Misplaced Pages

#263736

83-671: The society holds monthly scientific meetings in London, and the annual National Astronomy Meeting at varying locations in the British Isles . The RAS publishes the scientific journals Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society , Geophysical Journal International and RAS Techniques and Instruments , along with the trade magazine Astronomy & Geophysics . The RAS maintains an astronomy research library , engages in public outreach and advises

166-453: A Bachelor of Arts degree had been obtained, the student could choose one of three faculties— law , medicine , or theology —in which to pursue master's or doctor's degrees. The degrees of master (from Latin magister ) and doctor (from Latin doctor ) were for some time equivalent, "the former being more in favour at Paris and the universities modeled after it, and the latter at Bologna and its derivative universities. At Oxford and Cambridge

249-572: A Doctor of Science degree (from Latin Doctor scientiae ; D.Sc.). The Doctor of Science degree can also be awarded in specific fields, such as a Doctor of Science in Mathematics degree (from Latin Doctor scientiarum mathematic arum ; D.Sc.Math.), a Doctor of Agricultural Science degree (from Latin Doctor scientiarum agrariarum ; D.Sc.Agr.), a Doctor of Business Administration degree (D.B.A.), etc. In some parts of Europe, doctorates are divided into

332-528: A trade magazine for members, Astronomy & Geophysics . The history of journals published by the RAS (with abbreviations used by the Astrophysics Data System ) is: Full members of the RAS are styled Fellows, and may use the post-nominal letters FRAS . Fellowship is open to anyone over the age of 18 who is considered acceptable to the society. As a result of the society's foundation in

415-404: A Bachelor's, Licenciate or Technologist degree is required in order to enter a graduate program, called pós-graduação . Generally, in order to be accepted, the candidate must have above average grades and it is highly recommended to be initiated on scientific research through government programs on undergraduate areas, as a complement to usual coursework. The competition for public universities

498-449: A Ph.D. program without the requirement to first complete a master's. Many Canadian graduate programs allow students who start in a master's to "reclassify" into a Ph.D. program after satisfactory performance in the first year, bypassing the master's degree. Students must usually declare their research goal or submit a research proposal upon entering graduate school; in the case of master's degrees, there will be some flexibility (that is, one

581-407: A UK university or research institute active in astronomy, who organise and host the meeting. The RAS provides financial sponsorship, advertising, media relations etc. and run some sessions within the meeting. Universities see hosting the meeting as an opportunity to promote their astronomical research and attract undergraduate students in the discipline. However in some recent years (e.g. 2011, 2015)

664-424: A bachelor's degree in a related field, with sufficiently high grades usually ranging from B+ and higher (different schools have different letter grade conventions, and this requirement may be significantly higher in some faculties), and recommendations from professors. Admission to a high-quality thesis-type master's program generally requires an honours bachelor or Canadian bachelor with honours , samples of

747-577: A completed undergraduate (pass) degree with a high grade-point average ). In scientific research, it is commonly accepted that an Australian postgraduate honours is equivalent to a British master's degree (in research). There has been some debate over the acceptance of a three-year honours degree (as in the case of graduates from British universities) as the equivalent entry requirement to graduate research programmes (M.Phil., Ph.D.) in Australian universities. The letters of honours programmes also added to

830-415: A dissertation or thesis prepared under the supervision of a tutor or director, and reviewed by a postgraduate committee. This committee should be composed of examiners external to the program, and at least one of them should also be external to the institution. Programmes are divided into coursework-based and research-based degrees. Coursework programs typically include qualifications such as: Generally,

913-533: A distinction came to be drawn between the Faculties of Law, Medicine, and Theology and the Faculty of Arts in this respect, the title of Doctor being used for the former, and that of Master for the latter." Because theology was thought to be the highest of the subjects, the doctorate came to be thought of as higher than the master's. The main significance of the higher, postgraduate degrees was that they licensed

SECTION 10

#1732771799264

996-430: A doctoral program typically requires a master's degree in a related field, sufficiently high grades, recommendations, samples of writing, a research proposal, and an interview with a prospective supervisor. Requirements are often set higher than those for a master's program. In exceptional cases, a student holding an honours BA with sufficiently high grades and proven writing and research abilities may be admitted directly to

