Physics

The interdisciplinary nature of the program provides you with the opportunity to select the path that most interests you. You will be guided by a robust academic advising team to ensure your success.

Graduate education in physics offers you exciting opportunities extending over a diverse range of subjects and departments. You will work in state-of-the-art facilities with renowned faculty and accomplished postdoctoral fellows. The interdisciplinary nature of the program provides you with the opportunity to select the path that most interests you. You will be guided by a robust academic advising team to ensure your success.

You will have access to Jefferson Laboratory, the oldest physics laboratory in the country, which today includes a wing designed specifically to facilitate the study and collaboration between you and other physics graduate students.

Students in the program are doing research in many areas, including atomic and molecular physics, quantum optics, condensed-matter physics, computational physics, the physics of solids and fluids, biophysics, astrophysics, statistical mechanics, mathematical physics, high-energy particle physics, quantum field theory, string theory, relativity, and many others.

Graduates of the program have secured academic positions at institutions such as MIT, Stanford University, California Institute of Technology, and Harvard University. Others have gone into private industry at leading organizations such as Google, Facebook, and Apple.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of Physics, and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies.

Areas of Study

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of Physics.

Academic Background

Applicants should be well versed in undergraduate-level physics and mathematics. Typically, applicants will have devoted approximately half of their undergraduate work to physics and related subjects such as mathematics and chemistry. It is desirable for every applicant to have completed at least one year of introductory quantum mechanics classes.

An applicant who has a marked interest in a particular branch of physics should include this information in the application. If possible, applicants should also indicate whether they are inclined toward experimental or theoretical (mathematical) research. This statement of preference will not be treated as a binding commitment to any course of study and research.

In the Advanced Coursework section of the online application, prospective students must indicate the six most advanced courses (four in physics and two in mathematics) they completed or will complete at their undergraduate institution.