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Petition for the Open University to offer MSc in
Astronomy/Astrophysics
With all the recent changes to higher education funding, times are pretty tough
with some very uncertain futures for most upcoming science graduates, there is
currently a massive ‘Postgraduate Gap’; the number of postgraduates, especially
in the sciences, is dwindling with a quickly increasing average age of academics in
the UK.
The value of higher education is something that can be clearly visualised and
seen; every science and engineering graduate brings back ~£1 million in their lifetime. The demand for such graduates is bound to increase with every decade
thanks to advancements in technology, and this is where the postgraduate gap
slots into the giant puzzle, there is no funding for postgraduate Master’s degree
programmes unless you were enrolled on one as an undergraduate or received a
bursary/scholarship. Not only is it expensive, but if you have work commitments/
family commitments/health problems, then doing one full-time becomes essentially an
impossible task, that’s not even taking into account commuting/living costs if the
University is not nearby.
The Open University however with its years of experience in part-time distance
learning might be a solution, hence why I’m petitioning the OU to construct a
Master’s of Science degree scheme in Astronomy/Astrophysics, a subject that the
OU also has had many years of experience lecturing and teaching. Not only that,
but it has quite a few excellent tools in order to perform observations remotely
from your own home!
The OU’s robotic telescope, known as PIRATE (Physics Innovations Robotic Astronomical Telescope Explorer), is based in Majorca, Spain and presents an excellent
remote interface for communicating with the dome, instruments and telescope itself. There is a planned robotic radio telescope being calibrated and fitted at the
moment with the OU, there will even be eventual access to the public thanks to
the new ‘Open Science’ programme.
The OU is therefore a perfect and ideal remedy for helping to broaden access to
physics and astronomy whilst solving the gap in postgraduates; the courses are
cheaper, there are no additional living costs/hassle of moving away (again), latest
technology, can do it in your own time (earn while you learn) and you receive
plentiful amounts of support as an OU student.
So if you value education and giving prosperity to the future minds of Astronomy
and Physics, please support the petition for the Open University to Construct an
MSc in Astronomy/Astrophysics.
Lawrence Bilton
OAS EZINE