1079-429: A graduate certificate program requires a university degree (or in some cases, a diploma with years of related experience). English speaking colleges require proof of English language proficiency such as IELTS. Some colleges may provide English language upgrading to students prior to the start of their graduate certificate program. Admission to a master's (course-based, also called "non-thesis") program generally requires

1162-422: A master's degree by research, or a master's with a significant research component. Entry requirements depend on the subject studied and the individual university. The minimum duration of a Ph.D. programme is two years, but completing within this time span is unusual, with Ph.D.s usually taking an average of three to four years to be completed. Most of the confusion with Australian postgraduate programmes occurs with

1245-478: A minimum of two years but frequently take much longer, although not usually exceeding six years. Graduate students may take out student loans , but instead they often work as teaching or research assistants . Students often agree, as a condition of acceptance to a programme, not to devote more than twelve hours per week to work or outside interests. Funding is available to first-year masters students whose transcripts reflect exceptionally high grades; this funding

1328-706: A one-and-a-half-year programme, and twelve taught modules plus a thesis or dissertation for a two-year programme. The academic year for an Australian postgraduate programme is typically two semesters (eight months of study). Requirements for research-based programmes vary among universities. Generally, however, a student is not required to take taught modules as part of their candidacy. It is now common that first-year Ph.D. candidates are not regarded as permanent Ph.D. students for fear that they may not be sufficiently prepared to undertake independent research. In such cases, an alternative degree will be awarded for their previous work, usually an M.Phil. or M.Sc. by research. In Brazil,

1411-437: A particular profession ) and professional schools , which can include medical school , law school , business school , and other institutions of specialized fields such as nursing , speech–language pathology , engineering , or architecture . The distinction between graduate schools and professional schools is not absolute since various professional schools offer graduate degrees and vice versa. Producing original research

1494-622: A prerequisite to continuing their studies, and must defend their thesis as a final requirement. Some faculties require candidates to earn sufficient credits in a third or fourth foreign language; for example, most candidates in modern Japanese topics must demonstrate ability in English, Japanese , and Mandarin , while candidates in pre-modern Japanese topics must demonstrate ability in English, Japanese, Classical Chinese , and Classical Japanese . At English-speaking Canadian universities, both master's and Ph.D. theses may be presented in English or in

1577-676: A previous bachelors for admission and are considered graduate or Graduate Entry programs even though they culminate in a bachelor's degree. Example, the Bachelor of Medicine (MBBS) or Bachelor of Dentistry (BDent) . There has also been some confusion over the conversion of the different marking schemes between British, US, and Australian systems for the purpose of assessment for entry to graduate programmes. The Australian grades are divided into four categories: High Distinction, Distinction, Credit, and Pass (though many institutions have idiosyncratic grading systems). Assessment and evaluation based on

1660-498: A record four times each. Baily's eight years in the role are a record (Airy served for seven). Since 1876 no one has served for more than two years in total. The current president is Mike Lockwood, who began his term in May 2024 and will serve for two years. The highest award of the Royal Astronomical Society is its Gold Medal , which can be awarded for any purpose but most frequently recognises extraordinary lifetime achievement. Among

1743-486: A requirement of taking two additional courses, at minimum, in lieu of preparing a thesis. Ph.D. candidates undertaking research must typically complete a thesis, or dissertation , consisting of original research representing a significant contribution to their field, and ranging from 200 to 500 pages. Most Ph.D. candidates will be required to sit comprehensive examinations —examinations testing general knowledge in their field of specialization—in their second or third year as

SECTION 20

#1732771799264

1826-502: A research project or a work placement. Both master's and doctoral programs may be done by coursework or research or a combination of the two, depending on the subject and faculty . Most faculties require both, with the emphasis on research, and with coursework being directly related to the field of research. Master's and doctoral programs may also be completed on a part-time basis. Part-time graduate programs will usually require that students take one to two courses per semester, and

1909-652: A specialization course in one area of study, mostly addressed to professional practice, and stricto sensu (Latin for "in narrow sense"), which means a master's degree or doctorate , encompassing broader and profound activities of scientific research. In Canada , the schools and faculties of graduate studies are represented by the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies (CAGS) or Association canadienne pour les études supérieures (ACES). The Association brings together 58 Canadian universities with graduate programs, two national graduate student associations, and

