About this Program
Our program offers exceptional opportunities for starting research projects right away. We support projects in the physics of large lake environments, biophysics, condensed matter, experimental particle physics and neutrino astrophysics, observational extragalactic astronomy. Additionally, there is research in theoretical particle, cosmological, and gravitational physics. If it matches your career goals, some projects can be made very interdisciplinary.
We offer the flexibility to design a degree plan around your career goals.
- Early opportunities for hands-on research
- Research tailored to your career goals
- Small faculty-to-student ration
Career Possibilities
About half our students continue to a Ph.D. program in physics, the other half take their physics experience to industry or an advanced degree in another science or engineering field.
To find out what our recent graduates are doing, see the Career and Internship Services Report: Follow-up of Majors
Admissions and Scholarships
Graduate Assistantships
Most graduate students in the program are supported by assistantships, which are awarded on a competitive basis.
- Support is usually in the form of a 50%-time (20 hours per week) appointment and may either involve teaching or research.
- Half-time appointments carry a tuition waiver up to the normal full-time Graduate School tuition, as well as health insurance at reduced premiums.
- Duties of teaching assistants are typically a mixture of directing and grading introductory physics laboratory sections, assisting in active-learning classrooms, leading problem-solving help sessions for introductory physics courses, and homework and exam grading.
- Duties of research assistants are determined by the sponsoring faculty member.
- These appointments are most often made for the academic year (September through May).
- Support for a second year is contingent upon satisfactory progress in the graduate program and satisfactory performance of assigned duties.
Mylan Radulovich Graduate Fellowship
Highly qualified applicants and returning students with outstanding academic performance in their first year will be considered for a Mylan Radulovich Graduate Fellowship. This fellowship was established by Mylan Radulovich (BA '60) and is awarded by the Department to one or more new or continuing graduate students. These awards are supplements to any academic year teaching or research assistantship stipend.
Requirements
In addition to the general application instructions provided by the Graduate School, visit the Physics program page for specific application instructions and deadlines related to the program. Also visit the catalog requirements page linked above for additional information.
Faculty Highlights
Our faculty has a wide variety of research interests: