MS
The program aims to attract highly motivated B.Tech and B.E. students with an engineering background who are desirous of contributing to fundamental research and mission-development in space sciences. The courses in this degree are aimed towards equipping students with the basic knowledge for tackling research problems in astrophysics. On completion of the degree the student would be well-placed to pursue a PhD program in any field of astrophysical space sciences.
Degree
In this two year program the first year involves both coursework and the performance of a research project. The final year is dedicated entirely to the MS Thesis research which typically is a continuation of the first year research project. For their MS Thesis research students can collaborate with a faculty from Department of Physical Sciences at IISER Kolkata or any affiliated CESSI faculty from other organizations.The students are required to complete their course credit requirements and successfully defend their thesis to obtain the MS degree.
Courses
Students are expected to complete all the core courses and choose from a list of elective courses. Core courses typically include Introductory Astrophysics, Computational Physics, Space Astronomy and Fluid- and Magneto-Hydrodynamics or Gravitation and Cosmology. Electives include other courses that are on offer from CESSI and Department of Physical Sciences. The subjects taken by a student is usually chosen in consultation with the concerned student's research supervisor.Requirements
Students with a competitive 4-year Bachelor's degree in engineering will be considered provided strong background in Physics or Engineering is demonstrated. To consult minimum eligibility criterion please click here.Like our PhD program, selections are only made after shortlisted candidates appear for an interview. Shortlisting of candidates for the interview is based on the documents and other information submitted. The list of documents required shall be declared in the admission portal. Note that satisfying the minimum eligibility criterion is no guarantee for short-listing, which is based on various other factors including statement of interest and recommendation letters. The final selection is based on performance in the interview.
Duration
The Masters program tenure is 2 years. Fellowship will be provided to all selected students.Important Dates
Advertisement for the MS program is typically announced once a year (during March-April) depending on the availability of funding and seats. You are advised to check the website regularly after March.Courses begin in the last week of July.