College of Sciences Welcomes New Astrophysics Major, Minor
Astronomers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope found candidates for the first brown dwarfs outside of our galaxy in a young star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud (NGC 602). (ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, P. Zeidler, E. Sabbi, A. Nota, M. Zamani)
The School of Physics will launch the new B.S. in Astrophysics program in summer 2025. This new major is the latest addition to the College of Sciences’ academic offerings and responds to increased student demand for courses and research opportunities in astrophysics. A minor in astrophysics will also be offered starting next summer.
According to David Ballantyne, associate chair for Academic Programs and professor in the School of Physics, the new major is unique because it focuses on the future of astronomy and astrophysics, especially in the era of discoveries made by the James Webb Space Telescope and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).
“We made a concerted effort when crafting this degree to make it modern and forward-facing,” says Ballantyne. “It is very much focused on the next decade of astronomy and astrophysics, providing a strong emphasis on computational skills, data analysis, and big data.”
The new degree includes coursework on the fundamental physical processes and laws that govern planetary systems, stars, galaxies, and the Universe as a whole. These core topics are complemented by training in computational and data analysis techniques that can be applied to a variety of disciplines.
For Ballantyne, the degree program should appeal to students who are interested in pursuing careers in space science research as well as those interested in non-research career paths.
“This program prepares students to solve complex problems in a very quantitative, rigorous way. Such problem solving and computational skills are highly marketable for a range of career paths,” he adds.
The evolution of astrophysics at Tech
While astronomy coursework and outreach have long existed at the Institute, astrophysics officially began in 2008, when the School of Physics launched the Center for Relativistic Astrophysics (CRA). Today, the Center boasts more than a dozen faculty and research scientists, with expertise spanning high-energy astrophysics, extrasolar planets, gravitational-wave astronomy, and astroparticle physics.
As the CRA’s faculty roster grew, the School expanded its offering of astrophysics courses. A concentration in astrophysics for physics majors was launched during the 2013-14 academic year. A short time later, the School introduced an astrophysics certificate for non-majors. The new astrophysics major and minor — which will replace the concentration and certificate, respectively — reflects a new chapter in the history of astrophysics education and research at Georgia Tech.
“Most of our peer institutions have an astronomy or astrophysics degree so the creation of this program at Georgia Tech was a natural fit,” says Ballantyne. “Our program fills a critical need considering that there are few options in the U.S. Southeast for students to obtain this type of training at an institution of Georgia Tech’s caliber.”
Declaring the astrophysics major and minor
Current students
Current students can declare the astrophysics major starting next semester, following the standard major change process for undergraduates. The astrophysics minor will be available to all Georgia Tech undergraduates starting summer 2025.
Incoming students
Astrophysics will be added to the list of majors beginning with the admissions application for Summer 2025 (transfer students) and the 2026-27 academic year (first-year students).
In the interim, transfer students enrolling for the Spring 2025 semester should follow the standard major change process for undergraduates. Students applying to Georgia Tech for the 2025-26 academic year should select “physics” as their major during the application process and choose “astrophysics” once admitted, during the major confirmation process.