phd in physics how many years

Requirements for a Doctorate in Physics

An advanced degree in physics at Caltech is contingent upon an extensive research achievement. Students in the program are expected to join a research group, carry out independent research, and write publications for peer-reviewed journals as well as a thesis. The thesis work proposed to a Caltech candidacy committee then presented and evaluated by a Caltech thesis committee in a public defense. Initially, students are required to consolidate their knowledge by taking advanced courses in at least three subfields of physics. Students must also pass a written candidacy exam in both classical physics and quantum mechanics in order to progress into the research phase of the degree.

Graduates of our program are expected to have extensive experience with modern research methods, a broad knowledge of contemporary physics, and the ability to perform as independent researchers at the highest intellectual and technical levels.

The PhD requirements are below and are also available in the Caltech Catalog, Section 4: Information for Graduate Students .

Plan of Study

The plan of study is the set of courses that a student will take to complete the Advance Physics Requirement and any courses needed as preparation to pass the Written Candidacy Exams (see below). Any additional courses the student plans to take as part of their graduate curriculum may be included in the plan of study but are not required. Students should consult with their Academic Advisor on their Plan of Study and discuss any exception or special considerations with the Option Representative. 

Log in to REGIS and navigate to the Ph. D. Candidacy Tab of your Graduate Degree Progress page. Add you courses into the Plan of Study section. When complete, click the "Submit Plan of Study to Option Rep" button. This will generate a notice to the Option Rep to approve your plan of study. Once you complete the courses in the Plan of Study, the Advanced Physics Requirement is completed.

Written Candidacy Exams

Physics students must demonstrate proficiency in all areas of basic physics, including classical mechanics (including continuum mechanics), electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, statistical physics, optics, basic mathematical methods of physics, and the physical origin of everyday phenomena. A solid understanding of these fundamental areas of physics is considered essential, so proficiency will be tested by written candidacy examinations.

No specific course work is required for the basic physics requirement, but some students may benefit from taking several of the basic graduate courses, such as Ph 106 and Ph 125. In addition, the class Ph 201 will provide additional problem solving training that matches the basic physics requirement.

Exam I: Classical Mechanics and Electromagnetism       Topics include: TBA

Exam 2: Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics      Topics include: TBA

Both exams are offered twice each year (July and October) Email  [email protected]  to sign up

Nothing additional. Sign up for the exam by emailing Mika Walton. The Student Programs Office will update your REGIS record once you pass the exams.

Advanced Physics Requirement

Students must establish a broad understanding of modern physics through study in six graduate courses. The courses must be spread over at least three of the following four areas of advanced physics. Many courses in physics and related areas may be allowed to count toward the Advanced Physics requirements.  Below are some popular examples.  Contact the Physics Option Representative to find out if any particular course not listed here can be used for this requirement. 

Physics of elementary particles and fields (Nuclear Physics, High Energy Physics, String Theory)

                 Ph 139 Intro to Particle Physics                 Ph 205abc Relativistic Quantum Field Theory                 Ph 217 Intro to the Standard Model                 Ph 230 Elementary Particle Theory (offered every two years)                 Ph 250 Intro to String Theory (offered every two years)

Quantum Information and Matter (Atomic/Molecular/Optical Physics, Condensed-Matter Physics, Quantum Information)   

                Ph 127ab Statistical Physics                 Ph 135a Intro to Condensed Matter Physics                 Ph 136a Applications of Classical Physics (Stat Mech, Optics) (offered every two years)                 Ph 137abc Atoms and Photons                 Ph 219abc Quantum Computation                 Ph 223ab Advanced Condensed Matter Physics

Physics of the Universe (Gravitational Physics, Astrophysics, Cosmology)             

                Ph 136b Applications of Classical Physics (Elasticity, Fluid Dynamics) (offered every two years)                 Ph 136c Applications of Classical Physics (Plasma, GR) (offered every two years)                 Ph 236ab Relativity                 Ph 237 Gravitational Waves (offered every two years)                 Ay 121 Radiative Processes

Interdisciplinary Physics (e.g. Biophysics, Applied Physics, Chemical Physics, Mathematical Physics, Experimental Physics)

                Ph 77 Advanced Physics Lab                   Ph 101 Order of magnitude (offered every two years)                 Ph 118 Physics of measurement                 Ph 129 Mathematical Methods of Physics                 Ph 136a Applications of Classical Physics (Stat Mech, Optics) (offered every two years)                 Ph 136b Applications of Classical Physics (Elasticity, Fluid Dynamics) (offered every two years)                 Ph 229 Advanced Mathematical Methods of Physics

Nothing additional. Once you complete the courses in your approved Plan of Study, the Advanced Physics Requirement is complete.

Oral Candidacy Exam

The Oral Candidacy Exam is primarily a test of the candidate's suitability for research in his or her chosen field. Students should consult with the executive officer to assemble their oral candidacy committee. The chair of the committee should be someone other than the research adviser.

The candidacy committee will examine the student's knowledge of his or her chosen field and will consider the appropriateness and scope of the proposed thesis research during the oral candidacy exam. This exam represents the formal commitment of both student and adviser to a research program.

See also the Physics Candidacy FAQs

After the exam, your committee members will enter their result and any comments they may have. Non-Caltech committee members are instructed to send their results and comments to the physics graduate office who will enter the information on their behalf. Once all "pass" results have been entered, the Option Rep will be prompted to recommend you for admission to candidacy. The recommendation goes to the Dean of Graduate Studies who has the final approval to formally admit you to candidacy.

Teaching Requirement

Thesis advisory committee (tac).

After the oral candidacy exam, students will hold annual meetings with their Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). The TAC will review the research progress and provide feedback and guidance towards completion of the degree. Students should consult with the executive officer to assemble their oral candidacy committee and TAC by the end of their third year. The TAC is normally constituted from the candidacy examiners, but students may propose variations or changes at any time to the option representative. The TAC chair should be someone other than the research Adviser. The TAC chair will typically also serve as the thesis defense chair, but changes may be made in consultation with the Executive Officer and the Option Rep.

What to do in REGIS?

Login to Regis, navigate to the Ph. D. Examination Tab of your Graduate Degree Progress page, and scroll down to the Examination Committee section. Enter the names of your Thesis Advisory Committee members. Click the "Submit Examination Committee for Approval" button and this will automatically generate notifications for the Option Rep and the Dean of Graduate Studies to approve your committee. Enter the date, time and location of your TAC meeting and click "Submit Details." Your committee members will automatically be sent email reminders with the meeting details.

PhD Defense

The final thesis examination will cover the thesis topic and its relation to the general body of knowledge of physics. The candidate should send the thesis document to the defense committee and graduate office at least two weeks prior to the defense date. The defense must take place at least three weeks before the degree is to be conferred. Please refer to the  Graduate Office  and  Library  webpages for thesis guidelines, procedures, and deadlines.

