Note: Some courses may be given in alternate years. Please check Programs & Courses for course availability.

Syllabi can be found by clicking on the Programs and Courses website links below. Note that these are current from 2023 onwards - 

ASTR6007: Stars  (6 units)

Offered in: 1st Semester

ASTR6002: Galaxies and Cosmology (6 units)

Offered in: 2nd Semester

ASTR6013: Astrophysical Processes (6 units)

Offered in: 1st semester

ASTR4011: Observational Techniques - (6 units)

Offered in: 1st semester, every year.

ASTR4004: Astronomical Computing (6 units)

Offered in: 2nd semester, every year.

ASTR4006: Galaxies (6 units)

Offered in: 1st semester, even years.

ASTR4020: Diffuse Matter and Star Formation (6 units)

Offered in: 1st semester, odd years

ASTR4021: Astrophysical Processes II - (6 units)

Offered in: 2nd semester, even years

ASTR4023: Stars II and Exoplanets (6 units)

Offered in: 2nd semester, odd years

EMSC6022: Planetary Science - (6 units)

Offered in: 2nd semester

Important dates

While the Honours year commences at the end of January, courses will only be taught during the regular semester.

• Starting Date (1st Semester): Courses start at the beginning of Semester 1 with the thesis submission date at the end of Semester 2
• Starting Date (2nd Semester): Courses start at the beginning of Semester 2 with the thesis submission date at the end of Semester 1

Honours coursework rules

1. 50 per cent of the honours assessment in astronomy and astrophysics is for a research project (ASTR4005).
2. Students are required to do 24 units of coursework for the other 50 per cent of their honours assessment.
3. Up to 24 units (6 units per course) are to be selected from the list below, generally with at least two ASTR4XXX subjects.
4. ASTR6002, ASTR6007, ASTR6013 and EMSC6022 may be taken, unless students have taken them as third year subjects already (the equivalent third year subjects are ASTR3002, ASTR3007, ASTR3013 and EMSC3022).
5. 6 units may be selected from suitable courses in physics or maths to approval by the astronomy & astrophysics honours convenor. Possible examples include: A unit from the physics honours program. One of the computational modelling units in the Bachelor of Computational Science honours program. One of the units in the mathematics honours program.
6. For more information, see the Programs & Courses website, Astronomy & Astrophysics Honours.

The courses offered to PhD students at RSAA are outlined below. While undertaking coursework as part of the PhD program is not compulsory, it is strongly recommended that students who have not completed the RSAA Honours or Masters program undertake at least some of these courses. Note, though, that courses taken during the PhD program will neither be assessed officially nor appear on a student's transcript.

Course availability information and course syllabi can be found by clicking on the Course Code below or directly in Programs and Courses.

ASTR6007: Stars  (6 units)

ASTR6002: Galaxies and Cosmology (6 units)

ASTR6013: Astrophysical Processes (6 units)

ASTR8002: Astrophysical Gas Dynamics (6 units)

ASTR8003: High Energy Astrophysics (6 units)

ASTR8004: Astronomical Computing (6 units)

ASTR8005: Stellar Atmosphere and Spectroscopy (6 units)

ASTR8006: Galaxies (6 units)

ASTR8007: Diffuse Matter in the Universe (6 units)

ASTR8008: Star Formation (6 units)

ASTR8011: Observational Techniques (6 units)

ASTR8016: Optical Instrumentation (6 units)

EMSC6022: Planetary Science (6 units) (Offered by the Research School of Earth Sciences)