Cornell University Registrar

Program Description

The Astrobiology Minor is designed for students who are interested in astronomy, geophysics, biology, and science communication. 

Open to all Cornell undergraduates not enrolled in an Astronomy major.

Academic Standards

Grade Requirements

• 1000–2000 level courses must be completed with a grade of B- or higher
• 3000-level and above must be completed with a grade of C- or higher
• Up to 4 credits of ASTRO 4940 Independent Study in Astronomy may be applied with approval of the Astronomy Director of Undergraduate Studies

Minor Declaration Information 

To apply for an Astrobiology Minor make an appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Program Information

• Minimum Credits for Minor: 15

Minor Requirements

• 2 or 3 Astronomy courses (2 at 3000-level or above)
• 2 or 3 interdisciplinary courses (1 must be biology-related)

The astrobiology minor provides a cross-disciplinary frame work linking selected Astronomy courses with appropriate courses in Earth and Atmospheric Science, Biology and Science Communication, including:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Astronomy
Select two or three courses from the list below, at least one of which must be at or above the 3000 level:		9-11
ASTRO 1101	From New Worlds to Black Holes
ASTRO 1102	Exploring our Solar System
ASTRO 2202	A Spacecraft Tour of the Solar System: Science, Policy and Exploration
ASTRO 2212	The Solar System: Planets, Small Bodies and New Worlds
ASTRO 2299	Search for Life in the Universe
ASTRO 3301	Exoplanets and Planetary Systems
ASTRO 3302	The Life of Stars: From Birth to Death
ASTRO 3310	Planetary Image Processing with MATLAB
ASTRO 3334	Data Analysis and Research Techniques in Astronomy
Additional Courses
Select two or three courses in other departments from the list below, at least one of which must be from the first three courses which are focused on Biology/Geobiology:		9-12
BIOMI 2900	General Microbiology Lectures
EAS 2250	The Earth System
EAS 3030	Introduction to Biogeochemistry
BIOMG 4380	RNA World: RNAinBiology, Medicine & Origin of Life
BIOMG 4810	Principles of Population Genetics
COMM 2850	Communication, Environment, Science, and Health
COMM 3020	Science Writing for the Media
COMM 4660	Public Communication of Science and Technology
EAS 2500	Meteorological Observations and Instruments
EAS 3010	Evolution of the Earth System
EAS 3050	Climate Dynamics