1992-444: A time before there were many professional astronomers, no formal qualifications are required. However, around three quarters of fellows are professional astronomers or geophysicists . Most of the other fellows are postgraduate students studying for a PhD in those fields, but there are also advanced amateur astronomers , historians of science who specialise in those disciplines, and other related professionals. The society acts as

2075-414: A wider range of study, for which some fixed portion of coursework, sometimes known as a residency , is typically required to be taken from outside the department and university of the degree-seeking candidate to broaden the research abilities of the student. There are two main types of degrees studied for at the postgraduate level: academic and vocational degrees. The term degree in this context means

2158-420: Is a significant component of graduate studies in the humanities , natural sciences and social sciences . This research typically leads to the writing and defense of a thesis or dissertation . In graduate programs that are oriented toward professional training (e.g., MPA , MBA , JD , MD ), the degrees may consist solely of coursework , without an original research or thesis component. Graduate students in

2241-553: Is an annual scientific conference of astronomers , usually held in the British Isles . It is sponsored and coordinated by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), and functions as the primary annual meeting of the society. NAM is one of the largest professional astronomy conferences in Europe, with typically around 600 delegates attending. Each NAM includes a variety of plenary and parallel sessions discussing

2324-472: Is normally given in the second year. Funding for Ph.D. students comes from a variety of sources, and many universities waive tuition fees for doctoral candidates. Funding is available in the form of scholarships , bursaries and other awards, both private and public. Graduate certificates require between eight and sixteen months of study. The length of study depends on the program. Graduate certificates primarily involve coursework. However, some may require

2407-430: Is not always the case as the credit structure of doctoral degrees is not officially defined. In some countries such as Finland and Sweden, there is the degree of Licentiate , which is more advanced than a master's degree but less so than a doctorate. Credits required are about half of those required for a doctoral degree. Coursework requirements are the same as for a doctorate, but the extent of original research required

2490-562: Is not as high as for doctorate. Medical doctors for example are typically licentiates instead of doctors. In the UK and countries whose education systems were founded on the British model, such as the US, the master's degree was for a long time the only postgraduate degree normally awarded, while in most European countries apart from the UK, the master's degree almost disappeared . In the second half of

2573-405: Is not held to one's research proposal, although major changes, for example from premodern to modern history, are discouraged). In the case of Ph.D.s, the research direction is usually known as it will typically follow the direction of the master's research. Master's degrees can be completed in one year but normally take at least two; they typically may not exceed five years. Doctoral degrees require

Royal Astronomical Society - Misplaced Pages Continue

2656-667: Is second only to that of the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh in the UK. The RAS library is a major resource not just for the society but also the wider community of astronomers, geophysicists, and historians. The society promotes astronomy to members of the general public through its outreach pages for students, teachers, the public and media researchers. The RAS has an advisory role in relation to UK public examinations , such as GCSEs and A Levels . The RAS sponsors topical groups, many of them in interdisciplinary areas where

2739-599: Is the NVQ 5 or QCF 8. Most universities award honorary degrees, usually at the postgraduate level. These are awarded to a wide variety of people, such as artists, musicians, writers, politicians, businesspeople, etc., in recognition of their achievements in their various fields. (Recipients of such degrees do not normally use the associated titles or letters, such as "Dr.") Postgraduate education can involve studying for qualifications such as postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas . They are sometimes used as steps on

2822-415: Is the norm for accepted students. Not all coursework programs require the student to already possess the relevant undergraduate degree, they are intended as "conversion" or professional qualification programs, and merely any relevant undergraduate degree with good grades is required. Ph.D. entrance requirements in the higher ranked schools typically require a student to have postgraduate research honours or

2905-541: Is typically used in North America , while "postgraduate" is more common in the rest of the English-speaking world. Graduate degrees can include master's and doctoral degrees, and other qualifications such as graduate diplomas, certificates and professional degrees . A distinction is typically made between graduate schools (where courses of study vary in the degree to which they provide training for

2988-542: Is very large, as they are the most prestigious and respected universities in Brazil. Public universities do not charge fees for undergraduate level/course. Funding, similar to wages, is available but is usually granted by public agencies linked to the university in question (i.e. FAPESP , CAPES , CNPq , etc.), given to the students previously ranked based on internal criteria. There are two types of postgraduate ; lato sensu (Latin for "in broad sense"), which generally means

