The student is expected to be obtain B or better grade in each of these subjects. It is expected that the lecturers of the astronomy courses, in the spirit of the need for a sound pedagogical foundation, will design the grading scheme to test the knowledge acquired by the student. The favored grading method is a closed-book final exam. Each lecturer will not only report the grade but also strengths and weaknesses of the student (based, for example, on the homeworks) to the EO.
At the discretion of the Executive Officer (EO), students who have failed to obtain B grade or better will be retested in specific courses during Qualifying exam (see below).
RESEARCH.
We have designed a system to cater for students entering graduate school with different levels of preparedness: some of you may wish to explore different alternatives for research during your first two years, while others may already have a clear idea of which area of research you wish to work in. The present system was set up to make it easy for you to choose the approach best suited to your needs. Should you be unsure of the area in which you would like to specialize, then you are encouraged to explore different possibilities during your first two years.
The option holds the strong view that students should be involved deeply in research as soon as possible. After all, undertaking research is the prime goal of any graduate program. We do recognize that some students come from an undergraduate program with little or no astronomy background. The best plan for such students may often be to concentrate on the course work during their first three quarters. On the other hand, students with strong astronomy backgrounds are encouraged to undertake research during the academic year. In particular, such students are strongly encouraged to start on the "Proposition" as soon as possible.
Starting the beginning of the Summer quarter, all students are expected to undertake serious research. They are free to choose their research advisors. In consultation with their advisor the student is expected to define a small research project, hereafter "Proposition". While not absolutely essential, we do recommend that the propositions be chosen so that the end result is a publishable paper.
Preparation for independent research requires not only deep familiarity with a particular specialised field, but also a broad understanding of other areas of astronomy and their interconnections. To this end, we expect students to broaden their horizon by attending (at the very least) the weekly colloquim and participating in the Journal club and seminar courses (e.g. Ay 215) and engaging in self study of review papers.