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The graduate program in astronomy at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM) was founded in 1972. Officially, it is a part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. In practice, however, the astronomy graduate program operates independently of the physics graduate program and is located within the Institute for Astronomy (IfA), a few blocks north of the UHM campus.

Most of the approximately 45 astronomers at the IfA are members of the astronomy graduate faculty, and contribute to the support and training of graduate students. Those who regularly teach formal courses and who are actively involved in the day-to-day running of the graduate program comprise the professorial faculty. Members of the professorial faculty usually hold joint appointments between the Institute for Astronomy and the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

The graduate program is directed toward producing research scientists at the PhD level. Students must first obtain the MS before continuing on to the PhD portion of the program. The MS degree is available in both Plan A (thesis) and Plan B (non-thesis). Plan A is a terminal master's degree that can be completed within four semesters. Plan B is to be earned en route to the PhD. Most students enter the program with the goal of achieving the PhD degree.

Areas of concentration emphasize the use of the university's observatories for the solution of problems in solar physics, planetary astronomy (atmospheres and surfaces), stellar astronomy, extragalactic systems, and cosmology.

Graduates with a terminal MS degree have found employment in space-related industries and teaching positions in high schools and two-year colleges. Such teaching positions may require additional courses in education. Graduates with the PhD have found employment primarily in academia, in government laboratories, and in space-related industry.

MS Degree Requirements
Students may select either Plan A (thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis).

• Plan A requires 30 credits (including six to 12 credits of thesis research), a written thesis and defense of the thesis.
• Plan B (non-thesis) requires 30 credits, a final exam*, and at least one directed research project.

* The final exam also serves as the qualifying exam for the PhD.

PhD Degree Requirements
The PhD program requires the following:

• qualifying exam,
• course work as deemed necessary by the faculty*,
• comprehensive exam,
• dissertation,
• final oral exam / defense of dissertation.

* Additional course work beyond the MS level is not necessarily required for the PhD, but the student's program of courses must be judged by the faculty to provide both adequate general background and specialized preparation for research. Normally, students in the PhD program are expected to be familiar with the content of most 600-level astronomy courses.

Students who enter the graduate program with an MS degree in astronomy or related field, and who therefore bypass the MS portion of the program, need to fulfill certain course work requirements.

Courses
To view a listing of courses offered, visit www.catalog.hawaii.edu/courses/departments/astr.htm.