Undergraduate Catalog

Eight Semester Plan

This eight-semester plan (see important details) is intended to guide students through a four-year undergraduate career, with completion of an academic major and all college-wide degree requirements. The plan is designed as an advising tool – a starting point for careful discussions between students and their academic advisors. In consultation, a student and advisor will adjust the plan to accommodate the student’s prerequisite needs, transferred credits, and other such variables.

The plan below reflects General Education (GE4) requirements in effect as of Fall 2019. Students who matriculated prior to that date will find the previous plan associated with their majors here. For a summary of GE4 requirements, see New Paltz General Education Requirements.

Students are responsible for reviewing their Progress Reports each semester to track their own progress toward degree requirements.

Astronomy

Year 1

Fall SemesterSpring Semester
CourseCredits
SEE NOTE 10
Gen Ed: Basic Communication4
MAT251 Calculus I (Mathematics)4
CHE201 General Chemistry I (Natural Science Lecture)3
CHE211 General Chemistry I Lab (Natural Science Lab)1
PHY205 Exploring the Solar System (Natural Science Course, Natural Science Lecture)3
Physics/Astronomy Seminar (not required, highly recommended)1
Total16
CourseCredits
SEE NOTE 10
General Education course3
MAT252 Calculus II4
CHE202 General Chemistry II (Natural Science Lecture)3
CHE212 General Chemistry II Lab (Natural Science Lab)1
PHY201 General Physics 1 (Natural Science Lecture)3
PHY211 Physics 1 Laboratory (Natural Science Lab)1
Total15

Year 2

Fall SemesterSpring Semester
CourseCredits
Gen Ed: Foreign Language 13
General Education course3
General Education course3
PHY202 General Physics 2 (Natural Science Lecture)3
PHY212 General Physics 2 Lab (Natural Science Lab)1
PHY342 Planetarium Operation (Astronomy elective by advisement)3
Total16
CourseCredits
Gen Ed: Foreign Language 2, if needed3
General Education courses (2)6
PHY308 Modern Physics I3
PHY340 Introduction to Astrophysics3
Total15

Year 3

Fall SemesterSpring Semester
CourseCredits
General Education course3
PHY306 Mechanics 13
PHY344 Extraterrestrial Life (Astronomy elective by advisement)3
Upper-division elective3
Upper-division elective (Writing Intensive)3
Total15
CourseCredits
PHY341 Observational Astronomy3
PHY310 Modern Physics Lab or PHY324 Optics Lab for Astronomers1
Diversity course3
Upper-division electives (2)6
Total13

Year 4

Fall SemesterSpring Semester
CourseCredits
PHY345 Galaxies & Cosmology (Astronomy elective by advisem't3
Upper-division electives (2)6
Electives (2)6
Total15
CourseCredits
Upper-division electives (2)6
Elective3
Elective3
Elective3
Total15

Notes

1 - The sequence of courses for the Astronomy major depends primarily on "calc readiness" - the Math Placement Level required for enrollment in MAT251 Calculus I. Students who enter New Paltz with MPL 5 may follow the sequence presented here, taking MAT251 in Year 1, Semester 1. For the sequence that starts with MAT181 Precalculus, please refer to the 8-semester plan posted in the Undergraduate Catalog under Physics & Astronomy (https://www.newpaltz.edu/ugc/science/physics).

Total Credits: 120