3071-653: The 1999 solar eclipse , visible from the venue. From 2013 onwards NAM has been held in late June or early July, during universities' summer holidays. Since 1994, each meeting has lasted four or five days. There was no NAM in the year 2000 because the much larger General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union was being held in Manchester and thus was the major UK astronomy meeting of that year. Each NAM lasts four or five days and normally includes: Meetings are usually held in

3154-712: The Harold Jeffreys Lectureship in geophysics , the George Darwin Lectureship in astronomy , and the Gerald Whitrow Lectureship in cosmology . Each year, the society grants a handful of free memberships for life (termed honorary fellowship) to prominent researchers resident outside the UK. The society occupies premises at Burlington House , London, where a library and meeting rooms are available to fellows and other interested parties. The society represents

3237-501: The Master of Business Administration degree (M.B.A.) can last up to two years to satisfy the requirement to become a knowledgeable business leader. Doctorates . These are often further divided into academic and professional doctorates. An academic doctorate can be awarded as a Doctor of Philosophy degree (from Latin Doctor philosophiae ; Ph.D. or D.Phil.), a Doctor of Psychology degree (from Latin Doctor psychologia; Psy.D.), or as

3320-565: The Master of Letters degree (from Latin Magister litterarum ; M.Litt.) (all formerly known in France as DEA or DESS before 2005, and nowadays Masters too). In the UK, master's degrees may be taught or by research: taught master's degrees include the Master of Science and Master of Arts degrees which last one year and are worth 180 CATS credits (equivalent to 90 ECTS European credits ), whereas

3403-400: The Master of Letters degree tends to be the taught or lower master's degree. In many fields such as clinical social work , or library science in North America , a master's is the terminal degree . Professional degrees such as the Master of Architecture degree (M.Arch.) can last to three and a half years to satisfy professional requirements to be an architect. Professional degrees such as

Royal Astronomical Society - Misplaced Pages Continue

3486-531: The professional body for astronomers and geophysicists in the UK and fellows may apply for the Science Council's Chartered Scientist status through the society. The fellowship passed 3,000 in 2003. In 2009 an initiative was launched for those with an interest in astronomy and geophysics but without professional qualifications or specialist knowledge in the subject. Such people may join the Friends of

3569-471: The 'out of town' meetings were reintroduced in 1976, but moved to April. They replaced the usual monthly RAS meeting for that month and were usually held during universities' Easter holidays. There was no set format to the out of town meetings, which were originally held over a single day, but during the 1960s some lasted three days. They were often limited in topical scope. Ken Pounds , the President of

3652-530: The 19th century, however, US universities began to follow the European model by awarding doctorates, and this practice spread to the UK. Conversely, most European universities now offer master's degrees parallelling or replacing their regular system, so as to offer their students better chances to compete in an international market dominated by the American model. In the UK, an equivalent formation to doctorate

3735-710: The 2009 event (which was combined with the annual meeting of the European Astronomical Society ) drew a record of 1100 delegates. Postgraduate student Postgraduate education , graduate education , or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees , certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's ) degree. The organization and structure of postgraduate education varies in different countries, as well as in different institutions within countries. The term "graduate school" or "grad school"

3818-529: The Australian Government's FEE-Help loan scheme. Some students may be eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP), via the HECS-Help scheme, at a substantially lower cost. Requirements for the successful completion of a taught master's programme are that the student pass all the required modules. Some universities require eight taught modules for a one-year programme, twelve modules for

3901-412: The Australian higher education system follows that of its British counterpart (with some notable exceptions). Entrance is decided by merit, entrance to coursework-based programmes is usually not as strict; most universities usually require a "Credit" average as entry to their taught programmes in a field related to their previous undergraduate. On average, however, a strong "Credit" or "Distinction" average

3984-826: The Australian system is not equivalent to British or US schemes because of the "low-marking" scheme used by Australian universities. For example, a British student who achieves 70+ will receive an A grade, whereas an Australian student with 70+ will receive a Distinction which is not the highest grade in the marking scheme. The Australian government usually offer full funding (fees and a monthly stipend) to its citizens and permanent residents who are pursuing research-based higher degrees. There are also highly competitive scholarships for international candidates who intend to pursue research-based programmes. Taught-degree scholarships (certain master's degrees, Grad. Dip., Grad. Cert., D.Eng., D.B.A.) are almost non-existent for international students. Domestic students have access to tuition subsidy through

