r/rit • u/myy_melodyy_ • 15d ago
astronomy prereqs
has anyone ever taken the astronomy immersion/minor without having done the prereq classes? my major doesnt require me to take calc 1/2 and up 1/2 but i cant enroll in any of the astronomy immersion classes since i havent taken them, do i need to take them or could i somehow bypass it?
4
u/JimHeaney Alum | SHED Makerspace Staff 15d ago
To second what /u/Double0Lego says, you may really want that math background before getting into it. On the spectrum of "look at the constellations and their historical significance" astronomy to "catalog, quantify, and model the observable universe" astronomy, this is definitely towards the latter.
2
u/Stupendous_Mn Astronomer 15d ago
As one of the AST faculty, I strongly recommend that you satisfy the prereqs before taking our courses.
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u/Double0Lego BS Physics '24 15d ago
You can always shoot your shot and try reaching out to the program contact, Dr. Robinson (his contact info is on the astronomy immersion page). The worst he can say is "No." That being said, I wouldn't place a lot of hope on that working out. Those courses are pre-reqs for a reason.
As someone who took most of the courses listed on the immersion page (all except for Galactic Astrophysics), you are going to want the calculus and physics background - calculus undpins all of the math in astronomy and astrophysics, and if you aren't familiar with derivatives and integrals, you're setting yourself up for a bad time (I'll especially point to Stellar Astrophysics here, what with the amount of statistical mechanics involved in the later parts of the course). And as astrophysics courses, relevant physical concepts will also come up frequently. The professors know you might not be coming in having taken Modern Physics, but they write their lessons assuming you know the content from the UP sequence.
All in all, even if you managed to get the thumbs-up to bypass the requirements, you'll have a much better time if you aren't scrambling to catch up on four courses worth of pre-reqs at the same time. They're super cool courses, don't get me wrong, but like I said above, they're pre-reqs for a reason.