Undergraduate Astronomy Courses at San Diego State University

Lower Division Undergraduate courses:

• Astronomy 101: Principles of Astronomy

  Discover the universe: planets, stars, galaxies, and our place in the cosmos; the Big Bang; how stars shine; comets, meteors, nebulae, the Milky Way; black holes and other exotic objects. Not open to students with credit in Astronomy 201.

• Astronomy 109: Astronomy Laboratory

  Demonstration of astronomical principles through observations with astronomical instruments and analysis of astronomical data.

• Astronomy 201: Astronomy for Science Majors

  Directed toward students with a strong interest in science and mathematics. Understanding the night sky, introduction to the solar system, star formation and evolution, extrasolar planets, nature of the Milky Way and other galaxies, origin and fate of the universe. Students with credit in Astronomy 101 and 201 will receive a total of three units of credit toward graduation.

Upper Division Undergraduate courses:

• Astronomy 301: Cosmology and Gravitational Collapse

  Einstein's theory of general relativity applied to problems of gravitational collapse (stellar evolution, neutron stars, pulsars, and black holes) and cosmology (origin and evolution of the Universe).

• Astronomy 310: Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

  The search for extraterrestrial life in our Solar System and other planetary systems; the formation of stars and planets; UFOs and SETI; origin and evolution of life on Earth; life in extreme environments; cosmology and the structure of the Universe.

• Astronomy 320: Solar System Astronomy

  Study of the structures of the planets, their atmospheres and satellite systems, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids, and the interplanetary medium, including the Sun's influence in the system.

• Astronomy 350: Astronomical Techniques

  Techniques and procedures for astronomical observing, with an emphasis on optical detectors, imaging, spectroscopy, and photometry.

• Astronomy 440: Astrophysics of Stars

  Radiative transfer, theory of the structures of the atmospheres and interiors of stars, stellar pulsations, production of the stellar spectrum, evolution of stars.

• Astronomy 450: Astrophysics of Star Systems

  Applications of physics in the study of binary stars, star clusters, the interstellar medium and galactic structure, galaxies, and cosmology.

• Astronomy 498A: Senior Project

  Consists of the selection and design of an individual research project with the advice of a faculty advisor.

• Astronomy 498B: Senior Project

  The execution of an individual research project. A final written report of this work is required.

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