The role of astronaut is one of the most desired jobs in the world. A very small proportion of those who apply even get through to the first round, let alone get selected (see article: Navigating the Astronaut Application). Therefore, when a Space Agency announces a selection, it’s typical that the criteria they outline is a minimum standard and not necessarily representative of successful candidates. Therefore, the longer you can prepare, the better.

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Level of Qualification

As NASA has the largest Astronaut Corps, and they recruit most regularly, they provide a good basis for understanding what qualifications are most desirable.

The current NASA Astronaut Corps (selected after 2000) has a range of qualifications. For a few, the highest qualification is a Bachelor’s Degree. However, most have a Master’s Degree (60%), and a few have multiple Master’s Degrees. The second largest group (22%) is those with a PhD or Doctorate of Medicine.

NASA has always said a Master’s degree is preferred, but made it an official requirement for applications from 2018 onwards.

Many people assume that it is necessary to have a PhD to become an astronaut.  But indeed, only 6 of the 27 astronauts (22%) in the current NASA core have PhDs.

Degree qualifications of astronauts currently in the NASA corps:

  • One Bachelor’s degree: 1
  • Two Bachelor’s degrees: 2
  • One Master’s degree: 16
  • Two Master’s degrees: 1
  • Three Master’s degrees: 1
  • PhD or medical doctorate: 6

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Type of Qualification

If you are yet to decide on what to study for your Bachelor’s or postgraduate study, it’s important to always be driven by your passion, rather than what you think might be preferable for the purposes of astronaut selection.

To apply to become a NASA astronaut, you must have a Master’s Degree in an eligible STEM subject (STEM fields include engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science or mathematics) from an accredited institution. However, more information can be gained when investigating the types of degree studied by the current NASA Astronaut Corps (selected from 2000 onwards). These are summarized below:

Aerospace Engineering / Astronautics

  • Bachelor's Degree: 8
  • Master's Degree: 6
  • PhD or Doctorate of Medicine: 1

Electrical Engineering

  • Bachelor's Degree: 4
  • Master's Degree: 4
  • PhD or Doctorate of Medicine: 1

Biology / Medical

  • Bachelor's Degree: 4
  • Master's Degree: 4
  • PhD or Doctorate of Medicine: 1

Physics

  • Bachelor's Degree: 4
  • Master's Degree: 3
  • PhD or Doctorate of Medicine: 2

Geology

  • Bachelor's Degree: 2
  • Master's Degree: 1
  • PhD or Doctorate of Medicine: 1

Mechanical Engineering

  • Bachelor's Degree: 3
  • Master's Degree: 2

Medicine

  • Bachelor's Degree: 3
  • PhD or Doctorate of Medicine: 2

Oceanography / Marine Biology

  • Bachelor's Degree: 2
  • Master's Degree: 2

Mathematics

  • Bachelor's Degree: 2

Systems Engineering

  • Bachelor's Degree: 2

Zoology

  • Bachelor's Degree: 1

Space Studies

  • Master's Degree: 1

Aviation Systems

  • Master's Degree: 1

Ocean Engineering

  • Master's Degree: 1

Nuclear Engineering

  • Master's Degree: 1

International Relations

  • Master's Degree: 1