• Date, time, and location of your exam and click the "Submit Examination Details" button. You committee members will automatically be sent email reminders with the exam details. 
• Commencement Information and click the "Submit Commencement Information" button (at least 2 weeks prior to defense)
• Marching Information and click the "Submit your Marching Information" button (at least 2 weeks prior to commencement)

Physics, PhD

Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences, admission requirements.

To obtain admission, a student is expected to submit evidence that they have a good chance to succeed. 

A complete application will include:

• Statement of purpose. We look for a thoughtful, well-written statement that shows the ability to overcome challenges, dedication to attain chosen goals, a capacity for creativity, an understanding of physics and/or astronomy, and any other indication of potential for research.
• Three letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters should help us evaluate your capacity for research, the most important criterion for admission.
• Transcripts of all previous work. Transcripts submitted with the application may be unofficial transcripts. Successful applicants who accept the offer of admission must supply an official transcript before they can begin the PhD program at JHU. In the case of students in the final year of their bachelors program, the official transcript must show completion of all coursework required for the degree.
• TOEFL or IELTS for international students. A reproduction is acceptable. Johns Hopkins prefers a minimum score of 600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based) or 100 (Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
• $75 non-refundable application fee. The application fee may be waived .

Note: submission of General GRE and Physics GRE scores is optional.

Successful applicants applying in the last year of their Bachelor’s program will need to demonstrate the completion of their Bachelor’s degree program before they can begin the Ph.D. program at JHU.

Program Requirements

The Ph.D. program has strong emphasis on early and active involvement in graduate research. Thus, students are required to have a research advisor and file a research summary every semester they are enrolled in the program, starting with the first one. Furthermore, students must complete the required courses with a grade of B- or better; the coursework is typically done over the first two years. In the beginning of the second year, students complete the research examination, and in the beginning of the third year – the University’s Graduate Board Oral examination, both of which are based on completed or proposed research. During the first two years, students are typically involved in introductory research projects, which may or may not be related to their thesis work, and sometimes work with several different advisors, but they must identify (and have an agreement with) a thesis advisor no later than the beginning of their third year in the program, after which point students focus on their thesis research. The thesis is to be completed by no later than the end of the 6th year, ending with an oral presentation of the thesis to a faculty committee.

Course Requirements

Ph.d. in physics.

Students must complete the following courses:

Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Students in both programs must receive at least a B- in each required course, or they will be required to retake the specific course once more and pass it. Graduate courses may only be retaken once.

The department offers a wide range of graduate physics, astrophysics, mathematical methods and statistics classes, and while only five are required, the students are encouraged to use the flexibility of the graduate program and the available classes to design programs of study that best prepare them for their chosen area of research. In addition to the required courses listed above, below is the list of the graduate courses that have been taught in recent years:

Research and Advising

The principal goal of graduate study is to train the student to conduct original research. Therefore, physics and astronomy graduate students at Johns Hopkins are involved in research starting in their first semester in the program.

First and Second-Year Research Requirement

By the end of September, the student chooses their first research advisor among the professorial faculty and starts working on the first-semester research project. If the proposed research advisor does not hold a primary appointment as a tenure-track or research faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the form must be co-signed by a PHA faculty member, who will provide mentorship  (relevant department faculty members list) . This requirement holds for all semesters of research. The first-semester project continues through intersession in January. The spring-semester research project continues until the end of the spring semester. The summer semester lasts from June through August. Students may continue with one advisor through the entire first year, or they may choose to cycle through several different research advisers from one semester to the next.

This system of semester projects continues during the first two years of the program, when students also complete required coursework. The nature of these first- and second-year research projects varies from student to student, from advisor to advisor and from one sub-field of physics to another. Some may be self-contained research projects that lead to published scientific papers and may or may not be related to the thesis research in later years. Others may comprise reading or independent-study projects to develop background for subsequent research. In other cases, they may be first steps in a longer-term research project.

This system accommodates both the students who have chosen the direction of their thesis work before graduate school and those who would like to try a few different things before committing to a long-term project. As students get more familiar with the department and the research opportunities, they zero in on their thesis topic and find a thesis advisor. This may happen any time during the first two years, and students are required to find a thesis advisor by the beginning of the third year.

Thesis Research and Defense

Securing a mutual agreement with a thesis advisor is one of the most important milestones of our graduate program. Students must find a thesis advisor and submit the thesis advisor form before the first day of their 3rd year. The form represents a long-term commitment and serious efforts in planning and communication between the student and the advisor. If the proposed thesis advisor does not hold a primary appointment as a tenure-track or research faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the form must be co-signed by a PHA faculty member, who will serve as the departmental advisor of record (relevant department faculty members list) . 

After the student chooses a thesis advisor, the student forms their Thesis Committee consisting of three faculty members in the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy (PHA). At least two should be tenure track faculty with primary appointments in PHA. An external advisor may be added as the fourth member of the committee. These committees function as extended advisory bodies; students have the opportunity to discuss their progress and problems with several faculty. They also conduct one formal annual review of each student’s progress.

Research leading to the dissertation can be carried out not only within the Department of Physics and Astronomy, but with appropriate arrangements, either partly or entirely at other locations if necessitated by the project goals. At the conclusion of thesis research, the student presents the written dissertation to the faculty committee and defends the thesis in an oral examination.

Requirements for the M.A. Degree

Although the department does not admit students who intend to pursue the master’s degree exclusively, students in the department’s Ph.D. program and students in other Ph.D. programs at Johns Hopkins may apply to fulfill the requirements for the M.A. degree in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Students from other JHU departments must seek approval from their home department and from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Before beginning their M.A. studies, students must have mastered the undergraduate physics material covered by the following courses:

Students must receive at least a B- in each required course, or they will be required to retake the specific course once more and pass it.  Graduate courses may only be retaken once.

Courses taken elsewhere may qualify at the discretion of the Graduate Program Committee (normally this requirement is satisfied by the Ph.D.-track students before they arrive at JHU as they have completed a B.A. or B.Sci. in Physics at another institution).

To qualify for the M.A. degree in Physics, students must complete eight one-semester 3-credit graduate-level courses in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and pass the departmental research exam. For the M.A. degree in Astronomy, students must complete eight one-semester 3-credit graduate-level courses in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, plus the seminar “Language of Astrophysics” and pass the departmental research exam. The student must receive a grade of B- or above in each of the courses; graduate courses can be retaken once in case of failure.

Of the eight one-semester courses, four must be the core courses listed above in the Ph.D. requirements and two must be Independent Graduate Research courses. The remaining two course requirements for the M.A. degree may be fulfilled either by 3-credit graduate electives or by additional Independent Graduate Research. The research courses must include an essay or a research report supervised and approved by a faculty member of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Under most circumstances students pursuing their Ph.D. qualify for the M.A. degree by the end of their second year if they have taken all four core courses in their discipline at JHU, the “Language of Astrophysics” seminar (for M.A. in Astronomy), four semesters of Independent Graduate Research, and passed the research exam. Graduate courses taken at another institution or in another department at JHU in most cases do not count toward the M.A. requirements (therefore, students who are interested in the M.A. degree, but are planning to waive any graduate courses because they have passed a comparable graduate course at another institution, should discuss their eligibility for the M.A. degree with the Academic Program Administrator as soon as they arrive at JHU). Students should expect that no M.A. requirements can be waived; that the minimal research requirement is two semesters; and that at most one of the core courses can be substituted by another (non-research) graduate course in exceptional circumstances. Any requests for M.A. course substitutions must be made to the Graduate Program Committee at least a year before the expected M.A. degree so that the committee can recommend an appropriate substitution.

