Astronomy Master’s program at Cornell University

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Astronomy PHD

course

If you enter the Astronomy and Space Sciences graduate program at Cornell University, you are not required to declare a research focus. While some already have a strong opinion about where they want to focus their attention, many students come into our program not yet knowing which research area they want to pursue. The department place great importance on the students using their first two years of study to gain a broad foundation of knowledge and to explore the range of research opportunities within the department, to decide their path for thesis study.

72 Months Duration
- Credit hours
Yes GRE Required
No Scholarships Available

Composition of student population

4 Female Students
7 Internation Students
13 Graduate Students Enrolled

How does the Astronomy Master’s degree program tuition at Cornell University compared with other universities in New York?

Tuition for Master’s in Astronomy program at Cornell University

$30,042 In-state Tuition & Fees
$30,042 Out-of-state Tuition & Fees
UniversityIn state Tuition / Year
Astronomy Masters program at Hofstra University$27,172
Astronomy Masters program at Stony Brook University$13,793
Astronomy Masters program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute$58,325
Astronomy Masters program at New York University$36,892

Which other public university offers Master’s program in Astronomy in New York?

Here is the list of top 1 public universities offering Astronomy Master’s program.

Program NameTuition / Year
Astronomy at Stony Brook University

In-state: $13,793

Out-state: $25,583

Which other private university offers Master’s program in Astronomy in New York?

Here is the list of top 4 private universities offering Astronomy Master’s program.

Program NameTuition / Year
Astronomy at Columbia University in the City of New York$51,194
Astronomy at New York University$36,892
Astronomy at University of Rochester$50,505
Astronomy at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute$58,325

Financial support for Cornell University Department of Astronomy for Graduate Students

The graduate admissions are carefully managed by The Field of Astronomy and Space Sciences ensuring that it only admits as many graduate students as it can support through its Ph.D. programs. Their major goal is to provide full financial support to all graduate students until they complete their advanced degrees. Let's have a look at various funding options provided by them: 

  • Fellowship Support: Some students enter the program with fellowship support from Cornell or outside agencies. During their first three semesters of graduate school, The department actively helps students apply for external fellowships, such as those from the National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, and the National Defense Science and Engineering Fellowships
  • Fellowship Benefits: Students with fellowships might be able to teach part-time for extra income. They usually get their tuition fully covered and also have health insurance provided by the university during their fellowship. 
  • Graduate Fellowship Resources: The Graduate Fellowship Database ensure access to more than 500 external fellowships and The Cornell Graduate School provides information about both university-sponsored and external fellowships for prospective and continuing graduate students. 
  • Teaching Assistantships (TAs): Teaching is considered a valuable part of graduate education in the Field of Astronomy and Space Sciences. Most first and second-year students get the chance to serve as teaching assistants for courses. This experience helps students to strengthen fundamental concepts, develop organisational and communication skills, and build interpersonal skills necessary for success in graduate school and future careers.
  • TA Assignments: Teaching assistantship assignments usually involve a maximum of 20 hours of work per week, which includes classroom time, lesson preparation, grading assignments, and holding office hours. Students standing at TA positions get a stipend, full tuition waiver, and university health insurance coverage for the duration of the assistantship.
  • Research Assistantships (RAs): Research assistantships are jobs that students get and these are always related to the subject they are enrolled in. Sometimes students are paid for working on their thesis topics during their research assistantships. RAs receive a stipend, full tuition waiver, and university health insurance coverage for the duration of the assistantship.
  • Summer Support: Graduate students in the Field of Astronomy and Space Sciences usually receive stipends during the summer, either as fellows or research assistants. This support allows them to continue their thesis research without interruption and without stressing about the fulfilment of their financial needs.

Jobs, Salaries and Career after Masters in Astronomy

Employment of natural sciences managers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 6,000 openings for natural sciences managers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

The median annual wage for natural sciences managers was $137,940 in May 2020. Number of Jobs in 2020 was 79,000.

Universities with similar Graduate Program

Program NameTuition / Year
Astronomy Masters program at George Washington University$31,824
Astronomy Masters program at University of Denver$52,899
Astronomy Masters program at University of Arizona-Sierra Vista$12,115
Astronomy Masters program at Texas Tech University$9,350

Are there Online Masters programs offered in Astronomy?

Here is the list of top-ranked universities offering online masters program in Astronomy

Program NameTuition
Astronomy Online Masters programs at University of Massachusetts-Amherst$16,235
Astronomy Online Masters programs at Florida Institute of Technology$22,588
Astronomy Online Masters programs at University of North Dakota$12,796