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Students receiving a degree in astronomy follow three primary career paths: 1) Graduate school and a professional degree. After completing an advanced degree, many astronomers are employed by universities as researchers and teachers. Professional positons are also available at national observatories, NASA, and in the aerospace industry in such companies as Lockheed, Boeing, and Grumman. 2) Astronomy-related mission support. With an undergraduate degree, positions are available at research centers supporting many major astronomical and aerospace projects, including the Space Telescope Science Institute, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and MIT Lincoln Laboratories. Support positions at national observatories and astronomy-related industries are also available. 3) Teaching and public outreach. Combined with preparation through the School of Education, teaching positions in middle- and secondary-school science are available. Astronomy majors have also gone on to work in museums and planetariums.

In addition, the major can provide a broad platform for learning about the wide range of sciences involved in astronomy, making it suitable preparation for science journalism or pre-medical studies, for example.