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Astrophysics is literally the study of the physics of the universe. Arguably the most data-intensive area of study in human history, and a field of study in which scientific presidents are as much of a liability as an asset, this is a career for people who know how to handle whole new concepts and wrestle with numbers on a colossal scale. Astrophysics is based on 'normal' physics, but astrophysics has been rewriting just that every known concept in physics for decades, and this is a career for real problem solvers. Career path |
Astrophysics, as the name suggests, is a combination of astronomy and physics, and qualifications to be tailored to meet the requirements of both disciplines. Areas of specialization are further considerations, and it's well worth doing a thorough check of career goals and career paths to achieve qualifications in desired fields. Professional advice should also be sought from those in the field.
Career progression
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Because of the extremely diverse nature of applications in astrophysics, it's important to note that this science can involve a particularly complex career progression. The areas of employment are a good guide to the diversity of roles in which astrophysicists may be involved:
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In some cases, astrophysicists need to be directly involved in highly technical aspects of planning for interplanetary missions, space telescopes, radio telescopes, and other projects, and even figure out how to gather and interpret data, practically from scratch. This is true scientific advancement in practice, and it's work for the dedicated.
If you're the sort of person that enjoys solving problems nobody's ever seen before, and dealing with problems nobody's previously considered, and spending a career in endless discovery, check out astrophysics. You won't be disappointed.
