Suggestions for places for M.Sc. Interested in astro-cosmo

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around suggestions for Master's programs in astrophysics and cosmology for a student with a B.Sc. in physics from India. Participants explore various universities both in the US and abroad, considering factors such as research opportunities, funding, and admission requirements.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about their low CGPA (7.1/10) and the challenges of gaining admission to prestigious Ph.D. programs like Harvard, suggesting an M.Sc. as a stepping stone.
  • Another participant asks about the student's willingness to study outside the US and their specific interests within astronomy.
  • The original poster mentions a particular interest in gravitational wave astronomy and the need for funding opportunities for their studies.
  • Suggestions for taking the Physics GRE and applying to schools that consider research experience and GRE scores to offset lower grades are made.
  • Concerns are raised about the limited research opportunities in cosmology at IITs, with one participant stating that only one researcher is active in the field at IITK.
  • Another participant counters this claim, asserting that there are at least two researchers in cosmology at IITK and that the MSc program would provide valuable coursework and knowledge.
  • Participants discuss the importance of contacting universities directly to inquire about admission requirements and potential programs that accept B.Sc. graduates for M.Sc. studies.
  • Several universities are mentioned as potential options, including McMaster, Oxford, Cambridge, Northwestern, Syracuse, and Rochester, with additional suggestions for Virginia and Maryland.
  • One participant references the AIP directory as a resource for finding graduate programs in the US.
  • Concerns about specific universities' policies regarding accepting three-year undergraduate degrees are noted, particularly for Maryland and Cornell.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the availability of research opportunities at IITs and the implications of the student's undergraduate degree length on their application prospects. There is no consensus on the best universities to apply to, with multiple suggestions and considerations presented.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the variability in admission policies across universities, particularly regarding the acceptance of three-year B.Sc. degrees from Indian institutions. There are also concerns about the outdated information on university websites regarding research activities.

Sourabh N
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Hey guys.

I'm in third (final) year of my B.Sc. in physics. Have done/will be doing courses like Relativistic QM, intro to QFT, GR, condensed matter, etc. I am interested in astrophysics and cosmology and have done some work on it under a prof during vacations. But, my CGPA is on the lower side (7.1/10). I want to do PhD from a good place (say, Harvard?), and chances of getting in there with this score look bleak. So, I thought I'll do M.Sc. first and then dream of such things. Can anyone suggest me some places which might be accessible for me?

Thanks.
 
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Hi there,

Plenty of good schools. Are you ready to leave the US? What field of astronomy interests you most?

Cheers
 
Hey. Sorry I forgot to mention. I'm from India, studying in http://www.cmi.ac.in" . I am particularly interested in gravitational wave astronomy (though i don't know much about it..) . I have been doing a numerical analysis of a collapsing star and as i mentioned before I did basic cosmology (I can give the details if you want) and i loved it.

And I'd also like to mention, funding will be a problem. So I'll only be able to go to places where i can get fellowships or such.
 
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*bump*

sorry for that >.>
 
Saurabh, take the Physics GRE and apply to a school of your choice. There is no hard and fast rule in such matters, but the better your GRE score is, the better chance you have to offset grades which might not be top-of-the-notch. If you have research experience, that will also count I guess. Most importantly, your concepts in basic UG physics (CM, QM, SM, EM) should be very strong as that's what everyone will look for at the end of the day.

On a more territorial route, you could take the JAM exam and get into the 2 year MSc Physics program at one of the IITs, and apply to a school of your choice after that, to the US/wherever else. The exposure you will get in the MSc program will be extremely useful later on when you apply for a PhD.

In any case, you won't be starting your PhD programme directly after the BSc. Btw, I am told by some friends that Harvard does not prefer to take candidates admitted in the 3 year BSc programme in Indian universities. To quote http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/prospective_students/academic_requirements.php:

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal: bachelor's degree in engineering, master's degree in all other fields
 
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Thanks, I get your point there.

