In Astrophysics and Astronomy, you apply the laws of physics to study the universe at the largest scales. You study the lifecycles of stars and the formation and evolution of galaxies, including the supermassive black holes that lurk at their centers; explore the formation and evolution of the universe; and learn about the search for planets around other stars.
The Astrophysics and Astronomy majors will prepare you for graduate study in astrophysics or in physics, astronomy, or for careers in high-tech industries, teaching, and more. The majors provide the strong background in physics and mathematics required for a deep understanding of astrophysical or astronomical phenomena.
Ohio Wesleyan offers two degree options:
All Astrophysics and Physics majors complete a year-long research project during their senior year. This gives them an opportunity to put what they've learned in their classes into practice and helps to prepare them for jobs or graduate school.
Many Astrophysics majors participate in OWU's Summer Science Research Program, and many present their research at undergraduate research forums on campus and across the country.
Rachel Roettenbacker '08 did research on starspots at OWU before continuing to study them in the graduate astronomy program at the University of Michigan.
The OWU Connection provides a variety of ways for you to expand your learning off campus and overseas.
From your first year on campus, you can take Travel-Learning Courses. You can also pursue OWU Connection Grants to conduct research off campus or spend a semester at another university in the U.S. or abroad.
Professor Bob Harmon's Space Exploration class traveled to England and Germany, including a tour of the European Space Agency's Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications.
Professor Harmon's Travel-Learning Astronomy class visited the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England.
Build your experience and connections to the professional world with internships and research opportunities at major laboratory facilities.
OWU students complete internships and REU's (Research Experience for Undergraduates) at a variety of universities and research centers.
Astrophysics majors C.J. Delaney '26 (left) and Wasif Karim '26 visit the Great Dome on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus during their trip to participate in the Harvard PacBot Competition 2024. They received OWU Connection grants to fund their trip to the competition.
Guillermo Gutierrez '18 double majored in Astrophysics and Politics and Government. He is currently a Science and Strategy Intern at the Radiant Earth Foundation, and an Intern with the American Physical Society.
OWU faculty are outstanding scholars and researchers — and passionate teachers. They will push you, challenge you, inspire you, and work with you on your own research and creative projects.
They can even pack a 3-minute lecture with ideas, insight, and imagination. Check out our unique I³ lectures.
Advanced astronomical study is done at Ohio Wesleyan's Perkins Observatory, which features a 32-inch reflecting telescope. Also on campus is the Student Observatory, with its 9-1/2-inch refracting telescope. Recently College Rank rated Perkins number 15 out of the 35 best college observatories, and was the highest ranked among small-college observatories.
OWU's 150,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art science center features an array of sophisticated equipment for hands-on use by OWU students.
The 10-week Summer Science Research Program gives students the opportunity to carry out cutting-edge research side by side with faculty mentors.
Activities of the Astronomy Club include viewing the cosmos though telescopes at the Student Observatory and Perkins Observatory, and field trips. In the Society of Physics Students, a professional club for students who love physics, students build community, make connections in their field of study, and perform outreach.
At OWU, Kaito majored in Astrophysics and Mathematics, and after graduating, he was accepted into the Ph.D. program in Applied Mathematics at the University of Michigan. While at OWU, Kaito completed a research project about starspots on LO Pegasi with his mentor, Prof. Harmon.
Ohio Wesleyan Students Use University's Perkins Observatory to Study Starspots
More information
Ohio Wesleyan Students Create Robot, Compete in Annual Harvard Competition
More information
Astronomy Travel-Learning class visits Stonehenge.
Amanda K. Jewell '19 spent Summer 2018 on Dr. Harmon's Travel-Learning Course, and researching starspots on OWU's campus through the Summer Science Research Program.
The 2018 Travel-Learning Astronomy class takes a break for some fun in Bristol, England.
Niladri Deb '25 transforms into an astronaut during a visit to the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center, the home of Japan's astronaut training program.
Mark Chalmers '16 was an Astrophysics major and Philosophy minor who worked on an SSRP project with Professor Harmon studying the star LO Pegasi.
Students visit the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Tanegashima Space Center, the country's largest rocket launch facility. The students were completing Professor Robert Harmon's Travel-Learning Course 'Space Exploration: Past, Present, and Future.'
The 2018 Travel-Learning Astronomy class in London.
Has anyone ever told you that you are star material?
