“Mindblowing” is how Rahul Rai describes the things he learned while pursuing the MSc in Astrophysics and Relativity at DCU. Originally from India, Rahul was determined to pursue a Master’s in Astrophysics, having completed an undergraduate degree in Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering. After a lot of research into his options, he found that DCU had the elements he was looking for. 

As a relatively new course, he found that the programme content was very much at the cutting edge of a fast-moving subject area. Another selling point was the advanced approach to teaching and learning. Rahul was impressed by the way the course aimed to develop all aspects of the student. “You learn a lot of transferable skills that you can use in different jobs or scenarios, and in different parts of your life, and plus they train you in the latest trends in astrophysics and relativity.”

As well as being attracted to the course, Rahul says that DCU and Ireland have a good reputation. “Ireland already has this quality that it's a very friendly country. It's, like, easier and much more comfortable for you to fit into.”

Once he began the course, Rahul was happy he’d made the right choice and was excited to learn about a rapidly advancing area of research. “Actually a lot is going on in this field, a lot of new discoveries are coming up, it's very fast moving.” And as someone who didn’t have a background in Astrophysics or Relativity, the course opened up new horizons. “I always wanted to do it, and I did not know where to start. So the course gave me that starting point, and a few of the things that were discussed in the lectures were actually mind blowing!” 

He is full of praise for DCU’s approachable teaching staff. “They help you with the solutions, they help you with understanding the concepts. During the course students are brought through complex disciplines like Relativity in great detail and “the basic concepts were explained first, and then you went on to the higher level things.”

The MSc also helped Rahul to work on his creative thinking skills. He believes these skills are vital for any scientific researcher and cites Roger Penrose and Einstein as great examples. “A lot of people think it's technical. But actually it starts with creativity.”

Since completing the course, Rahul has found work with Glanbia. In his spare time, he’s working on further developing the research in relation to Black Holes, which was part of his Master’s dissertation, with the aim of publishing a paper. Ultimately, his ambition is to pursue a PhD in Astrophysics that integrates Machine Learning and he’s currently researching options and opportunities. 

Looking back at his time at DCU, he is delighted with his choice. And his advice to others considering a postgrad at DCU is simple: “Basically you should go for it, because this is a great place to study.”