Astronomy, Astronomy Honors (BSAst)
Total Hours Required: 120
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is a suggested four-year course sequence to support academic planning and serves as a helpful guide. Currently enrolled students should meet with their academic advisor to tailor their course selections and timelines to their individual goals and circumstances.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
| M 408D | Sequences, Series, and Multivariable Calculus | 4 |
| PHY 301 | Mechanics | 3 |
| PHY 101L | Laboratory for Physics 301 | 1 |
| AST 307 | Introductory Astronomy | 3 |
| First-Year Signature Course (090) | 3 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| M 427J | Differential Equations with Linear Algebra | 4 |
| PHY 316 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHY 116L | Laboratory for Physics 316 | 1 |
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| GOV 310L | American and Texas Government | 3 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| PHY 315 | Wave Motion and Optics | 3 |
| PHY 115L | Laboratory for Physics 315 | 1 |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division PHY | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (080) | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Liberal Arts/Fine Arts course | 3 | |
| CH 301C | Foundations of Chemistry I | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division PHY | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division PHY | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division AST | 3 | |
| CH 302C | Foundations of Chemistry II | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Liberal Arts/Fine Arts course | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division PHY | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division AST | 3 | |
| RHE 309S | Critical Reading and Persuasive Writing | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Additional Science honors course | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division PHY | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division PHY | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division AST | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Additional Science honors course | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| AST 379H | Honors Tutorial Course | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division AST | 3 | |
| GOV 312L | Issues and Policies in American Government | 3 |
| Free Elective | 4 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| AST 379H | Honors Tutorial Course | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division PHY/AST course | 3 | |
| Humanities (040) | 3 | |
| Visual and Performing Arts (050) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Requirements
All requirements are listed below, starting with the most specialized moving to the most general. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| Honors Breadth Requirement (credit earned by examination may not be counted toward this requirement) | ||
| Hours chosen from: Honors mathematics | 3 | |
| CH 301C | Foundations of Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 302C | Foundations of Chemistry II | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Honors in a field within the college | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Honors in a field within the college outisde of mathematics department | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Liberal Arts and/or Fine Arts | 6 | |
| Hours chosen from: Approved by the departmental honors advisor | 16 | |
| Additional Hours | ||
| PHY 301 | Mechanics | 3 |
| PHY 101L | Laboratory for Physics 301 | 1 |
| PHY 315 | Wave Motion and Optics | 3 |
| PHY 115L | Laboratory for Physics 315 | 1 |
| PHY 316 | Electricity and Magnetism | 3 |
| PHY 116L | Laboratory for Physics 316 | 1 |
| Approved Upper-division Hours chosen from: Astronomy | 12 | |
| Approved Upper-division Hours chosen from: Physics | 18 | |
| Upper-division Hours chosen from: Astronomy or physics | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: | 1 | |
| Planning Your Capstone Experience (for Health Science Scholars) | ||
| Health Science Scholars Capstone Experience Preparation (for Dean's Scholars) | ||
| Polymathic Capstone Field Invention (for Polymathic Scholars) | ||
| AST 379H | Honors Tutorial Course | 3 |
| Choose a sequence below: | 3 | |
| Sequence 1: | ||
| Honors Tutorial Course (second section) | ||
| Sequence 2: | ||
a three-semester-hour upper-division research course (approved by the departmental honors advisor.) | ||
| Sequence 3: | ||
| Natural Sciences Topics | ||
| Capstone Thesis Seminar | ||
| Subtotal | 89 | |
| Degree (see details below) | 6 | |
| Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | 1 | |
| Subtotal | 7 | |
| General Education | ||
| Remaining Core Curriculum (42 hours total) | 24 | |
| First-Year Signature Course (Approved by the departmental honors advisor.) | ||
or UGS 303 | First-Year Signature Course | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | ||
| Subtotal | 24 | |
| College Requirements - Natural Sciences | ||
| General University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Degree - Bachelor of Science in Astronomy (BSAst)
Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Language and Culture | ||
| (astronomy honors students are exempt from this requirement) | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 6 | |
Special Requirements
Students must earn a grade of at least C- in each mathematics and science course required for the degree, and a University grade point average in these courses of at least 2.00. More information about grades and the grade point average is given in the General Information Catalog.
Honors Requirements
To graduate under astronomy honors, students must remain in good standing in the Dean’s Scholars, Health Science Scholars, or Polymathic Scholars Honors Program, must submit an honors thesis, and present their research in an approved public forum, such as the college’s annual Undergraduate Research Forum or CNS Honors Thesis Symposium. More information about the Undergraduate Research Forum is available at https://cns.utexas.edu.