Overview of entry requirements
Assignment to the laboratory courses
The lab courses in the astrophysical department consist of two basic building blocks: The astronomical & astrophysical laboratory course. The astronomical lab course is addressed to bachelor students, while master students can attend the astrophysical laboratory course. Depending on the respective study path these courses can be assigned to different modules and have slightly different demands.
| Course | Moduls | Credit points (CP) |
|---|---|---|
| Astronomical laboratory course | PHY_532 | 3 |
| Astrophysical laboratory course | PHY_741b | 2-3 |
| :: | PHY_732 & PHY-751 | 3 |
| :: | PHY_731 | 3-4 |
Bachelor
Bachelor of Science
The astronomical lab course („Astronomie im Praktikum“) is part of the elective module PHY_532 (“Horizonte der Physik”, 6 credit points). The lab course is offered in the winter semester. We recommend that the lab course is combined with the lecture „Distance determinations“.
Master
The astrophysics lab course is available in different variants, since a different number of CP is assigned depending on the specific regulations and curricula. In the “standard version” the lab course has a scope of 3CP. If 4CP are required, an additional contribution such as a term paper or a further observation has to be carried out. If only 2CP are required, one observation can be skipped.
Master astrophysics
The Astrophysics lab course is a part of the module PHY-751 (6CP), which has the following structure:
- Lab course Astrophysics (3CP).
- Astrophysical Seminar for Master of Science Astrophysics (3CP)
The second part of the module is the Astrophysical Seminar for Master of Science Astrophysics, in which students give a 30 minute talk on a topic they have chosen and prepared together with a lecturer of the institute. This presentation is the basis for the evaluation of the whole module, while the lab course as such is ungraded. However, passing the lab course is a prerequisite for successfully completing the module. Furthermore, it should be noted that the lab course includes a seminar which is not identical to the Astrophysical Seminar for Master of Science Astrophysics. It is recommended that an introductory course in astrophysics be taken prior to the lab course.
Master of Science
Examination regulations of 2012:
The astrophysical lab course together with different lectures in astrophysics constitute the module PHY_741b („Astrophysik“). This module (12CP) consist of:
- Stars and stellar evolution (2V1Ü, 4CP)
- Galaxies and Cosmology (2V1Ü, 4CP)
- Astrophysical lab course (2V1Ü, 4CP)
The module is completed by an oral exam. It is recommended to attend additional astrophysical lectures in the module PHY_731 („Profilierungsfelder“), if astrophysics is chosen as the specialization. The master thesis can then also be written in the astrophysical department. Alternatively, the lab course can also be part of the elective module PHY_731 („Profilierungsfelder“) or PHY_732 („Physikalische Fächer“). For the module PHY_731 the lab course is available in two versions with 3 or 4CP, respectively.
Examination regulations of 2019:
The Astrophysics lab course can be included in the module PHY_741b (“Astrophysik”). The module (12CP) consists of:
- Stars and stellar evolution (2V1Ü + 1S or 1P, 6CP)
- Galaxies and Cosmology (2V1Ü + 1S or 1P, 6CP)
If the lab course is taken, the seminars associated with the above courses can be waived. Since only 2CP are required for this module, the scope of the astrophysics lab course is reduced compared to the above majors.
