Astronomy: Astronomy and Education

The Astronomy and Education specialisation comprises a one-year astronomy research component and a one-year education component.
Student teachers develop their competences to innovate their practice (e.g., by developing and testing instruction on a specific topic). This track meets the requirements to obtain the degree eerstegraads lesbevoegdheid in Physics, needed for teaching at Dutch secondary schools.
The Leiden MSc in Astronomy focuses on: Knowledge and understanding of the origin, structure and evolution of galaxies, including processes in their nuclei, as well as the universe they are part of; Knowledge and understanding of the origin, structure and evolution of stars, including the interstellar medium, circumstellar gas and dust, and planetary systems.
These goals are approached by means of courses teaching knowledge of the various fields and insight into their mutual connections, and through research projects in which the student focuses on one or more aspects of ongoing research carried out by staff and postdocs.
The Leiden programme is particularly known for its emphasis on the interface between observation and theory: interpretation, modelling and simulation.
As the main education component is taught in Dutch, all applicants must provide proof of proficiency in Dutch language.