I did consider IITs as they are the only decent place in India for MSc, but as i was talking to a friend at IITK, only one person does research in cosmology (and none in any other fields I mentioned) and he published his last paper in 2002, similar stats in other IITs as I went through their site :( It would mostly be a waste of my time in courses which I have already taken or have little to offer in my interest (their MSc curriculum includes one course on GR, nothing in Astro/cosmo).

I know most US universities don't take 3 year BSc graduates (Harvard as you mentioned, also TAMU, Michigan, etc), but some do (Northwestern, Syracuse, Rochester, etc). In any case, I am looking for places to do MSc. I came to know to about McMaster in Canada, Oxford and Cambridge in UK and a few others; but probably there are more places which I am missing.
 
Sourabh N said:
but as i was talking to a friend at IITK, only one person does research in cosmology(and none in any other fields I mentioned)

That is not correct. There are at least two researchers working on cosmology and one of them also works on astrophysics.

and he published his last paper in 2002, similar stats in other IITs as I went through their site :( It would mostly be a waste of my time in courses which I have already taken or have little to offer in my interest (their MSc curriculum includes one course on GR, nothing in Astro/cosmo).

That is not true either. First of all, the website is not updated that frequently. Second, during your MSc, you will not be publishing papers at that rapid a rate (if you get to publish at all) so the publishing statistics of someone should not concern you at all. In an MSc program, you will be strengthening your knowledge and grasp of physics -- as I have stated before, the coursework is good at IITK MSc physics. You can also take advanced courses on quantum mechanics, field theory, statmech etc. Bythe way, there is a Cosmology course in IITK, but the GR course is more of a science elective.

I will reply in detail later.
 
Oh I'm sorry then, I have wrong info:rolleyes:

Thanks for the info, please reply.
 
Sourabh N said:
Oh I'm sorry then, I have wrong info:rolleyes:

Thanks for the info, please reply.

What else would you like to know? I think searching admissions pages for universities and contacting them individually would give you a better idea of the ones that accept BSc students for a masters and a PhD (perhaps an integrated program).

By the way, doesn't CMI have an Integrated Masters program in Physics?
 
  • #10
I want to know about other places which offer Masters program, abroad. I went through webpages of some universities, I want to know about more.

And no, CMI doesn't have a masters program in physics.
 
  • #11
Sourabh N said:
I want to know about other places which offer Masters program, abroad. I went through webpages of some universities, I want to know about more.

You just have to browse through pages about admission requirements of the universities you're interested in, and contact them with queries that are unanswered in their documentation if necessary.
 
  • #12
I agree. What I am trying to say is, I don't know enough good places. I want you people to suggest me places to apply...
 
  • #13
Sourabh N said:
Thanks, I get your point there.

I did consider IITs as they are the only decent place in India for MSc, but as i was talking to a friend at IITK, only one person does research in cosmology (and none in any other fields I mentioned) and he published his last paper in 2002, similar stats in other IITs as I went through their site :( It would mostly be a waste of my time in courses which I have already taken or have little to offer in my interest (their MSc curriculum includes one course on GR, nothing in Astro/cosmo).

I know most US universities don't take 3 year BSc graduates (Harvard as you mentioned, also TAMU, Michigan, etc), but some do (Northwestern, Syracuse, Rochester, etc). In any case, I am looking for places to do MSc. I came to know to about McMaster in Canada, Oxford and Cambridge in UK and a few others; but probably there are more places which I am missing.


You might try Virginia and Maryland. The other unies you mention might be good too. My nephew was not treated well at Cornell for physics research. I do not know if Yale has a programme.
Ben
 
  • #14
This standard reference book for US programs is the AIP directory

http://www.aip.org/pubs/books/graduate.html

It's got hundreds of programs. Also most programs in the US go straight from bachelors to Ph.D., and it's a little difficult to find places that will admit people with US masters, although the rules may be different for overseas programs.
 
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  • #15
palsy2001 said:
You might try Virginia and Maryland. The other unies you mention might be good too. My nephew was not treated well at Cornell for physics research. I do not know if Yale has a programme.
Ben

Maryland, looked really good as I went through their site, refused to accept 3 year undergrads :(
 

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