4067-596: The Doctor of Philosophy degree or "junior doctorate", and the "higher doctorates" such as the Doctor of Science degree, which is generally awarded to highly distinguished professors. A doctorate is the terminal degree in most fields. In the United States, there is little distinction between a Doctor of Philosophy degree and a Doctor of Science degree. In the UK, Doctor of Philosophy degrees are often equivalent to 540 CATS credits or 270 ECTS European credits, but this

4150-586: The Fulbright Program and the Organization of American States (OAS), have been known to grant full scholarships for tuition with apportions for housing. Upon completion of at least two years' research and coursework as a postgraduate student, a candidate must demonstrate truthful and original contributions to his or her specific field of knowledge within a frame of academic excellence. The Master and Doctoral candidate's work should be presented in

4233-718: The RAS from 1990-2, proposed expanding their remit into a more general meeting, inspired by the large meetings of the British Association and the American Astronomical Society . The goal was to attract a broad section of the UK astronomy research community and provide a focus for media attention on the discipline. To reflect this newly expanded format, the series was re-named the 'National Astronomy Meeting' (NAM) from 1992 onwards. The meetings continued to be held around Easter until 2012, except in 1999 when NAM moved to August to coincide with

SECTION 50

#1732771799264

4316-554: The RAS has taken on the full organisation of the whole meeting itself, which is then held at a conference centre rather than a university. The meetings are open to anyone who pays the registration fee; although membership of the RAS is not required, Fellows of the RAS do receive a reduced price. Most attendees are professional research astronomers or postgraduate students , but interested amateur astronomers , undergraduates , school teachers, journalists etc. are also welcome. Typically there are around 500-600 registered attendees, but

4399-675: The RAS, which offers popular talks, visits and social events. The Society organises an extensive programme of meetings: The biggest RAS meeting each year is the National Astronomy Meeting , a major conference of professional astronomers. It is held over 4–5 days each spring or early summer, usually at a university campus in the United Kingdom. Hundreds of astronomers attend each year. More frequent smaller 'highlight' meetings feature lectures about research topics in astronomy and geophysics, often given by winners of

4482-500: The Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving a Royal Charter from William IV . In 1846 the RAS absorbed the Spitalfields Mathematical Society , which had been founded in 1717 but was suffering from a decline in membership and dwindling finances. The nineteen remaining members of the mathematical society were given free lifetime membership of the RAS; in exchange, their society's extensive library

4565-836: The UK government on astronomy education. The society recognises achievement in astronomy and geophysics by issuing annual awards and prizes, with its highest award being the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society . The RAS is the UK adhering organisation to the International Astronomical Union and a member of the UK Science Council . The society was founded in 1820 as the Astronomical Society of London to support astronomical research. At that time, most members were ' gentleman astronomers ' rather than professionals. It became

4648-416: The US, Australia, and other countries) is often offered by some of the same senior academic staff and departments who teach undergraduate courses. Unlike in undergraduate programs, however, it is less common for graduate students to take coursework outside their specific field of study at graduate or graduate entry level. At the doctorate programs, though, it is quite common for students to take courses from

4731-480: The United Kingdom, often in collaboration with other scientific societies and universities. The Royal Astronomical Society has a more comprehensive collection of books and journals in astronomy and geophysics than the libraries of most universities and research institutions. The library receives some 300 current periodicals in astronomy and geophysics and contains more than 10,000 books from popular level to conference proceedings. Its collection of astronomical rare books

4814-502: The capital. Although occasional meetings were held in other locations to mark special events, the RAS did not institute a regular programme of meetings outside London until after the major disruption to RAS activities caused by the Second World War . The solution was to move one of the society's meetings outside London each year, terming them 'out of town' meetings. The first of these was held in Edinburgh in 1948. The society

4897-526: The confusion. For example: B.Sc. (Hons) are the letters gained for postgraduate research honours at the University of Queensland. B.Sc. (Hons) does not indicate that this honours are postgraduate qualification. The difficulty also arises between different universities in Australia—some universities have followed the UK system. There are many professional programs such as medical and dental school require

