Editor’s note (Keith Cowing): I get a lot of inquiries asking where someone can get a degree in Astrobiology. There are many places to do that around the world. I will be placing a directory of these opportunities online at Astrobiology.com at some point in the near future. In the mean time, this is an example of an Astrobiology undergraduate program that Arizona State University has offered for more than a decade.
I got my B.A. degree in biology in 1984 and my Masters in Biology 1986. Exobiology was a small, somewhat scattered field. Most space life science research focused on space biology and space medicine. I did what I could to make it as space-capable as possible. I did graduate research on embryonic chicken bone formation in an ambiguous gravitational field (in a clinostat).
That is me with the 2.5 meter space station centrifuge mockup at NASA Ames. I was the payload accommodations manager. Sadly this hardware never flew due to politics and budgets.
This was before “Astrobiology” became a thing and my focus was mostly on what is known as “Space Biology”. I was one of the very first student members of the American Society for Space and Gravitation Research. I ended up at the NASA HQ Life Science Division and then moved to the Space Station program to help plan life science research hardware. And I participated in all of the foundational NASA Astrobiology program creation meetings in 1996 and 1997. Hooray. I was lucky.
Looking at this Astrobiology B.S. degree description from ASU, it is more or less what I tried to get at as I tweaked my course work back in the 80s. There are many other ways to do this and become an Astrobiologist – and certainly NOT only in the U.S.
I hope to try and get a better resource online for all of you. In the mean time, have a look at the first of many examples.
Earth and Space Exploration (Astrobiology and Biogeosciences), BS Catalog Year: 2025 – 2026, ASU
How do “living worlds” work? Explore the complex connections between life and planetary systems. Learn how astronomy, biology, geology and chemistry combine to shape the habitability of planets and Earth’s extreme environments. Discover how to detect life on other planetary bodies or in remote environments on Earth.
Program description
Astrobiology and biogeosciences are closely related. Astrobiology informs the exploration for life on other worlds, while biogeosciences motivates exploration of life’s limits on Earth.
You acquire a strong and rigorous foundation in geology, biology, chemistry and astronomy in the astrobiology and biogeosciences concentration in the Bachelor of Science program in Earth and space exploration. You develop the systems-thinking perspective needed to:
- contribute to the search for life on other planets
- study how the integrated Earth-life system evolves and responds to global environmental challenges
- understand the complex and evolving diversity and distribution of life on Earth
In addition to reviewing the guidelines in the Concurrent Program Options section below, if you are interested in pursuing concurrent or second baccalaureate degrees in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, you can visit The College’s website for more information and requirements.
Astrobiology,
