| Graduate Program | ||
- Course descriptions - Admissions - Facilities - MS degree - PhD degree - Financial support - Registration - Deadlines - Gradrep's page |
| Admissions | ||
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- Why choose Hawaii? - Admission requirements - How to apply |
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| Forms | ||
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- University application (online) - Astronomy supplemental (pdf) - Referee evaluation (pdf) |
Modified by JEB on Jul 17, 2007
Admission Requirements
Applicants to the University of Hawaii Astronomy Graduate Program should normally have a strong background in physics, including some classical mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, special relativity, quantum mechanics, and nuclear physics. Courses in mathematics through differential equations are also required. An undergraduate course in introductory astronomy is recommended.
In selecting applications for entry to the astronomy program we pay attention to high academic achievement, to the letters of recommendation, and to evidence of independent research ability and experience.
We require that you take the verbal, quantitative, analytic, and physics portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Average GRE scores for students admitted to the program are about 80th percentile verbal and quantitative, about 70th percentile analytic, and about 60th percentile in physics. The physics percentile is a bit lower than the others since we do look for other kinds of evidence of a strong physics background. We don't have minimum scores, but a student with scores much lower than these must present a compelling case on other grounds to obtain admission.
At least three independent letters of recommendation must be supplied. You must also fill submit our supplementary information form, as well as a personal statement of your goals and achievements.
Students for whom English is not the first language should also pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam with a score of 560/220 (paper/computer) or Higher. If they wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship (the most common kind of financial support for first-year graduate students) they need to have a TOEFL score of 600/250 (paper/computer) or higher.
Students must also satisfy the university's application criteria, which include a grade point average of 3.0 or the equivalent, in the last two years of undergraduate study and in all postgraduate-level course work.