If you are a potential candidate interested in joining us, you can find further details on the highlights and study plan for the PhD Astrophysics program here.
Research Areas
Students can work in one or more of the research areas of the program:
Planetary formation, protoplanetary disks, extrasolar planets, cosmic dust laboratory, solar system.
Stellar evolution, stellar populations and abundances, galactic dynamics, galactic archaeology, galactic transients, compact objects.
Extragalactic evolution over cosmic time, extragalactic transients, Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), supermassive black holes, cosmology, and the Large-scale structure of the Universe.
Key features of the program
- Once a candidate meets the admission criteria to be considered for a PhD position (see below), diversity in research subjects, cultural background, gender, and availability of potential PhD advisors are taken into account. We are indeed proud of having achieved gender balance at all academic levels and have about 80% of international researchers in our institute.
- Our program is designed to allow students to develop their thesis project from the beginning of their PhD through research projects that help to learn skills and explore topics of interest.
- The initial cycle of 3 semesters offers courses adapted to the student’s interests, intending to deepen their knowledge of their research topics and explore various methods, in particular regarding observing techniques and data analysis.
- Our students design their PhD thesis project. This enables them to work on the subject they are most curious about and to quickly develop the soft skills of independence, proactivity, and planning. In this sense, PhD advisors help students in brainstorming and in evaluating if the thesis projects are ambitious but realistic enough to be successful.
- Currently, IEA members are PIs of several research grants that offer the students to be involved in various international projects, allowing them to travel to conferences and research visits in various countries.
Graduate student profile
The program is intended for applicants holding a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Astronomy or related sciences (including but not limited to physics, planetary sciences, mathematics). Applicants are expected to have excellent academic records in their previous studies, some experience in research projects, and a very high level of motivation for independent research in astronomy. Applicants should also be proficient in the English language (reading comprehension is essential, and oral and written expression are highly desirable) and be able to commit to full-time participation in the doctoral program and move to Chile.
Calls for applications are made once a year at the beginning of the second semester, and selected students start either in March or in August of the following year. The number of admissions will depend on the availability of potential advisors and funding.
Program documents for Applicants
Download materials related to the PhD Astrophysics program, including the Study Plan and a questionnaire for potential students to be completed and submitted during the application process.