The Department of Astrophysics at the University of La Laguna (ULL) is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Master's in Astrophysics, a distinguished postgraduate degree and a pioneer in the implementation of official master's studies at the institution. An commemorative event was held in the Blas Cabrera Felipe Auditorium of the Faculty of Sciences to review the trajectory of this program, which has become a national and international benchmark in researcher training thanks to the collaboration between the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics (IAC) and the ULL.
The rector of the ULL, Francisco García, highlighted the strategic importance of the master's program, emphasizing its role as a fundamental piece in the collaboration between the IAC and the University, connecting training, excellent research, technological development, and international projection. "One of the keys to this success is, without a doubt, the excellence of the training students receive," he stated.
In the last four academic years, nearly a hundred students have graduated (60 men and 36 women). Expanding the perspective from the 2008/09 to the 2024/25 academic year, the figure rises to 334 graduates. The average grades obtained are "very high," exceeding a "notable" (very good). The rector also highlighted the practical component, the close link with research, the social interest of Astrophysics, and access to top-tier scientific infrastructures, such as astronomical observatories, facilitated by the IAC-ULL collaboration.
García emphasized the master's program's attractiveness, noting that 58% of students come from outside the Canary Islands (52% from other autonomous communities and 6% from abroad), reflecting the degree's recognition and its contribution to the international projection of the ULL. Many graduates are currently pursuing professional careers in leading international institutions and projects.
The rector also linked the prestige of Astrophysics and Space Sciences to the ULL's position in international rankings, such as the Shanghai Ranking, where Physics is placed in the 301-400 range globally and between 7th and 11th in Spain. The University is promoting new initiatives in Space Sciences, including training proposals in advanced scientific instrumentation and new degrees related to space engineering.
The Master's Director, Jairo Méndez, recalled that it was the first program to adapt to the European Higher Education Area requirements at the ULL. The Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Mª del Mar Afonso, congratulated all those involved and highlighted the IAC-ULL alliance as a model. Currently, the master's program, with 90 ECTS credits, offers 32 places annually and combines fundamental training with specialization tracks in Theory and Computation, Observation and Instrumentation, and Structure of Matter.
