to the MSc program only under special circumstances.
Collaborative Programme with the Department of Physics.
All our students receive full Financial Support.
