Learn about Summer 2023 Pre-College opportunities at UMass Amherst. Our residential and online pre-college programs are designed to give you a preview of the UMass student experience, including college-level academics and being part of a learning community of high school students from all across the U.S. and the world. Our programs feature faculty-led courses, state-of-the-art facilities, and the #1 campus dining in the U.S., as ranked by the Princeton Review.
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This two-week program will build a ground-up understanding of observational astronomy, exploring the basis of human extraterrestrial observation and the art of turning astronomy into a science.
We'll use the foundations of astrophysics to explain the implications of modern observations, supplementing data with observations we will learn to take during the class. We will develop a physically motivated framework with which to understand observations by undertaking a survey of the lifetimes of different unique objects in the universe, from stars to galaxies to the universe itself.
We will explore real astronomical data through python* based computer labs. Through these labs, we will turn raw data into beautiful astronomical images and use this data to analyze the ages, distances, and masses of stars.
*No python programming experience is necessary to apply.
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This course is offered at the UMass Amherst campus as a residential program. Local students may apply to attend as a commuter.
Dates: July 23 - August 5, 2023
Two-Week Residential Intensives: $3,454
*Program fees listed above include tuition and room & board.
*All programs require submission of $35 application fee.
