The graduate program in Astronomy at the University of Arizona is among the highest-ranked Ph.D. programs in the country. Each Fall we admit only a few of the over one hundred students who apply. Deadlines for applying are January 16, 2009 (December 1, 2008 for international students). Graduate students are only admitted in the Fall.  Questions about these deadlines and about graduate applications in general can be addressed to Erin Carlson.

Together with the Steward Observatory research division, the program provides an outstanding intellectual environment that fully prepares students for a productive and fulfilling career in astronomy and astrophysical theory:

1. World-class telescopes and instrumentation for the sub-mm, radio, infrared, and optical wavelenghths.
2. A stimulating interdisciplinary Theoretical Astrophysics Program,
3. Laboratories for the development of state-of-the-art astronomical instrumentation,
4. Extensive computing facilities, including in-house parallel supercomputers,
5. Most importantly, a renowned faculty committed to providing a rewarding graduate experience in a supportive and friendly environment.

We are proud of the achievements of our graduates, with 70% of our graduates in the last decade holding astronomy-related jobs and with many having been accorded honors. We rank #2 in terms of the number of prestigious Hubble Fellowships awarded to graduates immediately after receiving a Ph. D.. This results from both our selective admissions procedure and the energy and resources that we devote to graduate education.

All our telescopes are quite accessible to our graduate students.  In addition to the geographical proximity of our world-class facilities, we also allow and encourage students to apply for telescope time without faculty collaboration.  Our facilities include the refurbished 6.5-meter Multiple Mirror Telescope with state-of-the-art instrumentation for wide-field surveys and adaptive optics, the Magellan I & II 6.5-meter telescopes in Chile accessing the Southern Hemisphere sky, and the Large Binocular Telescope, consisting of twin 8.4-meter mirrors which will be the world's largest collecting area on a single-mount optical telescope (the first mirror commissioned in 2005; the second mirror commissioned in fall 2006). Our smaller telescopes such as the Bok and VATT also do forefront research owing to high-quality instrumentation that is engineered at the Observatory.  Steward supports premier groups working in adaptive optics and CCD development that are being used by many of the world's major observatories.

There is a large and vigorous astronomical community in the Tucson area. The University's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory/Department of Planetary Sciences, Optical Sciences Center and Physics Department (with several high-energy astrophysicists) are all situated on campus, while the headquarters of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories is located just across Cherry Avenue from Steward.  Branches of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and the Vatican Observatory are all located within the Steward building. Our graduate students can and often do work with staff from these organizations. These organizations operate research facilities ranging from radio-wave to gamma-ray observatories. A steady stream of talks and visiting astronomers from around the world creates a dynamical educational environment for students and professors alike.

Steward is heavily involved in a number of NASA telescope missions. A Steward team led the development of the NICMOS near-infrared camera for the Hubble Space Telescope, which recently was used to discover the most distant galaxies known.  In August 2003, the Spitzer Space Telescope launched with a set of far-infrared detectors developed at Steward, unveiling the dust-enshrouded Universe with unprecedented clarity.  SINGS and FEPS  Spitzer Legacy Science teams.  Steward groups are leading design studies and building NIRCam for NASA's next great observatory, the James Webb  Space Telescope (formerly NGST).  The recently-opened Laplace Center, a branch of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, has added a new dimension to the Tucson astronomy scene.

When you are admitted to our program, we make a commitment to support you for the five years that it typically takes our students to complete the Ph.D. program (current time to completion averages 5.5 years). Support may come in the form of teaching assistantships, faculty grant-supported research assistantships, or fellowships (from NSF, NASA, or the University). With summer employment, the total annual salary of over $27,000 enables you to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle in Tucson where cost-of-living is low. Your tuition fees will be waived or covered by the department.

Tucson is a thriving city of roughly half a million people, supporting a wide variety of events, attractions, activities, and restaurants. The University of Arizona itself provides a wide range of options, ranging from top-flight cultural activities to high-level college athletics. 300 days of sunshine per year, mountains with skiing, and the beautiful and biologically diverse Sonoran desert encourages Tucsonans to pursue outdoor lifestyles. The weather is hot and dry in May, June and September, with July and August bringing spectacular monsoon thunderstorms; the remainder of the year the weather is often close to ideal.  Many of our students enjoy hiking, mountain biking, climbing (even at the MMT), sports such as ultimate, basketball, and soccer, and other activities on a weekly basis. A sample of some of the local attractions include Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon State Park, various other hikes in the area, the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, and Tohono Chul Park. Finally, Tucson is an affordable and convenient place to live. Some graduate students buy homes; others rent, but most find that their stipends make for a good standard of living.

Join us!