• Doing a PhD in Physics
• Doing a PhD

What Is It Like to Do a PhD in Physics?

Physics is arguably the most fundamental scientific discipline and underpins much of our understanding of the universe. Physics is based on experiments and mathematical analysis which aims to investigate the physical laws which make up life as we know it.

Due to the large scope of physics, a PhD project may focus on any of the following subject areas:

• Thermodynamics
• Cosmology and Astrophysics
• Nuclear Physics
• Solid State Physics
• Condensed matter Physics
• Particle Physics
• Quantum mechanics
• Computational Physics
• Theoretical Physics
• Electromagnetism and photonics
• Molecular physics
• And many more

Compared to an undergraduate degree, PhD courses involve original research which, creates new knowledge in a chosen research area. Through this you will develop a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research, become an expert in your research field, and contribute to extending the boundaries of knowledge.

During your postgraduate study you will be required to produce a dissertation which summarises your novel findings and explains their significance. Postgraduate research students also undertake an oral exam, known as the Viva, where you must defend your thesis to examiners.

Browse PhDs in Physics

Decoherence due to flux noise in superconducting qubits at microkelvin temperatures, in-situ disposal of cementitious wastes at uk nuclear sites, coventry university postgraduate research studentships, discovery of solid state electrolytes using deep learning, observing the black hole mergers in the early universe with next-generation gravitational wave observatories, hear from phd students and doctorates:.

To get a better perspective of what life is really like doing a Physics PhD, read the interview profiles below, from those that have been there before, and are there now:

How Long Does It Take to Get a PhD in Physics?

The typical full-time programme has a course length of 3 to 4 years . Most universities also offer part-time study . The typical part-time programme has a course length of 5 to 7 years.

The typical Physics PhD programme sees PhD students study on a probationary basis during their first year. Admission to the second year of study and enrolment onto the PhD programme is subject to a successful first year review. The format of this review varies across organisations but commonly involves a written report of progress made on your research project and an oral examination.

Additional Learning Modules:

Most Physics PhD programme have no formal requirement for students to attend core courses. There are, however, typically several research seminars, technical lectures, journal clubs and other courses held within the Physics department that students are expected to attend.

Research seminars are commonly arranged throughout your programme to support you with different aspects of your study, for example networking with other postgraduates, guidelines on working with your supervisor, how to avoid bias in independent research, tips for thesis writing, and time management skills.

Doctoral training and development workshops are commonly organised both within and outside of the department and aim to develop students’ transferrable skills (for example communication and team working). Information on opportunities for development that exist within the University and explored and your post doctorate career plans will be discussed.

Lectures run by department staff and visiting scholars on particular subject matters relevant to your research topic are sometimes held, and your supervisor (or supervisory committee) is likely to encourage you to attend.

Typical Entry Requirements:

A UK Physics PhD programme normally requires a minimum upper second-class (2:1) honours undergraduate or postgraduate degree (or overseas equivalent) in physics, or a closely related subject. Closely related subjects vary depending on projects, but mathematics and material sciences are common. Graduate students with relevant work experience may also be considered.

Funded PhD programmes (for examples those sponsored by Doctoral Training Partnerships or by the university school) are more competitive, and hence entry requirements tend to be more demanding.

English Language Requirements:

Universities typically expect international students to provide evidence of their English Language ability as part of their applications. This is usually benchmarked by an IELTS exam score of 6.5 (with a minimum score of 6 in each component), a TOEFL (iBT) exam score 92, a CAE and CPE exam score of 176 or another equivalent. The exact score requirements for the different English Language Qualifications may differ across different universities.

Tips to Improve Your Application:

If you are applying to a Physics PhD, you should have a thorough grasp of the fundamentals of physics, and also appreciate the concepts within the focus of your chosen research topic. Whilst you should be able to demonstrate this through either your Bachelors or Master’s degree, it is also beneficial to also be able to show this through extra-curricular engagement, for example attending seminars or conferences. This will also get across your passion for Physics – a valuable addition to your application as supervisors are looking for committed students.

It is advisable to make informal contact with the project supervisors for any positions you are interested in prior to applying formally. This is a good chance for you to understand more about the Physics department and project itself. Contacting the supervisor also allows you to build a rapport, demonstrate your interest, and see if the project and potential supervisor are a good fit for you. Some universities require you to provide additional evidence to support your application. These can include:

• University certificates and transcripts (translated to English if required)
• Academic CV
• Covering Letter
• English certificate – for international students

How Much Does a Physics PhD Degree Typically Cost?

Annual tuition fees for a PhD in Physics in the UK are approximately £4,000 to £5,000 per year for home (UK) students and are around £22,000 per year for overseas students. This, alongside the standard range in tuition fees that you can expect, is summarised below:

Note: The EU students are considered International from the start of the 2021/22 academic year.

Due to the experimental nature of Physics programmes, research students not funded by UK research councils may also be required to pay a bench fee . Bench fees are additional fees to your tuition, which covers the cost of travel, laboratory materials, computing equipment or resources associated with your research. For physics research students in particular this is likely to involve training in specialist software, laboratory administration, material and sample ordering, and computing upkeep.

What Specific Funding Opportunities Are There for A PhD in Physics?

As a PhD applicant, you may be eligible for a loan of up to £25,700. You can apply for a PhD loan if you’re ordinarily resident in the UK or EU, aged 60 or under when the course starts and are not in receipt of Research Council funding.

Research Councils provide funding for research in the UK through competitive schemes. These funding opportunities cover doctoral students’ tuition fees and sometimes include an additional annual maintenance grant. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is a government agency that funds scientific research in the UK. Applications for EPSRC funding should be made directly to the EPSRC, but some Universities also advertise EPSRC funded PhD studentships on their website. The main funding body for Physics PhD studentships is EPSRC’s group on postgraduate support and careers, which has responsibility for postgraduate student support.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) funds a large range of projects in Physics and Astronomy. To apply for funding students must locate the relevant project, contact the host institution for details of the postdoctoral researcher they wish to approach and then apply directly to them.

You can use DiscoverPhD’s database to search for a PhD studentship in Physics now.

What Specific Skills Will You Get from a PhD in Physics?

PhD doctorates possess highly marketable skills which make them strong candidates for analytical and strategic roles. The following skills in particular make them attractive prospects to employers in research, finance and consulting:

• Strong numerical skills
• Strong analytical skills
• Laboratory experience
• Application of theoretical concepts to real world problems

Aside from this, postgraduate students will also get transferable skills that can be applied to a much wider range of careers. These include:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Great attention to detail
• Collaboration and teamwork
• Independent thinking

What Jobs Can I Get with a PhD in Physics?

