Deadlines

February 1 

APPLY to the university through Cal State Apply.
An SDSUid number will then be assigned which allows tracking of application status online.

February 15

SUBMIT your M.S. Degree in Astronomy application to Slate.
Within 72 hours of submitting your initial application to Cal State Apply, you will receive an email with a personalized link to Slate to submit your program application.

SUBMIT your official transcripts to Graduate Admissions.

Requirements

All students must satisfy the general requirements for admission to the university with classified graduate standing. In addition, students must have an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 in the last 60 units of their undergraduate work and must have preparation in astronomy and/or related sciences substantially equivalent to that required for the Bachelor’s Degree in Astronomy at San Diego State University.

Step 1:

Apply to SDSU

APPLY to the university through Cal State Apply.

Deadline: February 1. 

Cost: $70 application fee.

Step 2:

Apply to the M.S. Degree in Astronomy Program

SUBMIT your M.S. Degree in Astronomy application to Slate.

Deadline: February 15.

Provide in Your Application

References

Provide two or three names and e-mail addresses of people who will provide reference letters.

Deadline: February 15.

Personal Statement

Write a personal statement that describes how an M.S. Degree in Astronomy from SDSU will help you achieve your academic, research, and career goals.

  • Describe in detail, any past research experience, including your specific contribution to the research project.  
  • Describe events or experiences that demonstrate your resilience in adversity and/or provide evidence of your leadership skills.
  • State which program track you plan to pursue: Thesis Track or Exam Track.

Course Summary

Please create a separate document that lists the ten courses you have taken (or are currently taking) that have been most helpful in preparing you for an M.S. Astronomy program. Please include the full course title, the course number, the semester in which you took the course, and the grade you earned (if available). If a course is not a standard astronomy/physics/math course, you may optionally include a very brief (one sentence) description of the course content. A course in geochemistry, aerospace engineering, atmospheric science, machine learning, etc., or an “Independent Study” course may benefit from a brief description. Upper-level physics and astronomy courses provide the most direct preparation for our M.S. Astronomy graduate courses, but you may include any course which has provided advanced instruction in math, computer programming, physics, astronomy, or related fields.

Transcripts

Submit Official Transcripts to the SDSU Graduate Admissions Office.
See (Step 3: Submit Transcripts) for guidance on the Graduate Admissions Office Steps to Apply webpage.

Upload Unofficial Transcripts to Slate.

Deadline: February 15.

GRE

GRE scores (General and/or Physics subject) may be submitted at the applicant’s discretion (can be unofficial).  This is optional, and there is no minimum score threshold.

Students Interested in Gaining Teaching Experience

Teaching Reference

Provide one name and e-mail address of the person who will provide a reference letter that addresses teaching experience or potential. The deadline for submission of reference letters is February 15.

Teaching Statement

At San Diego State University the TAs are not “Teaching Assistants”, they are “Teaching Associates” and have full responsibility for the lab classes they teach. They lecture and lead the lab activities, they design and grade the lab assignments, and they are 100% responsible for determining the course grades. For two lab classes, this entails up to 20 hours of work per week. 

Please provide a brief statement (1 page maximum) sharing your teaching philosophy, and include any experience you have in teaching, tutoring, and/or public outreach. Also include any leadership experience you may have had, and anything else you feel is relevant for a teaching position.

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International Students

If you have international coursework, you are required to submit an international evaluation report along with your transcript from either IERF, WES, or ECE. Please see Step 3 of the Graduate Admissions Office Steps to Apply webpage for further instructions.

All graduate and post-baccalaureate applicants (regardless of citizenship status) applying to SDSU from an international institution where the medium of instruction was not English, must submit proof of English proficiency. Please see Step 4 of the Graduate Admissions Office Steps to Apply webpage for further instructions.

Visit the SDSU International Student Center website for more information.

Tuition and Fees

Visit the SDSU Student Account Services website for more information.