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The University of Glamorgan, Cardiff has launched a new undergraduate degree course for those students who are enthusiastic about space but lack the requisite maths skills. The new degree in Observational Astronomy is led by Space Ambassador Paul Roche and can be taken on a full-time (three year) or part-time (four to six years) basis, and includes filed trips to locations such as Poland, La Palma, Arizona and Hawaii. Enrolled students will be trained to use small telescopes and digital photography alongside CCD imaging, as well as getting their (digital) hands on the remote-controlled, two-metre Faulkes Telescope located in Australia and Hawaii.

Dr Paul Roche describes how: "we decided to remove as much physics and maths as we felt we could and focus on the practical aspects of observational astronomy, mainly through extensive use of the Faulkes Telescopes." This fresh take on a degree in astronomy has seen an increase in female applicants in the subject in comparison to standard astrophysics courses throughout the UK. Dr Roche attributes this (anecdotally) to "the broader range of topics that we study and the emphasis on education, outreach and science communication with regular links to schools and teachers in particular."

The course leaders aim to teach all of the necessary physics and maths in context, rather than having separate courses as you would on a traditional degree programme. The course is also supplemented by workshops from visiting amateur experts, and incorporates a large amount of cutting-edge news that often shapes the content of lectures.

To find out more about the BSc (Hons) Observational Astronomy course, visit the course webpage on the University of Glamorgan website.

To read the original article featured in Astronomy Now magazine, open the PDF below.