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Astronomy and Education

Structure of the Programme

The Astronomy and Education specialisation prepares you for a career in physics teaching and results in the teacher qualification (eerstegraads lesbevoegdheid) required for employment as a physics teacher in Dutch secondary schools. It is a joint programme offered in collaboration with the Leiden University Graduate School of Teaching (ICLON). The two-year programme consists of an Astronomy component (60 EC) in the first year and an Education component (60 EC; only taught in Dutch) in the second year. Alternatively, you can participate in the World Teachers Programme (WTP) to prepare for international teaching (60 EC, partly taught in Dutch).

Please note that entrance requirements for the Astronomy and Education specialisation include a proof of Dutch language proficiency. This also holds for the World Teachers Programme. Applicants who have not been educated in the Dutch secondary school system will have to take a Dutch language test (Toelatingsexamen Universiteit Leiden – gevorderd).

Programme first year: Astronomy (60 EC)

EC Level
Courses
Astronomy Core Courses, at least 12 500
Astronomy Courses related to the research topic 6-12 400-500
Non-Astronomy Courses 6-12 400-500
Research Project
Master's Research Project in Astronomy 30 600

Programme second year: Education (60 EC, in Dutch)

Level EC
Part 1
Leren en instructie 1 3 300
Vakdidactiek Natuurkunde 1 5 400
Pedagogiek 5 400
Praktijk 1 17
Part 2
Leren en instructie 2 3 400
Innovaties in onderwijs 3 400
Vakdidactiek Natuurkunde 2 5 500
Vakdidactische verdieping 7 600
Praktijk 2 15

Programme second year: World Teachers Programme (60 EC, in Dutch/English)

Level EC
Courses
Learning and Instruction 1 & 2 (in English) 8 300-400
Adolescent Psychology (in English) 5 400
Subject Methodology (in Dutch) 10 400-500
Participatory Action Research (PAR, in English) 7 600
World Teachers Programme Seminars - -
Internship
School Practice (bilingual or international school) 15 -
International Internship 15 -

Master Study Plan

At the start of the master’s programme, students are required to draw up the Master Study Plan: a complete list of planned courses and projects for two subsequent academic years in consultation with the Study Advisor Astronomy. To select courses, consult the course list for academic year 2021-2022 (see below) and the preliminary course list for academic year 2022-2023.

Learn more

Courses 2021-2022

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Astronomy Master's Research Project

Master's Research Project 30
Astronomy Student Colloquium -

Astronomy Core Courses

Interstellar Medium 6
Large Scale Structure and Galaxy Formation 6
Origin and Evolution of the Universe 6
Stellar Structure and Evolution 6

General Astronomy Courses

Simulation and Modeling in Astrophysics (AMUSE) 6

Instrumentation-related Astronomy Courses

Astronomy from Space 3
Astronomical Telescopes and Instruments 6
Detection of Light a 3
Detection of Light b 3
High Contrast Imaging 3
Project Management for Scientists 3
Radio Astronomy 6

Specialist Astronomy Courses

Astrochemistry 3
Design of Optical Systems 3
Exo-planets: Interiors and Atmospheres 3
Modern Astrostatistics 3
Numerical Recipes in Astrophysics 6
Observational Cosmology 3

Non-Astronomy Courses

These courses can be selected from the courses offered by the following Leiden University master's programmes:

Education Programme

For more information on courses and programme, please see the Education Prospectus

Course levels

Level 100
Introductory course, builds upon the level of the final pre-university education examination.
Characteristics: teaching based on material in textbook or syllabus, pedagogically structured, with
practice material and mock examinations; supervised workgroups; emphasis on study material and
examples in lectures.

Level 200
Course of an introductory nature, no specific prior knowledge but experience of independent
study expected.
Characteristics: textbooks or other study material of a more or less introductory nature; lectures, e.g. in
the form of capita selecta; independent study of the material is expected.

Level 300
Advanced course (entry requirement level 100 or 200).
Characteristics: textbooks that have not necessarily been written for educational purposes; independent
study of the examination material; in examinations independent application of the study material to
new problems.

Level 400
Specialised course (entry requirement level 200 or 300).
Characteristics: alongside a textbook, use of specialist literature (scientific articles); assessment in the
form of limited research, a lecture or a written paper. Courses at this level can, to a certain extent, also
be on the master’s curriculum.

