Consistent with the missions of Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU), the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, and the Department of Physics and
Astronomy (DPA), the MS in Astrophysics degree program at the DPA aims to give its
graduate students a solid education in observational astrophysics that will prepare them
for Ph.D. studies and a leading career in research, industry, or education.
Program Educational Objectives
Within three to five years after obtaining an MS in Astrophysics from the DPA at NDU, the typical graduate will be expected to achieve one or more of the following:
- 1.Go on to Ph.D. studies and succeed in producing new knowledge as demonstrated in publications.
- 2.Be a successful physics schoolteacher as demonstrated in promotions and/or caliber of school he/she is working at.
- 3.Be a successful educator (management/administration) as demonstrated in promotions and/or caliber of school he/she is working at.
- 4.Be successful in industry as demonstrated in promotions, leadership, and/or caliber of companies he/she works for.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon graduation, students will be able to:
- 1.Demonstrate mastery of a given body of knowledge and skills in astrophysics and be well prepared for professional careers and/or Ph.D. work.
- 2.Develop and articulate new questions in his/her field.
- 3.Be able to present and publish research findings in professional venues.
- 4.Demonstrate acknowledged ethical values in his/her field of research.
Admission Requirements
Admission rests on the study of the candidate’s file followed by an interview with a joint committee from both Faculties of Sciences composed of the two Deans, the two department chairs concerned, the Master's Program supervisors, and instructors delegated by the two Faculties. To be eligible for admission, students shall satisfy the following criteria:
- 1.They shall have a minimum GPA of 2.7/4.0 according to the American grading system applied at NDU, or a minimum weighted mean point average of 60/100 according to the system applied at USJ.
- 2.They shall be able to follow lectures in both English and French.
Graduation Requirements
To satisfy the requirements for the degree of MS in Astrophysics, the student must
complete 36 credits, including 9 credits of thesis work. The minimum passing grade is
”C.” The overall cumulative GPA should be at least 3.0/4.0 with no more than 2 “Cs.”
The thesis is based on original research conducted by the student.