Learn about Summer 2022 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 three-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.
Schedule: Online Live Sessions every Monday through Friday, 10:00am - 12:15pm, and 2:00 - 4:00pm (EDT). Mornings are lecture & discussion, afternoons are lab time.
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Online courses will be delivered through live meetings and will include offline assignment and projects. Courses meet synchronously 3 - 5 times per week primarily using Zoom, but may use other communication tools. Courses will be managed through UMass Amherst's Moodle or Blackboard platforms.
Dates: July 11 - July 29, 2022
Three-Week Online Intensives: $1,798
*Program fees listed above include tuition and registration; materials and software may be required.
*All programs require submission of $35 application fee.