4980-578: The equivalent qualification in Law degrees (a graduate from a "carrera de grado") are similar in content, length and skill-set to a joint first and second cycles in the qualification framework of the Bologna Process (that is, Bachelor and Master qualifications). While a significant portion of postgraduate students finance their tuition and living costs with teaching or research work at private and state-run institutions, international institutions, such as

5063-468: The group is jointly sponsored by another learned society or professional body: The first person to hold the title of President of the Royal Astronomical Society was William Herschel , though he never chaired a meeting, and since then the post has been held by many distinguished astronomers. The post has generally had a term of office of two years, but some holders resigned after one year e.g. due to poor health. Francis Baily and George Airy were elected

SECTION 60

#1732771799264

5146-479: The holder to teach ("doctor" comes from Latin docere , "to teach"). In most countries, the hierarchy of postgraduate degrees is as follows: Master's degrees . These are sometimes placed in a further hierarchy, starting with degrees such as the Master of Arts (from Latin Magister artium ; M.A.) and Master of Science (from Latin Magister scientiae ; M.Sc.) degrees, then the Master of Philosophy degree (from Latin Magister philosophiae ; M.Phil.), and finally

5229-410: The humanities, sciences and social sciences often receive funding from their university (e.g., fellowships or scholarships ) or a teaching assistant position or other job; in the profession-oriented grad programs, students are less likely to get funding, and the fees are typically much higher. Although graduate school programs are distinct from undergraduate degree programs, graduate instruction (in

5312-513: The interests of astronomy and geophysics to UK national and regional, and European government and related bodies, and maintains a press office, through which it keeps the media and the public at large informed of developments in these sciences. The society allocates grants to worthy causes in astronomy and geophysics, and assists in the management of the Paneth Trust . National Astronomy Meeting The National Astronomy Meeting ( NAM )

5395-473: The latest research in astronomy (and related fields), public lectures, community sessions and a press office to promote the results presented at the meeting to journalists and the public. The meetings began when the RAS decided to hold some of its scientific meetings outside London , where the society is based. Known as the 'out of town' meetings, the first was held in 1948. The meetings ran in most years until 1966, when they were discontinued. The RAS resumed

5478-526: The major activities of the RAS is publishing refereed journals. It publishes three primary research journals: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society for topics in astronomy; Geophysical Journal International for topics in geophysics (in association with the Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft ); and RAS Techniques & Instruments for research methods in those disciplines. The society also publishes

5561-446: The master's degrees by research include the Master of Research degree (M.Res.) which also lasts one year and is worth 180 CATS or 90 ECTS credits (the difference compared to the Master of Science and Master of Arts degrees being that the research is much more extensive) and the Master of Philosophy degree which lasts two years. In Scottish Universities, the Master of Philosophy degree tends to be by research or higher master's degree and

5644-399: The moving from one stage or level to another (from French degré , from Latin dē- + gradus ), and first appeared in the 13th century. Although systems of higher education date back to ancient India , ancient Greece , ancient Rome and ancient China , the concept of postgraduate education depends upon the system of awarding degrees at different levels of study, and can be traced to

5727-516: The part-time graduate programs may be offered in online formats, evening formats, or a combination of both. Master's candidates undertaking research are typically required to complete a thesis comprising some original research and ranging from 70 to 200 pages. Some fields may require candidates to study at least one foreign language if they have not already earned sufficient foreign-language credits. Some faculties require candidates to defend their thesis , but many do not. Those that do not, often have

5810-777: The recipients best known to the general public are Albert Einstein in 1926, and Stephen Hawking in 1985. Other awards are for particular topics in astronomy or geophysics research, which include the Eddington Medal , the Herschel Medal , the Chapman Medal and the Price Medal . Beyond research, there are specific awards for school teaching (Patrick Moore Medal), public outreach (Annie Maunder Medal), instrumentation ( Jackson-Gwilt Medal ) and history of science (Agnes Mary Clerke Medal). Lectureships include

5893-435: The research-based programmes, particularly scientific programmes. Research degrees generally require candidates to have a minimum of a second-class four-year honours undergraduate degree to be considered for admission to a Ph.D. programme (M.Phil. are an uncommon route ). In science, a British first class honours (3 years) is not equivalent to an Australian first class honours (1 year research postgraduate programme that requires