The wide range of specialties within Physics courses alone provides a number of job opportunities, from becoming a meteorologist to a material scientist. However, one of the advantages Physics doctorates have over other doctorates is their studies often provide a strong numerical and analytical foundation. This opens a number of career options outside of traditional research roles. Examples of common career paths Physics PostDocs take are listed below:

Academia – A PhD in Physics is a prerequisite for higher education teaching roles in Physics (e.g. University lecturer). Many doctorates opt to teach and supervise students to continue their contribution to research. This is popular among those who favour the scientific nature of their field and wish to pursue theoretical concepts.

PostDoc Researcher – Other postdoctoral researchers enter careers in research, either academic capacity i.e. researching with their University, or in industry i.e. with an independent organisation. Again, this is suited to those who wish to continue learning, enjoy collaboration and working in an interdisciplinary research group, and also offers travel opportunities for international conferences.

Astronomy – Astronomers study the universe and often work with mathematical formulas, computer modelling and theoretical concepts to predict behaviours. A PhD student in this field may work as astrobiologists, planetary geologists or government advisors.

Finance – As mentioned previously, analytical and numerical skills are the backbone of the scientific approach, and the typical postgraduate research programme in Physics is heavily reliant on numeracy. As such, many PostDocs are found to have financial careers. Financial roles typically offer lucrative salaries.

Consulting – Consulting firms often consider a doctoral student with a background in Physics for employment as ideal for consultancy, based on their critical thinking and strategic planning skills.

How Much Can You Earn with A PhD in Physics?

Data from the HESA is presented below which presents the salary band of UK domiciled leaver (2012/13) in full-time paid UK employment with postgraduate qualifications in Physical Studies:

With a doctoral physics degree, your earning potential will mostly depend on your chosen career path. Due to the wide range of options, it’s impossible to provide an arbitrary value for the typical salary you can expect. However, if you pursue one of the below paths or enter their respective industry, you can roughly expect to earn:

Academic Lecturer

• Approximately £30,000 – £35,000 starting salary
• Approximately £40,000 with a few years experience
• Approximately £45,000 – £55,000 with 10 years experience
• Approximately £60,000 and over with significant experience and a leadership role. Certain academic positions can earn over £80,000 depending on the management duties.

Actuary or Finance

• Approximately £35,000 starting salary
• Approximately £45,000 – £55,000 with a few years experience
• Approximately £70,000 and over with 10 years experience
• Approximately £180,000 and above with significant experience and a leadership role.

Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering

• Approximately £28,000 starting salary
• Approximately £35,000 – £40,000 with a few years experience
• Approximately £60,000 and over with 10 years experience

Data Analyst

• Approximately £45,000 – £50,000 with a few years experience
• Approximately £90,000 and above with significant experience and a leadership role.

Geophysicist

• Approximately £28,000 – £35,000 starting salary
• Approximately £40,000 – £65,000 with a few years’ experience
• Approximately £80,000 and over with significant experience and a leadership role

Medical Physicist

• Approximately £27,500 – £30,000 starting salary
• Approximately £30,000 – £45,000 with a few years’ experience
• Approximately £50,000 and over with significant experience and a leadership role

Meteorologist

• Approximately £20,000 – £25,000 starting salary
• Approximately £25,000 – £35,000 with a few years’ experience
• Approximately £45,000 and over with significant experience and a leadership role

Again, we stress that the above are indicative values only. Actual salaries will depend on the specific organisation and position and responsibilities of the individual.

UK Physics PhD Statistics

The Higher Education Statistics Agency has an abundance of useful statistics and data on higher education in the UK. We have looked at the data from the Destination of Leavers 2016/17 survey to provide information specific for Physics Doctorates:

The graph below shows the destination of 2016/17 leavers with research based postgraduate qualifications in physical sciences. This portrays a very promising picture for Physics doctorates, with 92% of leavers are in work or further study.

The table below presents the destination (sorted by standard industrial classification) of 1015 students entering employment in the UK with doctorates in Physical Studies, from 2012/13 to 2016/17. It can be seen that PhD postdocs have a wide range of career paths, though jobs in education, professional, scientific and technical activities, and manufacturing are common.

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PhD Program

A PhD degree in Physics is awarded in recognition of significant and novel research contributions, extending the boundaries of our knowledge of the physical universe. Selected applicants are admitted to the PhD program of the UW Department of Physics, not to a specific research group, and are encouraged to explore research opportunities throughout the Department.

Degree Requirements

Typical timeline, advising and mentoring, satisfactory progress, financial support, more information.

Applicants to the doctoral program are expected to have a strong undergraduate preparation in physics, including courses in electromagnetism, classical and quantum mechanics, statistical physics, optics, and mathematical methods of physics. Further study in condensed matter, atomic, and particle and nuclear physics is desirable. Limited deficiencies in core areas may be permissible, but may delay degree completion by as much as a year and are are expected to remedied during the first year of graduate study.

The Graduate Admissions Committee reviews all submitted applications and takes a holistic approach considering all aspects presented in the application materials. Application materials include:

• Resume or curriculum vitae, describing your current position or activities, educational and professional experience, and any honors awarded, special skills, publications or research presentations.
• Statement of purpose, one page describing your academic purpose and goals.
• Personal history statement (optional, two pages max), describing how your personal experiences and background (including family, cultural, or economic aspects) have influenced your intellectual development and interests.
• Three letters of recommendation: submit email addresses for your recommenders at least one month ahead of deadline to allow them sufficient time to respond.
• Transcripts (unofficial), from all prior relevant undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. Admitted applicants must provide official transcripts.
• English language proficiency is required for graduate study at the University of Washington. Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency. The various options are specified at: https://grad.uw.edu/policies/3-2-graduate-school-english-language-proficiency-requirements/ Official test scores must be sent by ETS directly to the University of Washington (institution code 4854) and be received within two years of the test date.

For additional information see the UW Graduate School Home Page , Understanding the Application Process , and Memo 15 regarding teaching assistant eligibility for non-native English speakers.

The GRE Subject Test in Physics (P-GRE) is optional in our admissions process, and typically plays a relatively minor role.  Our admissions system is holistic, as we use all available information to evaluate each application. If you have taken the P-GRE and feel that providing your score will help address specific gaps or otherwise materially strengthen your application, you are welcome to submit your scores. We emphasize that every application will be given full consideration, regardless of whether or not scores are submitted.

Applications are accepted annually for autumn quarter admissions (only), and must be submitted online. Admission deadline: DECEMBER 15, 2024.

Department standards

Course requirements.

Students must plan a program of study in consultation with their faculty advisor (either first year advisor or later research advisor). To establish adequate breadth and depth of knowledge in the field, PhD students are required to pass a set of core courses, take appropriate advanced courses and special topics offerings related to their research area, attend relevant research seminars as well as the weekly department colloquium, and take at least two additional courses in Physics outside their area of speciality. Seeking broad knowledge in areas of physics outside your own research area is encouraged.

