Q: I am a BS/MS student. I am taking the 4000/6000 cross-listed courses on the course list above for 4000-level credit. May I count my 4000-level credit for the 4000/6000 cross-listed course towards the certificate?

A: Yes, as long as the 4000-level version of the course had the same curriculum as the 6000-level of the course. (As is generally the case.)

Q: I’m a BS student at Georgia Tech. May I earn this certificate?

A: Unfortunately, no. However, we are in the process of creating an Astrobiology minor for undergraduates, coming in late 2023 or early 2024. Note: BS/MS students may earn the certificate (because they count as grad students for the MS portion of their degree).

Q: If I am not enrolled as a graduate (PhD, MS, or BS/MS) student at Georgia Tech, may I obtain a Graduate Certificate of Astrobiology through your program? 

A: Unfortunately, no. Our certificate program is limited to students currently enrolled in any graduate (PhD, MS, or BS/MS) degree program at Georgia Tech, including anyone in the 62 Or Older Graduate Program (degree-seeking and special non-degree seeking programs).

Q: Is it possible to complete the Graduate Certificate of Astrobiology 100% virtually?

A: Unfortunately, no. There are limited options for online courses in our curriculum. Some of our courses offer a hybrid option, but most are in person. It is the decision of the individual instructors how to format their course, and most are primarily or fully in-person instruction.

Q: Do you offer a MS / Masters or PhD / doctoral program in Astrobiology?

A: No. Instead, we have the Graduate Certificate of Astrobiology program, which is open to all enrolled graduate students in any graduate program at Georgia Tech. This is an additional certificate that you can put on your CV and will show you have additional training in this field, to make our students stronger on the job market. Many of our students do research in astrobiology-related topics for their graduate work, but their degrees are in one of the graduate (PhD, MS, or BS/MS) degree programs at Georgia Tech (e.g. Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Chemistry/Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Physics, Aerospace Engineering, etc).

Q: Do I need to specify my interest in pursuing the Astrobiology Graduate Certificate Program on my graduate application to Georgia Tech?

A: No. You are welcome to mention the program in your personal statement as one of the reasons you’re interested in Georgia Tech, but doing so is not required to take the certificate program. There is no special form or application. All current enrolled graduate (PhD, MS, or BS/MS) students who complete the required courses with sufficient grades are qualified to receive the certificate (see details above). Once you have met the requirements, you simply complete this form and email it to Prof. Jennifer Glass jennifer.glass@eas.gatech.edu.

Q: What undergraduate major(s) should be earned to be eligible for your Astrobiology Graduate Certificate? Does it need to be a three year or a four year degree university program?

A: Our graduate students typically have bachelors degrees from 4-year universities in one of the sciences or engineering, and some of them come from humanities backgrounds. Any Georgia Tech graduate (PhD, MS, or BS/MS) student is eligible to join our Astrobiology Graduate Certificate program. Some of our students have previously earned a Master’s degree, but that is not required, and Georgia Tech Master’s degree students are welcome to participate in this program. 

Q: What are the admissions requirements to Georgia Tech graduate programs? 

A: Graduate admissions requirements and the application process are explained in detail on the Georgia Tech Graduate Studies Website. The Astrobiology Graduate Certificate Program is not involved in admissions to any Georgia Tech graduate programs. Requirements for each graduate programs are listed on the degree program’s website. Please email graduate program coordinators for more information on admissions requirements to MS and PhD programs at Georgia Tech; the Astrobiology Graduate Certificate coordinator will not be able to provide any details on admissions requirements. 

Q:  Are my bachelors degree credits transferable to cover the cognate course requirements for this program?

A: Generally, no. Graduate programs will usually expect that you retake some courses at the graduate level with faculty in your graduate program to gain more specific expertise. By taking the cognate courses with our Georgia Tech faculty, you will learn more about astrobiology, which is one of the major goals of our program, and you will get to know our faculty, which is useful for assembling your graduate committee and for letters of recommendation. If you are credit-limited and have already completed a previous graduate program at another university, and if GT accepts your transfer credits to count towards your graduate credits, and if your graduate advisor approves, it may be possible to count your cognate course credits for this certificate. Please email Prof. Jennifer Glass (jennifer.glass@eas.gatech.edu) if you have this situation.

Q: Have students in my graduate program at Georgia Tech graduated from this certificate program?

A: Our graduate student certificate candidates come from MS, PhD, and BS/MS programs (thesis and non-thesis) in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Bioengineering, Computer Science, Material Science & Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and the 62+ Graduate Program. Learn more about our amazing alumni.

Q: What careers do astrobiologists pursue? 

A: Read more about career paths in astrobiology on this website. If you are interested in astrobiology, you might also consider joining Saganet.

Q: Are there any astrobiology student groups at Georgia Tech? 

A: Yes! ExplOrigins is our Georgia Tech early career astrobiology group for students and postdocs. Check out their page here with all the details on how to get involved. 

If you have further inquires about the certificate program that are not covered in the FAQs above, please contact Prof. Jennifer Glass at jennifer.glass@eas.gatech.edu.