5976-496: The route to a degree, as part of the training for a specific career, or as a qualification in an area of study too narrow to warrant a full degree course. In Argentina, the admission to a Postgraduate program at an Argentine University requires the full completion of any undergraduate course, called in Argentina "carrera de grado" (v.gr. Licenciado , Ingeniero or Lawyer degree). The qualifications of 'Licenciado', 'Ingeniero', or

6059-498: The same day as each highlight meeting. These are aimed at professional scientists in a particular research field, and allow several speakers to present new results or reviews of scientific fields. Usually two discussion meetings on different topics (one in astronomy and one in geophysics) take place simultaneously at different locations within Burlington House, prior to the day's highlight meeting. They are free for members of

6142-544: The series in 1976. An expanded format was adopted from 1992 onwards; to reflect this broader remit the name was changed to the 'National Astronomy Meeting'. Since 1976 the meeting has been held every year, except in 2000 when the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union was held in the UK instead, and 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom . The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS)

6225-565: The society's awards . They are normally held in Burlington House in London on the afternoon of the second Friday of each month from October to May. The talks are intended to be accessible to a broad audience of astronomers and geophysicists, and are free for anyone to attend (not just members of the society). Formal reports of the meetings are published in The Observatory magazine. Specialist discussion meetings are held on

6308-550: The society, but charge a small entry fee for non-members. The RAS holds a regular programme of public lectures aimed at a general, non-specialist, audience. These are mostly held on Tuesdays once a month, with the same talk given twice: once at lunchtime and once in the early evening. The venues have varied, but are usually in Burlington House or another nearby location in central London. The lectures are free, though some popular sessions require booking in advance. The society occasionally hosts or sponsors meetings in other parts of

6391-633: The student's writing as well as a research thesis proposal. Some programs require Graduate Record Exams (GRE) in both the general examination and the examination for its specific discipline, with minimum scores for admittance. At English-speaking universities, applicants from countries where English is not the primary language are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL ). Nevertheless, some French speaking universities, like HEC Montreal, also require candidates to submit TOEFL score or to pass their own English test. Admission to

6474-455: The three federal research-granting agencies and organizations having an interest in graduate studies. Its mandate is to promote, advance, and foster excellence in graduate education and university research in Canada. In addition to an annual conference, the association prepares briefs on issues related to graduate studies including supervision, funding, and professional development. Admission to

6557-416: The workings of European medieval universities , mostly Italian. University studies took six years for a bachelor's degree and up to twelve additional years for a master's degree or doctorate. The first six years taught the faculty of the arts, which was the study of the seven liberal arts : arithmetic , geometry , astronomy, music theory, grammar , logic, and rhetoric. The main emphasis was on logic. Once

6640-450: Was donated to the RAS. Between 1835 and 1916 women were not allowed to become fellows, but Anne Sheepshanks , Lady Margaret Lindsay Huggins, Agnes Clerke , Annie Jump Cannon and Williamina Fleming were made honorary members. In 1886 Isis Pogson was the first woman to attempt election as a fellow of the RAS, being nominated (unsuccessfully) by her father and two other fellows. All fellows had been male up to this time and her nomination

6723-404: Was formed in 1820, and from the very beginning, one of its major activities was to host scientific meetings. Typically eight meetings each year were held at its headquarters in London ( a practice which continues today ). The growth of astronomical research throughout the UK and the concurrent increase in the number of RAS Fellows beyond the London area led to increased demand for meetings outside

6806-479: Was reluctant to move any of the regular eight meetings, which ran from October to May, so the 'out of town' meeting was held as an additional ninth meeting during the summer break in the academic year . They were held in the summer or early autumn in most years until 1966 when the RAS Council decided to stop asking groups to host them. The subsequent lack of meetings outside London was unpopular with Fellows, so

6889-405: Was withdrawn when lawyers claimed that under the provisions of the society's royal charter, fellows were only referred to as he and as such had to be men. A Supplemental Charter in 1915 opened up fellowship to women. On 14 January 1916, Mary Adela Blagg , Ella K Church, A Grace Cook , Irene Elizabeth Toye Warner and Fiammetta Wilson were the first five women to be elected to Fellowship. One of

#263736