Observational Astrophysicist Overview

Required Education and Training To Become an Observational Astrophysicist

Best Schools to become a Observational Astrophysicist in U.S. 2024

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA

In-State Tuition:$11,564
Out-of-State Tuition:$41,636
Admission Rate:26%
Graduation Rate:86%
Total Enrollment:26,420

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA

In-State Tuition:$11,189
Out-of-State Tuition:$39,687
Admission Rate:48%
Graduation Rate:84%
Total Enrollment:52,319

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO

In-State Tuition:$11,004
Out-of-State Tuition:$37,376
Admission Rate:81%
Graduation Rate:75%
Total Enrollment:39,585

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX

In-State Tuition:$11,698
Out-of-State Tuition:$41,070
Admission Rate:31%
Graduation Rate:88%
Total Enrollment:52,384

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

In-State Tuition:$11,564
Out-of-State Tuition:$41,636
Admission Rate:11%
Graduation Rate:94%
Total Enrollment:45,307

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, OH

In-State Tuition:$11,525
Out-of-State Tuition:$35,782
Admission Rate:53%
Graduation Rate:88%
Total Enrollment:60,540
Observational Astrophysicist Job Description:
  • Observe, research, and interpret astronomical phenomena to increase basic knowledge or apply such information to practical problems.

Required Skills and Competencies To Become an Observational Astrophysicist

Job Duties for Observational Astrophysicists

  • Collaborate with other astronomers to carry out research projects.

  • Mentor graduate students and junior colleagues.

  • Present research findings at scientific conferences and in papers written for scientific journals.

Technologies and Skills Used by Observational Astrophysicists

Analytical or scientific software

  • IBM SPSS Statistics
  • The MathWorks MATLAB

Development environment software

  • Abstraction plus reference plus synthesis A++
  • National Instruments LabVIEW

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Basic Skills

  • Reading work related information
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems

People and Technology Systems

  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one

Problem Solving

  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Current Job Market and Opportunites for an Observational Astrophysicist

Top Related Careers to Observational Astrophysicist 2024

Additional Resources To Help You Become an Observational Astrophysicist

FAQs About Becoming an Observational Astrophysicist