Welcome to the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics courses in the Natural Sciences Tripos.
We are a small and friendly department and strive to give all our students a fantastic experience. The formal teaching structure is set out in detail on the accompanying pages, but, in brief, our part II course provides a broad education in the physics of astrophysics. It provides an excellent scientific training and on completion students may graduate with an MA degree. Part III builds on this background or indeed on any suitable physics or mathematics course taking students to the forefront of research. It includes a substantial original research project with personal supervision. Internal applicants graduate with an MSci degree and external with an MASt, though the course is identical for both.
All students are very welcome to participate in other aspects of the Institute's life, including daily coffee and tea, a student led journal club, seminars, colloquia and public outreach. These are all excellent opportunities to engage with each other and also to meet graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and the more permanent academics all of whom are keen to talk about astrophysics in it's broadest context.
Christopher Tout, Chairman of the Teaching Committee
