APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS and PROCEDURES

Admission for Graduate Study in the Department of Astronomy is for the Ph.D. program only. We do not support a Master's Degree program, and requirements are geared toward Ph.D. studies. Undergraduate training in Astronomy is not a necessity for students to pursue an Astronomy Ph.D. at The University of Arizona. A thorough background in physics is, however, essential. Applications are judged on the basis of undergraduate curriculum and performance, Graduate Record Examination scores in the standard tests as well as the Physics subject exam, research experience (if any), 3 letters of recommendation from faculty or supervisors familiar with your capabilities, and a personal essay. For a foreign student from a non-English speaking country, you will additionally need to take the TOEFL examination by the end of December.

Graduate Assistant Form

Please make sure your address, email and phone number on this form and your admissions application match. I will use the address, email and phone number from your official admissions application.

Personal Essay

The personal essay should briefly describe why you want to pursue the Ph.D. in Astronomy, why you have chosen the University of Arizona, what your scientific interests are, and what your goals are for the future. Please submit the personal essay via email to gradadmissions@as.arizona.edu by text, Microsoft Word or PDF format.

GRE Exams

GRE exams are administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, New Jersey. The tests should be completed sufficiently early so that the scores could arrive by the application deadlines. Test scores should be sent to the Graduate College ONLY. All scores are sent electronically from the testing center to the Graduate College. Please consult the ETS for the exact dates that exams are to be given. Please also include your GRE scores in your application cover letter or CV you send to the Department. In case your scores will arrive only after the deadlines, but before Jan 18, 2008, please make a note in your application cover letter. Your application will not be affected as far as we could receive your score by Jan 18. But please send us unofficial scores as soon as you know it so that your application review won't be delayed.

Letters of Recommendation

Please have your recommender email the letter to gradadmissions@as.arizona.edu by text, Microsoft Word or PDF format. There is no reference form required. Letters of recommendation must come directly from the recommender. Letters from the applicant on behalf of the recommender will NOT be accepted.

Please refer to the chart below for details on the disposition of application materials. Please note that applications must be complete and in our hands by December 1, 2007 (for international applicants) and January 11, 2008 (for domestic applicants). Decisions on admissions and financial aid will be announced on or before April 1. By agreement among astronomy graduate departments, successful applicants must announce their decisions by April 15.

WHO GETS WHAT?

*Domicile Affidavit Form- Domestic Students ONLY: Please fill out this form as complete as possible. This form will distinguish between in or out-of-state tuition costs. Please send directly to the Graduate College.

**Financial Guarantee Form- International Students ONLY: Please fill this form out as complete as possible. You will need to fill out this form if you will need the UA to issue a US immigration form. We understand some of you may already have funding, so please fill in applicable information. If you DO NOT have funding, please type somewhere on form "Possible Funding Through Astronomy Department." Please send this directly to the Astronomy Department.