the master of science in astrophysics explains the formation and evolution of stars, galaxies and the universe itself. it includes training on how to perform students' own astronomical observations using the university of sheffield's 0.5m telescope, which is located on la palma in the canary islands but can be operated remotely from sheffield. they can also take part in a subsidized field trip to la palma and visit some of the world’s top observatories.

there are a number of modules to choose from, covering topics to deepen graduates' understanding of the universe, such as cosmology, dark matter, general relativity and astrobiology. the university of sheffield can run projects on topics including galaxies, quasars, supernovae, massive stars, white and brown dwarfs, star formation, star clusters, planet formation and the evolution of the solar system.