The Astronomy Department at Illinois, in collaboration with the Physics Department, offers graduate students in astronomy and astrophysics strong training in a wide range of areas related to science and engineering. Students also have ready access to observing and computing facilities for their dissertation research, and are guided by distinguished faculty.

In the summer following the first year of graduate academic work, the Astronomy Department offers summer fellowships, which support students in their introduction to research. By the end of the second year, students are actively involved in doctoral research. Student programs are individually designed, and encourage close contact with astronomy (or physics) faculty. Collaboration may also develop with faculty at other universities.

Astrophysical theory can now treat, with considerable rigor, phenomena ranging from stellar and planetary formation, through mechanisms that may power energetic galaxies and galaxy formation, to conditions during the earliest moments in the evolution of the cosmic fireball. High-speed computers, particularly new generations of supercomputers and parallel processors such as those at NCSA, play a major role in much of this scientific activity. Future research astronomers, who will carry this revolution into the 21st century, will need a strong grounding in physical theory and in the interpretation of modern astronomical data. The University of Illinois Astronomy Department provides this training to all its graduate students.