The required core courses are:

In addition, all students holding a teaching assistantship (TA) must complete Phys 501 / 502 / 503 , Tutorials in Teaching Physics.

Regularly offered courses which may, depending on research area and with the approval of the graduate program coordinator, be used to satisfy breadth requirements, include:

• Phys 506 Numerical Methods
• Phys 555 Cosmology & Particle Astrophysics
• Phys 507 Group Theory
• Phys 557 High Energy Physics
• Phys 511 Topics in Contemporary Physics
• Phys 560 Nuclear Theory
• Phys 520 Quantum Information
• Phys 564 General Relativity
• Phys 550 Atomic Physics
• Phys 567 Condensed Matter Physics
• Phys 554 Nuclear Astrophysics
• Phys 570 Quantum Field Theory

Graduate exams

Master's Review:   In addition to passing all core courses, adequate mastery of core material must be demonstrated by passing the Master's Review. This is composed of four Master's Review Exams (MREs) which serve as the final exams in Phys 524 (SM), Phys 514 (EM), Phys 518 (QM), and Phys 505 (CM). The standard for passing each MRE is demonstrated understanding and ability to solve multi-step problems; this judgment is independent of the overall course grade. Acceptable performance on each MRE is expected, but substantial engagement in research allows modestly sub-par performance on one exam to be waived. Students who pass the Master's Review are eligible to receive a Master's degree, provided the Graduate School course credit and grade point average requirements have also been satisfied.

General Exam:   Adequate mastery of material in one's area of research, together with demonstrated progress in research and a viable plan to complete a PhD dissertation, is assessed in the General Exam. This is taken after completing all course requirements, passing the Master's Review, and becoming well established in research. The General Exam consists of an oral presentation followed by an in-depth question period with one's dissertation committee.

Final Oral Exam:   Adequate completion of a PhD dissertation is assessed in the Final Oral, which is a public exam on one's completed dissertation research. The requirement of surmounting a final public oral exam is an ancient tradition for successful completion of a PhD degree.

Graduate school requirements

Common requirements for all doctoral degrees are given in the Graduate School Degree Requirements and Doctoral Degree Policies and Procedures pages. A summary of the key items, accurate as of late 2020, is as follows:

• A minimum of 90 completed credits, of which at least 60 must be completed at the University of Washington. A Master's degree from the UW or another institution in physics, or approved related field of study, may substitute for 30 credits of enrollment.
• At least 18 credits of UW course work at the 500 level completed prior to the General Examination.
• At least 18 numerically graded UW credits of 500 level courses and approved 400 level courses, completed prior to the General Examination.
• At least 60 credits completed prior to scheduling the General Examination. A Master's degree from the UW or another institution may substitute for 30 of these credits.
• A minimum of 27 dissertation (or Physics 800) credits, spread out over a period of at least three quarters, must be completed. At least one of those three quarters must come after passing the General Exam. Except for summer quarters, students are limited to a maximum of 10 dissertation credits per quarter.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 must be maintained.
• The General Examination must be successfully completed.
• A thesis dissertation approved by the reading committee and submitted and accepted by the Graduate School.
• The Final Examination must be successfully completed. At least four members of the supervisory committee, including chair and graduate school representative, must be present.
• Registration as a full- or part-time graduate student at the University must be maintained, specifically including the quarter in which the examinations are completed and the quarter in which the degree is conferred. (Part-time means registered for at least 2 credits, but less than 10.)
• All work for the doctoral degree must be completed within ten years. This includes any time spend on leave, as well as time devoted to a Master's degree from the UW or elsewhere (if used to substitute for credits of enrollment).
• Pass the required core courses: Phys 513 , 517 , 524 & 528 autumn quarter, Phys 514 , 518 & 525 winter quarter, and Phys 515 , 519 & 505 spring quarter. When deemed appropriate, with approval of their faculty advisor and graduate program coordinator, students may elect to defer Phys 525 , 515 and/or 519 to the second year in order to take more credits of Phys 600 .
• Sign up for and complete one credit of Phys 600 with a faculty member of choice during winter and spring quarters.
• Pass the Master's Review by the end of spring quarter or, after demonstrating substantial research engagement, by the end of the summer.
• Work to identify one's research area and faculty research advisor. This begins with learning about diverse research areas in Phys 528 in the autumn, followed by Phys 600 independent study with selected faculty members during winter, spring, and summer.
• Pass the Master's Review (if not already done) by taking any deferred core courses or retaking MREs as needed. The Master's Review must be passed before the start of the third year.
• Settle in and become fully established with one's research group and advisor, possibly after doing independent study with multiple faculty members. Switching research areas during the first two years is not uncommon.
• Complete all required courses. Take breadth courses and more advanced graduate courses appropriate for one's area of research.
• Perform research.
• Establish a Supervisory Committee within one year after finding a compatible research advisor who agrees to supervise your dissertation work.
• Take breadth and special topics courses as appropriate.
• Take your General Exam in the third or fourth year of your graduate studies.
• Register for Phys 800 (Doctoral Thesis Research) instead of Phys 600 in the quarters during and after your general exam.
• Take special topics courses as appropriate.
• Perform research. When completion of a substantial body of research is is sight, and with concurrence of your faculty advisor, start writing a thesis dissertation.
• Establish a dissertation reading committee well in advance of scheduling the Final Examination.
• Schedule your Final Examination and submit your PhD dissertation draft to your reading committee at least several weeks before your Final Exam.
• Take your Final Oral Examination.
• After passing your Final Exam, submit your PhD dissertation, as approved by your reading committee, to the Graduate School, normally before the end of the same quarter.

This typical timeline for competing the PhD applies to students entering the program with a solid undergraduate preparation, as described above under Admissions. Variant scenarios are possible with approval of the Graduate Program coordinator. Two such scenarios are the following:

