Bend your mind with key questions in contemporary astrophysics as you explore the Universe's most fascinating questions: Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? What are black holes and how do matter and space behave close to them?

Gateway Expeditions into Exoplanets and Black Holes is a two-semester Ampersand Program for first-year undergraduate students at WashU, focusing on two classes of celestial objects of intense wonder, exoplanets and black holes, which drive human imagination and inquiry and motivate ambitious research programs in contemporary astrophysics research. The Ampersand program is structured into two interconnected classes. The Fall course will focus on the properties of exoplanets and the physical laws that govern their formation, evolution, and ability to host life. The Spring course will focus on the properties of black holes and the underlying properties of space and time that allow them to exist. Both classes will focus on enhancing the student experience from the perspective of a first-year student with two one-day field trips: to Yerkes Observatory in the Fall and Fermilab in the Spring. Concepts covered in class will be inspiring, engaging, and intellectually challenging, and the material will be introductory and not require any knowledge of calculus.

For each of the Ampersand Programs you wish to rank in your top four choices, you will need to complete a separate statement of interest (no more than 500 words) answering a program specific question. Look for the program specific questions on the program webpage.