Overview

The Planetary Science and Life in the Universe from the University of Cambridge course encompasses several different educational and societal objectives:

Societal demand for multi-domain expertise to tackle the challenges posed by observing and modelling complex systems;

The need to train postgraduate students with high levels of multidisciplinary fluency and team working skills; and,

A demand for highly trained research scientists able to drive data analysis on feature-rich sets of data from diverse sources.

The Planetary Science and Life in the Universe course has four primary objectives for the training it will provide students:

To develop students’ expertise in the techniques used to study planets, from the Earth’s deepest past to the solar system planets and on to exoplanets;

To give students a working knowledge of the structure of life, its essential physical-chemical requirements, and its impacts on planetary environments;

To ensure students get essential practical experience in running a research project in a team; and,

To build students’ capacity in modern data handling techniques and convey an awareness of the wide range of academic and industrial applications of these skills.

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Programme Structure

Curriculum:

Astrophysics

Earth Science

Chemistry

Biology

Funding proposal project

In Michaelmas term students will be placed in small groups to develop a funding proposal, for example an application for telescope time, a new piece of analytical instrumentation, or for an experiment to run on the international space station.
The programme will also feature non-assessed content designed to broaden the students' knowledge. This may take the form of short modules on specialist topics, communication workshops, and weekly seminar series.
Communication project
In the lent term students will be placed into small groups to write a press release and contribute to a mock press interview to present the outcome of a high-impact scientific study.
Research Project
This group-based research project will run over the whole year. The research project will centre on prospecting a planet or planetary system for habitability.

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Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 10 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-10-01 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-05-14 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

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IELTS

7

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Credits

180 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Physics Astronomy & Space Sciences Natural Sciences View 49 other Masters in Astronomy & Space Sciences in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

Upper Second Class

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

7

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK Good II.i Honours Degree.
Students will need to be familiar with matrix algebra, calculus, statistics, and to be able to work with and solve differential equations.
Prior coding experience is essential (of at least 40 hours or equivalent).

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Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

41064 GBP / year

≈ 41064 GBP / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

15672 GBP / year

≈ 15672 GBP / year

Living costs

Cambridge

United Kingdom

846 - 1465 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Planetary Science and Life in the Universe.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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About

Overview

The Planetary Science and Life in the Universe course has four primary objectives for the training it will provide students:

Get more details

Programme Structure

Check out the full curriculum

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

Explore more key information

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Make sure you meet all requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic Applies to you

Living costs

Cambridge

Funding

Check for any work restrictions

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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