• Students entering with insufficient undergraduate preparation often require more time. It is important to identify this early, and not feel that this reflects on innate abilities or future success. Discussion with one's faculty advisor, during orientation or shortly thereafter, may lead to deferring one or more of the first year required courses and corresponding Master's Review Exams. It can also involve taking selected 300 or 400 level undergraduate physics courses before taking the first year graduate level courses. This must be approved by the Graduate Program coordinator, but should not delay efforts to find a suitable research advisor. The final Master's Review decision still takes place no later than the start of the 3rd year and research engagement is an important component in this decision.
• Entering PhD students with advanced standing, for example with a prior Master's degree in Physics or transferring from another institution after completing one or more years in a Physics PhD program, may often graduate after 3 or 4 years in our program. After discussion with your faculty advisor and with approval of the Graduate Program coordinator, selected required classes may be waived (but typically not the corresponding Master's Review Exams), and credit from other institutions transferred.
• Each entering PhD student is assigned a first year faculty advisor, with whom they meet regularly to discuss course selection, general progress, and advice on research opportunities. The role of a student's primary faculty advisor switches to their research advisor after they become well established in research. Once their doctoral supervisory committee is formed, the entire committee, including a designated faculty mentor (other than the research advisor) is available to provide advice and mentoring.
• The department also has a peer mentoring program, in which first-year students are paired with more senior students who have volunteered as mentors. Peer mentors maintain contact with their first-year mentees throughout the year and aim to ease the transition to graduate study by sharing their experiences and providing support and advice. Quarterly "teas" are held to which all peer mentors and mentees are invited.
• While academic advising is primarily concerned with activities and requirements necessary to make progress toward a degree, mentoring focuses on the human relationships, commitments, and resources that can help a student find success and fulfillment in academic and professional pursuits. While research advisors play an essential role in graduate study, the department considers it inportant for every student to also have available additional individuals who take on an explicit mentoring role.
• Students are expected to meet regularly, at a minimum quarterly, with their faculty advisors (either first year advisor or research advisor).
• Starting in the winter of their first year, students are expected to be enrolled in Phys 600 .
• Every spring all students, together with their advisors, are required to complete an annual activities report.
• The doctoral supervisory committee needs to be established at least by the end of the fourth year.
• The General Exam is expected to take place during the third or fourth year.
• Students and their advisors are expected to aim for not more than 6 years between entry into the Physics PhD program and completion of the PhD. In recent years the median time is close to 6 years.

Absence of satisfactory progress can lead to a hierarchy of actions, as detailed in the Graduate School Memo 16: Academic Performance and Progress , and may jeopardize funding as a teaching assistant.

The Department aims to provide financial support for all full-time PhD students making satisfactory progress, and has been successful in doing so for many years. Most students are supported via a mix teaching assistantships (TAs) and research assistantships (RAs), although there are also various scholarships, fellowships, and awards that provide financial support. Teaching and research assistanships provide a stipend, a tuition waiver, and health insurance benefits. TAs are employed by the University to assist faculty in their teaching activities. Students from non-English-speaking countries must pass English proficiency requirements . RAs are employed by the Department to assist faculty with specified research projects, and are funded through research grants held by faculty members.

Most first-year students are provided full TA support during their first academic year as part of their admission offer. Support beyond the second year is typically in the form of an RA or a TA/RA combination. It is the responsibility of the student to find a research advisor and secure RA support. Students accepting TA or RA positions are required to register as full-time graduate students (a minimum of 10 credits during the academic year, and 2 credits in summer quarter) and devote 20 hours per week to their assistantship duties. Both TAs and RAs are classified as Academic Student Employees (ASE) . These positions are governed by a contract between the UW and the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), and its Local Union 4121 (UAW).

Physics PhD students are paid at the "Assistant" level (Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant) upon entry to the program. Students receive a promotion to "Associate I" (Predoctoral Teaching Associate I or Predoctoral Research Associate I) after passing the Master's Review, and a further promotion to "Associate II" (Predoctoral Teaching Associate II or Predoctoral Research Associate II) after passing their General Examination. (Summer quarter courses, and summer quarter TA employment, runs one month shorter than during the academic year. To compendate, summer quarter TA salaries are increased proportionately.)

• UW Physics Department fact sheet .
• MyPhys , UW Physics Department intranet with policies and information for enrolled students.
• UW Graduate School information for students and postdocs.
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The PhD in Physics is a full-time period of research which introduces or builds upon, research skills and specialist knowledge. Students are assigned a research supervisor, a specialist in part or all of the student's chosen research field, and join a research group which might vary in size between a handful to many tens of individuals.

Although the supervisor is responsible for the progress of a student's research programme, the extent to which a postgraduate student is assisted by the supervisor or by other members of the group depends almost entirely on the structure and character of the group concerned. The research field is normally determined at entry, after consideration of the student's interests and the facilities available. The student, however, may work within a given field for a period of time before their personal topic is determined.

There is no requirement made by the University for postgraduate students to attend formal courses or lectures for the PhD. Postgraduate work is largely a matter of independent research and successful postgraduates require a high degree of self-motivation. Nevertheless, lectures and classes may be arranged, and students are expected to attend both seminars (delivered regularly by members of the University and by visiting scholars and industrialists) and external conferences. Postgraduate students are also expected to participate in the undergraduate teaching programme at some time whilst they are based at the Cavendish, in order to develop their teaching, demonstrating, outreach, organisational and person-management skills.

It is expected that postgraduate students will also take advantage of the multiple opportunities available for transferable skills training within the University during their period of research.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the research programme, students will have demonstrated:

• the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the discipline, and merit publication;
• a systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of an academic discipline or area of professional practice;
• the general ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of the discipline, and to adjust the project design in the light of unforeseen problems;
• a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry; and
• the development of a PhD thesis for examination that they can defend in an oral examination and, if successful, graduate with a PhD.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

See further the  Postgraduate Admissions Events  pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, department of physics, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, lent 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Easter 2024 (Closed)

Michaelmas 2024 (closed), easter 2025, funding deadlines.

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

Similar Courses

• Physics MPhil
• Planetary Science and Life in the Universe MPhil
• Computational Methods for Materials Science CDT PhD
• Mathematics MPhil
• Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics PhD

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Ph.D. program

The Applied Physics Department offers a Ph.D. degree program; see  Admissions Overview  for how to apply.  

1.  Courses . Current listings of Applied Physics (and Physics) courses are available via  Explore Courses . Courses are available in Physics and Mathematics to overcome deficiencies, if any, in undergraduate preparation. It is expected the specific course requirements are completed by the  end of the 3rd year  at Stanford.

Required Basic Graduate Courses.   30 units (quarter hours) including:

• Basic graduate courses in advanced mechanics, statistical physics, electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, and an advanced laboratory course. In cases where students feel they have already covered the materials in one of the required basic graduate courses, a petition for waiver of the course may be submitted and is subject to approval by a faculty committee.
• 18 units of advanced coursework in science and/or engineering to fit the particular interests of the individual student. Such courses typically are in Applied Physics, Physics, or Electrical Engineering, but courses may also be taken in other departments, e.g., Biology, Materials Science and Engineering, Mathematics, Chemistry. The purpose of this requirement is to provide training in a specialized field of research and to encourage students to cover material beyond their own special research interests.​

​ Required Additional Courses .  Additional courses needed to meet the minimum residency requirement of 135 units of completed course work. Directed study and research units as well as 1-unit seminar courses can be included. Courses are sometimes given on special topics, and there are several seminars that meet weekly to discuss current research activities at Stanford and elsewhere. All graduate students are encouraged to participate in the special topics courses and seminars. A limited number of courses are offered during the Summer Quarter. Most students stay in residence during the summer and engage in independent study or research programs.

The list of the PhD degree core coursework is listed in the bulletin here:  https://bulletin.stanford.edu/programs/APLPH-PHD .

3.  Dissertation Research.   Research is frequently supervised by an Applied Physics faculty member, but an approved program of research may be supervised by a faculty member from another department.

4.  Research Progress Report.   Students give an oral research progress report to their dissertation reading committee during the winter quarter of the 4th year.

