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The University of Edinburgh: Astrobiology and Planetary Sciences

Institution The University of Edinburgh View institution profile
Department School of Physics and Astronomy
Web https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying
Study type Taught

Summary

Astrobiology and the planetary sciences are rigorous interdisciplinary subjects.

These subjects build on physics, chemistry, biology and geosciences to answer fundamental questions about living matter: - how is it formed?

  • how does it vary and evolve in unison with planets and stars?

  • how is it distributed across time and space?

Planetary scientists investigate the origin, diversity and behaviour of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and solar systems. Together, these sciences offer a broad and satisfying perspective on our own place in the universe. In the context of space exploration, these sciences also have interesting policy, legal, and ethical implications.

On this programme you will develop: - interdisciplinary skills and expertise

  • confidence and autonomy in planning and executing research

  • insight into contemporary debates

  • You will think critically about astrobiology and planetary science in their social contexts. You will discover how different scientific approaches address fundamental questions about life.

As a student on this programme you will be integrated into the UK Centre for Astrobiology. The Centre is one of the world's leading hubs for interdisciplinary astrobiology research. It has led and participated in many space missions and has reported significant discoveries.

Learning outcomes By completing this programme you will gain a solid understanding of astrobiology and planetary science. This includes understanding of: - methods

  • missions

  • instruments

This will allow you to contribute to contemporary debates on these matters and to view life in the universe from a new perspective.

MSc

Edinburgh. Extraordinary futures await.

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and placed 22nd in the 2024 QS World University Rankings.

Our position as one of Britain’s leading research universities was reaffirmed by the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

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