Level 500
Course with an academic focus (entry requirement: the student has been admitted to a
master’s programme; preparatory course at level 300 or 400 has been followed).
Characteristics: study of advanced specialised scientific literature intended for researchers; focus of the
examination is solving a problem in a lecture and/or paper or own research, following independent
critical assessment of the material.

Level 600
Very specialised course (entry requirement level 400 or 500)
Characteristics: current scientific articles; latest scientific developments; independent contribution (dissertation research) dealing with an as yet unsolved problem, with verbal presentation.

The classification is based on the Framework Document Leiden Register of Study Programmes.

Career Orientation

During the Master program Astronomy we want to provide you with the best possible preparation for the job market. In addition to knowledge, it is important that you develop skills, gain practical experience, orientate on positions & careers, and reflect on your own profile and development. In addition to substantive knowledge, it is also important to be aware of the so-called transferable skills that you develop outside and during your education. These are, for example, your cognitive skills such as critical thinking and communication. Altogether, this contributes to your development as a professional and offers good preparation for the labour market.

With a master’s degree in Astronomy you are well prepared for jobs in research, industry and the public sector, including technological, financial and consultancy companies, research institutes, governments and science communication organizations.

Nevertheless, questions about this subject may arise during your studies, such as: How can you use the knowledge and skills you gain within and outside your study program in the labour market? Which direction do you choose within your study and why? What are you already able to do, and what skills do you still want to learn? How do you translate the courses you choose into something you would like to do later?

You may have already discussed this with the study advisor, mentor, tutor, the Science Career Service, fellow students or made use of the Leiden University Career Zone. All kinds of activities are organized where you get the chance to orientate yourself on the job market and gives opportunities to reflect on your own development, possibilities and (study) career profile as well. Central to this are the questions: "What are my capabilities?", "What do I want?" and "How do I achieve my goals?".
In the prospectus, learning objectives have been formulated for each subject, the purpose of which is to inform you which components are covered in the development of your (study) career profile and preparation for the labour market. Various activities are also organized that help you in making all kinds of career choices and to develop skills. An overview of activities is shown below.

Activities

To provide you with the best possible preparation for the labour market, we organize CIMAS (Career Information Meeting Astronomy) sessions. During a CIMAS we will organize several activities concerning study and career orientation. There will be alumni from the corporate field and PhD candidates that will share their experiences and advice. In addition to this, we also organize workshops that help you with practical career activities, such as networking and building your CV.

Career

Most graduates holding a MSc degree in Astronomy from Leiden University find work in many different capacities, including:

  • Research: universities, observatories, research institutes

  • Industry and consultancy: ICT, R&D, telecom, high technology, aerospace

  • Finance: banking, insurance, pension funds

  • Public sector: governments, policy makers, high schools

  • Science communication: journalism, popular writing, museums
    Typical jobs for Astronomy graduates include:

  • Scientific researcher (postdoc, research fellow, professor)

  • R&D engineer

  • Consultant

  • Data scientist, statistician

  • Policy advisor, public information officer (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

  • High school physics teacher

  • Scientific editor for magazines, newspapers and other media

Research at Leiden Observatory

If you want to get more deeply involved in research after graduating in Astronomy, consider pursuing a PhD at Leiden Observatory. If you have completed the Leiden master’s degree program in Astronomy, you are directly eligible for admission to our PhD program. Read more.

Science Career Service

Science Career Service, one of the utilities of the Science faculty, offers information and advice on study (re)orientation, career planning and personal professional profile as well as preparation for the job market, such as job applications. Facilities provided to students include online information, walk-in consultations, workshops and individual counselling sessions. In addition, Science Career Service offers expertise and support to programmes that want to strengthen the connection between their curriculum and the job market. This can vary from providing specific guest lectures/workshops to advising on integrating career orientation programmes into the curriculum.

LU Career Zone

The Leiden University Career Zone is the website for students and alumni of Leiden University to support their (study) career planning. You will find advice, information, video recordings of webinars and tools such as professional tests to get an idea of your personal profile. You can also explore positions and sectors, you will find tips about CV, job application, LinkedIn and there is a vacancy platform that you can make use of.

Mentornetwerk

Leiden University likes to prepare students and young alumni well for the job market. For this we use the knowledge and experience of Leiden alumni. To bring students and young alumni with questions about their careers into contact with experienced alumni, Leiden University has established the Mentor Network. Students and young alumni can register for free.

Contact

Do you have questions about your (study) career choices and has the above information not been able to help you further? Your study adviser (studyadvisor@strw.leidenuniv.nl) is always available to discuss your plans and concerns.