Astronomy and Instrumentation (MSc)

Working in astronomy puts you at the forefront of science and revolutionary technology. As our scientific ambitions have grown, so have the technological challenges that enable us to further increase our understanding of the Universe. In Leiden we have combined astronomical instrumentation engineering and science to offer you this unique master’s specialisation.

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Astronomy (MSc)

Sebastiaan Haffert

Docent

"The upcoming Extremely Large Telescopes and space telescopes bring technological challenges for the field of astronomy. Their instrumentation is more complex and bigger than any previously built. At Leiden Observatory, you will learn how to design, build and use such instruments in the lab and on site at telescopes. Our courses will give you the fundamental knowledge and understanding of the concepts to advance astronomical instrumentation into the future"

What does this master's programme entail?

The overall goal is to fully understand the physical principles and performance of astronomical instruments and to contribute to the development of new instrumentation technologies. The courses in the Astronomy and Instrumentation specialisation go beyond astronomy and space applications of instrumentation technology. This enables you to use your knowledge and skills in adjacent areas of science and engineering, including the development of instrumentation for environmental and medical applications. We also work closely with the Technical University of Delft, allowing students to take engineering-focused courses from their master's programmes, or collaborate on research projects.

Read more about our Astronomy and Instrumentation programme.

Discover why our students choose the Astronomy master's programme

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Reasons to choose Astronomy and Instrumentation at Leiden University

Leiden University offers a world-exclusive master’s programme fully focused on astronomical instrumentation.
You will get hands-on field and laboratory experience through participation in cutting-edge instrument projects for ESO (VLT, E-ELT) and ESA (JWST, Euclid).

Find more reasons to study Astronomy and Instrumentation at Leiden University.

Astronomy and Instrumentation: the right master’s programme for you?

Do you want to contribute to the high-tech world of astronomical instrumentation engineering? Do you have a bachelor’s background in Astronomy or Physics? Then the master’s specialisation Astronomy and Instrumentation is the right choice for you.

Read more about the entry requirements for Astronomy and Instrumentation.