5.  Dissertation.

6.  University Oral Examination .  The examination includes a public seminar in defense of the dissertation and questioning by a faculty committee on the research and related fields.

Most students continue their studies and research during the summer quarter, principally in independent study projects or dissertation research. The length of time required for the completion of the dissertation depends upon the student and upon the dissertation advisor. In addition, the University residency requirement of 135 graded units must be met.

Rotation Program

We offer an optional rotation program for 1st-year Ph.D. students where students may spend one quarter (10 weeks) each in up to three research groups in the first year. This helps students gain research experience and exposure to various labs, fields, and/or projects before determining a permanent group to complete their dissertation work. 

Sponsoring faculty members may be in the Applied Physics department, SLAC, or any other science or engineering department, as long as they are members of the Academic Council (including all tenure-line faculty). Rotations are optional and students may join a group without the rotation system by making an arrangement directly with the faculty advisor. 

During the first year, research assistantships (RAs) are fully funded by the department for the fall quarter; in the winter and spring quarters, RAs are funded 50/50 by the department and the research group hosting the student. RAs after the third quarter are, in general, not subsidized by the rotation program or the department and should be arranged directly by the student with their research advisor.

How to arrange a rotation

Rotation positions in faculty members’ groups are secured by the student by directly contacting and coordinating with faculty some time between the student’s acceptance into the Ph.D. program and the start of the rotation quarter. It is recommended that the student’s fall quarter rotation be finalized no later than Orientation Week before the academic year begins. A rotation with a different faculty member can be arranged for the subsequent quarters at any time. Most students join a permanent lab by the spring quarter of their first year after one or two rotations.  When coordinating a rotation, the student and the sponsoring faculty should discuss expectations for the rotation (e.g. project timeline or deliverables) and the availability of continued funding and permanent positions in the group. It is very important that the student and the faculty advisor have a clear understanding about expectations going forward.

What do current students say about rotations?

Advice from current ap students, setting up a rotation:.

• If you have a specific professor or group in mind, you should contact them as early as possible, as they may have a limited number of rotation spots.
• You can prepare a 1-page CV or resume to send to professors to summarize your research experiences and interest.
• Try to tour the lab/working areas, talk to senior graduate students, or attend group meeting to get a feel for how the group operates.
• If you don't receive a response from a professor, you can send a polite reminder, stop by their office, or contact their administrative assistant. If you receive a negative response, you shouldn't take it personally as rotation availability can depend year-to-year on funding and personnel availability.
• Don't feel limited to subfields that you have prior experience in. Rotations are for learning and for discovering what type of work and work environment suit you best, and you will have several years to develop into a fully-formed researcher!

You and your rotation advisor should coordinate early on about things like: 

• What project will you be working on and who will you be working with?
• What resources (e.g. equipment access and training, coursework) will you need to enable this work?
• How closely will you work with other members of the group? 
• How frequently will you and your rotation advisor meet?
• What other obligations (e.g. coursework, TAing) are you balancing alongside research?
• How will your progress be evaluated?
• Is there funding available to support you and this project beyond the rotation quarter?
• Will the rotation advisor take on new students into the group in the quarter following the rotation?

About a month before the end of the quarter, you should have a conversation with your advisor about things like:

• Will you remain in the current group or will you rotate elsewhere?
• If you choose to rotate elsewhere, does the option remain open to return to the present group later?
• If you choose to rotate elsewhere, will another rotation student be taken on for the same project?
• You don't have to rotate just for the sake of rotating! If you've found a group that suits you well in many aspects, it makes sense to continue your research momentum with that group.

Application process

View Admissions Overview View the Required Online Ph.D. Program Application  

Contact the Applied Physics Department Office at  [email protected]  if additional information on any of the above is needed.

PhD Program

**updated** graduate student guide coming soon, expected progress of physics graduate student to ph.d..

This document describes the Physics Department's expectations for the progress of a typical graduate student from admission to award of a PhD.  Because students enter the program with different training and backgrounds and because thesis research by its very nature is unpredictable, the time-frame for individual students will vary. Nevertheless, failure to meet the goals set forth here without appropriate justification may indicate that the student is not making adequate progress towards the PhD, and will therefore prompt consideration by the Department and possibly by Graduate Division of the student’s progress, which might lead to probation and later dismissal.

Course Work

Graduate students are required to take a minimum of 38 units of approved upper division or graduate elective courses (excluding any upper division courses required for the undergraduate major).  The department requires that students take the following courses which total 19 units: Physics 209 (Classical Electromagnetism), Physics 211 (Equilibrium Statistical Physics) and Physics 221A-221B (Quantum Mechanics). Thus, the normative program includes an additional 19 units (five semester courses) of approved upper division or graduate elective courses.  At least 11 units must be in the 200 series courses. Some of the 19 elective units could include courses in mathematics, biophysics, astrophysics, or from other science and engineering departments.  Physics 290, 295, 299, 301, and 602 are excluded from the 19 elective units. Physics 209, 211 and 221A-221B must be completed for a letter grade (with a minimum average grade of B).  No more than one-third of the 19 elective units may be fulfilled by courses graded Satisfactory, and then only with the approval of the Department.  Entering students are required to enroll in Physics 209 and 221A in the fall semester of their first year and Physics 211 and 221B in the spring semester of their first year. Exceptions to this requirement are made for 1) students who do not have sufficient background to enroll in these courses and have a written recommendation from their faculty mentor and approval from the head graduate adviser to delay enrollment to take preparatory classes, 2) students who have taken the equivalent of these courses elsewhere and receive written approval from the Department to be exempted. 

If a student has taken courses equivalent to Physics 209, 211 or 221A-221B, then subject credit may be granted for each of these course requirements.  A faculty committee will review your course syllabi and transcript.  A waiver form can be obtained in 378 Physics North from the Student Affairs Officer detailing all required documents.  If the committee agrees that the student has satisfied the course requirement at another institution, the student must secure the Head Graduate Adviser's approval.  The student must also take and pass the associated section of the preliminary exam.  Please note that official course waiver approval will not be granted until after the preliminary exam results have been announced.  If course waivers are approved, units for the waived required courses do not have to be replaced for PhD course requirements.  If a student has satisfied all first year required graduate courses elsewhere, they are only required to take an additional 19 units to satisfy remaining PhD course requirements.  (Note that units for required courses must be replaced for MA degree course requirements even if the courses themselves are waived; for more information please see MA degree requirements).

In exceptional cases, students transferring from other graduate programs may request a partial waiver of the 19 elective unit requirement. Such requests must be made at the time of application for admission to the Department.

The majority of first year graduate students are Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) with a 20 hour per week load (teaching, grading, and preparation).  A typical first year program for an entering graduate student who is teaching is:

First Semester

• Physics 209 Classical Electromagnetism (5)
• Physics 221A Quantum Mechanics (5)
• Physics 251 Introduction to Graduate Research (1)
• Physics 301 GSI Teaching Credit (2)
• Physics 375 GSI Training Seminar (for first time GSI's) (2)

Second Semester

• Physics 211 Equilibrium Statistical Physics (4)
• Physics 221B Quantum Mechanics (5)

Students who have fellowships and will not be teaching, or who have covered some of the material in the first year courses material as undergraduates may choose to take an additional course in one or both semesters of their first year.

