The UC San Diego Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics offers a wide range of courses, from general education to graduate level. This page describes courses I will be teaching in the upcoming academic year and those I taught previously (some as part of the Department of Physics).
A list of all courses offered by the UC San Diego Astronomy & Astrophysics Department can be found here.
Courses for 2025-2026:
ASTR 20B, Introduction to Astrophysics II. This is a sophomore-level course designed for students interested in majoring or minoring in A&A. The second part of a two-part sequence, the course continues from ASTR 20A in broadly introducing relevant topics in astrophysics. Topics include the interstellar medium, stellar evolution, stellar remnants, galaxies, Active Galactic Nuclei, large-scale structure, and cosmology. This course will next be offered in Winter 2026.
ASTR 124, Exoplanets. This is an upper division course designed for A&A / STEM majors. Topics include how exoplanets are detected, how they are studied in detail, planet formation, orbits, atmospheres, and habitability. This course will next be offered in Fall 2025.
ASTR 500, Astronomical Teaching Training. This is a course for new graduate students who are scheduled to be teaching assistants for the first time. It provides broad training teaching specific to the needs of teaching assistants. Topics include best practices in course design, inclusive pedagogy, managing academic integrity issues, and presentation skills. This course will next be offered in Fall 2025.
Past Courses:
Physics 1A, Mechanics. This course is an introductory course on mechanics designed specifically for majors in the biological sciences. Topics include vectors, one and two dimensional motion, rotational motion, forces, energy, and momentum.
Physics 5, Stars and Black Holes. This course is a broad, general education course focused on understanding the life and evolution of stars. Topics include observing the night sky, the Sun, the formation of stars, stellar evolution and stellar types, the death of stars, and stellar remnants, including black holes. (Now ASTR 1)
Physics 9, The Solar System. This course is designed for non-majors (though majors are definitely welcome!), and introduces the basic properties of the objects in the Solar System. Topics include the Sun, terrestrial and giant planets, satellites, asteroids, comets, dwarf planets and the Kuiper Belt, exoplanets, and the formation of planetary systems. (Now ASTR 3)
Physics 13, Life in the Universe. This course is an interdisciplinary course on astrobiology for non-majors. We cover topics related to the formation and evolution of life on Earth, and how that relates to the possibility of life elsewhere in the galaxy. (Now ASTR 4)
Physics 160, Stellar Astrophysics. This is an upper division course designed for physics and engineering majors. Topics include observational properties of stars, solar physics, radiation and energy transport in stars, stellar spectroscopy, nuclear processes in stars, stellar structure and evolution, degenerate matter and compact stellar objects, supernovae and nucleosynthesis.
Physics 164, Observational Astrophysics Lab. This is an upper division laboratory course for physics majors, but is frequently taken by students in other departments, such as engineering or math. This course covers observational techniques for astronomy, with a focus on optical wavelengths of light. Topics covered include photon statistics, spectroscopy, and astrometry. We use the Nickel Telescope at Lick Observatory in remote observing mode to gather data for the lab projects. (Now ASTR 150)
Physics 223, Stellar Structure and Evolution. This is a graduate-level course on the physics of stars, including both their interiors and atmospheres. The class focuses on our theoretical understanding of stellar properties, with an eye toward practical application including basic stellar modeling. Reviews of current literature on stellar physics is a significant part of the class. (Now ASTR 211)
Physics/Astronomy 222, Planets and Exoplanets. This is a graduate level course on the properties of planets, with a focus on exoplanetary systems. Topics include the detection methods for exoplanets, planet formation, planetary interiors, atmospheres, dynamics, and biosignatures. A significant fraction of the course involves reviewing of relevant literature and utilizing current code packages related to exoplanet research. (Now ASTR 210)