Space Studies, M.Sc.

About

The Master of Space Studies programme is designed to prepare scientists to respond to a myriad of challenges and opportunities within the space sector. The large scale of space projects imposes important constraints on management and requires a truly international response with accompanying  European and international legal and political measures.

You will learn, through interaction with industry, the skills necessary to compete for employment and research opportunities from among the broad applications of the space industry, including security and defence. In addition to coursework in space sciences, the curriculum is enriched by a master's thesis and a series of guest lecturers from international, national and regional institutions.

Programme outline

The interdisciplinary nature of the programme is expressed by the common core of 25 ECTS in introductory coursework. These courses are mandatory for every student. They’ll acquaint you with the different aspects that form the foundation of space-related activities.

Domain-specific optional courses, for a total of 20 ECTS, covering the domains of (A) Space Law, Policy, Business and Management, (B) Space Sciences and (C) Space Technology and Applications, are available to broaden your knowledge with the possibility of combining the latter two. 

The master’s thesis (15 ECTS), you’ll be embedded in a research team of one of the organising universities, or in an external institute, organisation or industrial company. The master’s thesis is the final section of the interdisciplinary programme, in which the acquired knowledge and abilities are applied to a complex and concrete project.

Strengths

The mission of the Department of Physics and Astronomy is exploring, understanding and modelling physical realities using mathematical, computational, experimental and observational techniques.

• Fifteen teams perform research at an international level, publishing their findings in leading journals and attracting top-level scientists.
• Developing new physics and the application of innovation in the development of new techniques is an important aspect of our mission.
• Interaction with industry and society is greatly encouraged and furthermore, the department is responsible for teaching basic physics courses in several other study programmes.

Career perspectives

Graduates will be in a position to develop a career in the space sector or in space research; taking up roles in

• the space industry (engineers, product developers and technical-commercial functions);

• research institutions with activities in space (researchers and project developers);

• (inter)governmental bodies with responsibilities in research and development programmes related to space (project managers and directors);

• policymakers on the national, European and international levels;
• and in a broad range of companies and organisations which use or are facilitated by space missions.

Questions about student life in Belgium, life at KU Leuven or more information about a specific course? Chat with our students: www.kuleuven/be/chatwithourstudents.