School of Physics and Astronomy

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Overview

There has never been a more exciting time to study the universe beyond the confines of the Earth. The School of Physics and Astronomy at RIT offers a comprehensive curriculum to prepare students for employment in research, industry, and teaching, and preparation for graduate study in physics and related fields.

Our core curriculum provides a solid foundation in experimental, computational, and theoretical physics, emphasizing laboratory training and developing analytical problem-solving skills. The astrophysical sciences and technology doctoral and master’s programs offer extensive curricula and research opportunities spanning topics in stellar, galactic and extragalactic astrophysics, general relativity and gravitational wave astronomy, and instrument/detector development.

50%

Of astrophysical sciences and technology doctoral students are women

11

Average number of undergraduate co-authors on peer-reviewed publications annually (2013-2018)

4

BS/MS accelerated 5-year dual degree programs offered

Latest News

  • July 1, 2019

    Student stands in lobby.

    RIT alumnus to serve as futures analyst for U.S. Agency for International Development

    The fellowship program provides opportunities to outstanding scientists and engineers to learn first-hand about policymaking and contribute their knowledge and analytical skills in the policy realm. Brennan Ireland ’18 Ph.D. (astrophysical sciences and technology) will use his analytical skills to quantitatively evaluate countries to get a better picture of what their futures look like.

  • June 19, 2019

    Galaxy simulation

    Did a Dwarf Galaxy Crash into the Milky Way?

    Sky & Telescope reports that a recent study by RIT suggests the dwarf galaxy Antlia 2 had a long-ago run-in with our galaxy, rippling and warping its disk. But not everyone agrees with that scenario.

  • June 18, 2019

    Illustration of the Milky Way

    A 'Ghost Galaxy' May Have Given the Milky Way Its Signature Swirl

    Though direct observational evidence of Antlia 2 was not obtained until last year, one scientist has had a decade-long hunch that it was there. Sukanya Chakrabarti, an astrophysicist at RIT predicted in 2009 that an object packed with dark matter was causing tidal effects at the edge of the Milky Way.

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Featured Work

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RZ Piscium

Kristina Punzi ’18 (astrophysical sciences and technology)

Kristina Punzi ’18 (astrophysical sciences and technology) led an X-ray and optical study of the young star RZ Piscium, which suggests that its unusual brightness variations may be due to the orbiting...

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Effects of Photon Scattering Torque

Wyatt Wetzel ’18 (physics)

Wyatt Wetzel ’18 (physics) published work under the guidance of Professor Mishkat Bhattacharya on the effects of photon scattering torque in off-axis levitated torsional cavity optomechanics. https:/...

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Faculty

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Staff

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Undergraduate Programs

The undergraduate program in physics offers a broad curriculum preparing students for employment in research, industry, and teaching as well as excellent preparation for graduate school. The individualized research capstone component of the program provides our students with a competitive edge when seeking entry into preferred graduate programs and the job market.

Gain an in-depth understanding of the basic principles governing the structure and behavior of matter, the generation and transfer of energy, and the interactions of matter and energy within the world around us.

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Graduate Programs

The graduate programs in astrophysical sciences and technology offer a unique multidisciplinary approach to scholarship spanning a wide variety of research areas. The program offers three world-class research centers with cutting-edge research opportunities in gravitational waves, new advanced sensor technologies, and multiwavelength astrophysics.

Explore the depths of the universe through multidisciplinary research as you dive into an area that most interests you, whether it be general relativity, theoretical astrophysics, observational or instrumentation development, or another area related to astrophysics.

Learn More about Astrophysical Sciences and Technology MS 

There has never been a more exciting time to study the universe beyond the confines of the Earth. A new generation of advanced ground-based and space-borne telescopes and enormous increases in computing power are enabling a golden age of astrophysics. The doctoral program in astrophysical sciences and technology focuses on the underlying physics of phenomena beyond the Earth and on the development of the technologies, instruments, data analysis, and modeling techniques that will enable the next major strides in the field. The program's multidisciplinary emphasis sets it apart from conventional astrophysics graduate programs at traditional research universities.

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Solidify your understanding on the core aspects of physics in both research and technical skill as you study the areas of physics that support your career interests.

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Minors and Immersions

The astronomy immersion provides students with the opportunity for additional study in astronomy in order to build a secondary area of expertise in support of their major or other areas of interest. The immersion offers a broad background in astronomy with courses providing a broad survey of modern astrophysics and the techniques and technologies used to investigate astronomical phenomena. 

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This minor provides students with an opportunity for additional study in astronomy in order to build a secondary area of expertise in support of their major or other areas of interest. It will provide students with a broad foundational background in astronomy in preparation for graduate studies in astronomy or astrophysics. The minor is interdisciplinary and offered jointly by the School of Physics and Astronomy and the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science.

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Optical science techniques are used in a variety of consumer products (digital cameras, CD players), communication technologies (optical fibers), medical imaging (infrared imaging), and the sciences (surveillance, remote sensing, astronomical systems). This minor can be an important complement to studies in electrical and microelectronic engineering, the biological sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, technical photography, and various majors in the field of applied science and technology.

Learn More about Optical Science Minor 

In a broad sense, the aim of physics is to develop interconnected unifying threads bridging the vast number of seemingly diverse phenomena observed in the physical world around us. This immersion provides students with the opportunity for additional study in physics in order to build a secondary area of expertise in support of their major or other areas of interest. 

Learn More about Physics Immersion 

In a broad sense, the aim of physics as a discipline is to develop interconnected unifying threads bridging the vast number of seemingly diverse phenomena observed in the physical world around us. The minor provided students with the opportunity for additional study in physics in order to build a secondary area of expertise in support of their major or other areas of interest.

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Student Resources

Here you will find additional resources for the School of Physics and Astronomy, such as observatory information, facility information, research, etc.

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