Study plan
Some study programmes help you monitor your own academic progress by assisting you in drawing up a study plan at the end of your first year.
The study plan is intended to help you remain focused and motivated for the rest of your programme. You will draw up a study plan for your second and third years at the end of your first and second year respectively.
All Astronomy master's students draw up a Master Study Plan. This is part of the Leiden Study System, aiming to stimulate you to obtain your master's degree within two years. Therefore, you need to be aware of your study progress. The Master Study Plan is a tool to help you study as successfully as possible in order to earn your degree in time. Please note that your Astronomy Master Study Plan can only be accepted after apporval of the Astronomy study advisor.
Master Study Plan contents
The Master Study Plan is the backbone of your Astronomy master's programme. It contains a fully specified overview of all courses, associated exams and research projects you want to finish in the two years of your Astronomy master's. The Master Study Plan consists of two parts:
A. Proposed schedule for your two-year Astronomy master's programme.
B. Verification of requirements, demonstrating that the proposed schedule satisfies all official regulations.
Drawing up a Master Study Plan only makes sense if you stick to it. Therefore, it is important to come up with a realistic planning that is feasible for you. Remember that you may have to account for:
- Deficiencies
- Unfinished bachelor's courses
- (Extra) electives
- Relevant ancillary activities, e.g. board or commision memberships
- Other personal circumstances
Study Plan Tip!
Schedule important study elements as early as possible in your Master Study Plan. These include compulsory elements, courses that will help you in your preferred research area and your First Research Project.
Drawing up your Master Study Plan
In the Summer preceding the academic year in which you start your Astronomy master's, the Astronomy study advisor will request all incoming Astronomy master's students to draw up a Master Study Plan for the upcoming two years. You will also receive a template for your Master Study Plan from the Astronomy study advisor. The template specifies the Astronomy specialisation that you have chosen upon registration for the Astronomy master's programme. Draft the Astronomy master's schedule in your Master Study Plan using the following resources:
- In the Astronomy Prospectus for the upcoming academic year, select the Astronomy master's specialisation that you will follow for a detailed description of mandatory and elective courses.
- Consult the list of Astronomy courses for the upcoming year and the preliminary list of Astronomy courses for the next academic year.
- You may also want to view the list of available Physics courses in the Physics Prospectus for the upcoming academic year and the preliminary list of Physics courses for the next academic year (if available).
Consult the Course and Examination Regulations for the current academic year. Regulations specific for the Astronomy master's programme can be found in the Appendix of the document.
In individual cases, courses from different programmes or fields of study may be elected, but only after discussion with the Astronomy study advisor and prior written approval from the Astronomy Board of Examiners.
Handing in your Master Study Plan
When you have finished the first draft of your Master Study Plan, e-mail it to the Astronomy study advisor at least 48 hours before your intake meeting (preferably earlier). During the intake meeting, you will discuss your Master Study Plan with the study advisor.
Once accepted, your Master Study Plan is entered in an electronic database, and progress will be regularly monitored by the study advisor. When facing delays in your studies, for example resulting from personal circumstances, you can discuss your progress with the study advisor using your Master Study Plan. This enables both the study advisor and yourself to compare your progress to your intended planning for timely identification of delays. Please note that for all Astronomy specialisations, the Master Study Plan and any changes to it can only be accepted if approved by the study advisor.