Many students complete their course requirements by the end of the second year. In general, students are expected to complete their course requirements by the end of the third year. An exception to this expectation is that students who elect (with the approval of their mentor and the head graduate adviser) to fill gaps in their undergraduate background during their first year at Berkeley often need one or two additional semesters to complete their course work.

Faculty Mentors

Incoming graduate students are each assigned a faculty mentor. In general, mentors and students are matched according to the student's research interest.   If a student's research interests change, or if (s)he feels there is another faculty member who can better serve as a mentor, the student is free to request a change of assignment.

The role of the faculty mentor is to advise graduate students who have not yet identified research advisers on their academic program, on their progress in that program and on strategies for passing the preliminary exam and finding a research adviser.  Mentors also are a “friendly ear” and are ready to help students address other issues they may face coming to a new university and a new city.  Mentors are expected to meet with the students they advise individually a minimum of once per semester, but often meet with them more often.  Mentors should contact incoming students before the start of the semester, but students arriving in Berkeley should feel free to contact their mentors immediately.

Student-Mentor assignments continue until the student has identified a research adviser.  While many students continue to ask their mentors for advice later in their graduate career, the primary role of adviser is transferred to the research adviser once a student formally begins research towards his or her dissertation. The Department asks student and adviser to sign a “mentor-adviser” form to make this transfer official.  

Preliminary Exams

In order to most benefit from graduate work, incoming students need to have a solid foundation in undergraduate physics, including mechanics, electricity and magnetism, optics, special relativity, thermal and statistical physics and quantum mechanics, and to be able to make order-of-magnitude estimates and analyze physical situations by application of general principles. These are the topics typically included, and at the level usually taught, within a Bachelor's degree program in Physics at most universities. As a part of this foundation, the students should also have formed a well-integrated overall picture of the fields studied. The preliminary exam is meant to assess the students' background, so that any missing pieces can be made up as soon as possible. The exam is made up of four sections.  Each section is administered twice a year, at the start of each semester.  

For a longer description of the preliminary exam, please visit Preliminary Exam page

Start of Research

Students are encouraged to begin research as soon as possible. Many students identify potential research advisers in their first year and most have identified their research adviser before the end of their second year.  When a research adviser is identified, the Department asks that both student and research adviser sign a form (also available from the Student Affairs Office, 378 Physics North) indicating that the student has (provisionally) joined the adviser’s research group with the intent of working towards a PhD.  In many cases, the student will remain in that group for their thesis work, but sometimes the student or faculty adviser will decide that the match of individuals or research direction is not appropriate.  Starting research early gives students flexibility to change groups when appropriate without incurring significant delays in time to complete their degree.

Departmental expectations are that experimental research students begin work in a research group by the summer after the first year; this is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged.  Students doing theoretical research are similarly encouraged to identify a research direction, but often need to complete a year of classes in their chosen specialty before it is possible for them to begin research.  Students intending to become theory students and have to take the required first year classes may not be able to start research until the summer after their second year.  Such students are encouraged to attend theory seminars and maintain contact with faculty in their chosen area of research even before they can begin a formal research program. 

If a student chooses dissertation research with a supervisor who is not in the department, he or she must find an appropriate Physics faculty member who agrees to serve as the departmental research supervisor of record and as co-adviser. This faculty member is expected to monitor the student's progress towards the degree and serve on the student's qualifying and dissertation committees. The student will enroll in Physics 299 (research) in the co-adviser's section.  The student must file the Outside Research Proposal for approval; petitions are available in the Student Affairs Office, 378 Physics North.   

Students who have not found a research adviser by the end of the second year will be asked to meet with their faculty mentor to develop a plan for identifying an adviser and research group.  Students who have not found a research adviser by Spring of the third year are not making adequate progress towards the PhD.  These students will be asked to provide written documentation to the department explaining their situation and their plans to begin research.  Based on their academic record and the documentation they provide, such students may be warned by the department that they are not making adequate progress, and will be formally asked to find an adviser.  The record of any student who has not identified an adviser by the end of Spring of the fourth year will be evaluated by a faculty committee and the student may be asked to leave the program. 

Qualifying Exam

Rules and requirements associated with the Qualifying Exam are set by the Graduate Division on behalf of the Graduate Council.  Approval of the committee membership and the conduct of the exam are therefore subject to Graduate Division approval.  The exam is oral and lasts 2-3 hours.  The Graduate Division specifies that the purpose of the Qualifying Exam is “to ascertain the breadth of the student's comprehension of fundamental facts and principles that apply to at least three subject areas related to the major field of study and whether the student has the ability to think incisively and critically about the theoretical and the practical aspects of these areas.”  It also states that “this oral examination of candidates for the doctorate serves a significant additional function. Not only teaching, but the formal interaction with students and colleagues at colloquia, annual meetings of professional societies and the like, require the ability to synthesize rapidly, organize clearly, and argue cogently in an oral setting.  It is necessary for the University to ensure that a proper examination is given incorporating these skills.”

Please see the  Department website for a description of the Qualifying Exam and its Committee .   Note: You must login with your Calnet ID to access QE information . Passing the Qualifying Exam, along with a few other requirements described on the department website, will lead to Advancement to Candidacy.  Qualifying exam scheduling forms can be picked up in the Student Affairs Office, 378 Physics North.   

The Department expects students to take the Qualifying Exam two or three semesters after they identify a research adviser. This is therefore expected to occur for most students in their third year, and no later than fourth year. A student is considered to have begun research when they first register for Physics 299 or fill out the department mentor-adviser form showing that a research adviser has accepted the student for PhD work or hired as a GSR (Graduate Student Researcher), at which time the research adviser becomes responsible for guidance and mentoring of the student.  (Note that this decision is not irreversible – the student or research adviser can decide that the match of individuals or research direction is not appropriate or a good match.)  Delays in this schedule cause concern that the student is not making adequate progress towards the PhD.  The student and adviser will be asked to provide written documentation to the department explaining the delay and clarifying the timeline for taking the Qualifying Exam.

Annual Progress Reports

Graduate Division requires that each student’s performance be annually assessed to provide students with timely information about the faculty’s evaluation of their progress towards PhD.  Annual Progress Reports are completed during the Spring Semester.  In these reports, the student is asked to discuss what progress he or she has made toward the degree in the preceding year, and to discuss plans for the following year and for PhD requirements that remain to be completed.  The mentor or research adviser or members of the Dissertation Committee (depending on the student’s stage of progress through the PhD program) comment on the student’s progress and objectives. In turn, the student has an opportunity to make final comments. 

Before passing the Qualifying Exam, the annual progress report (obtained from the Physics Student Affairs Office in 378 Physics North) is completed by the student and either his/her faculty mentor or his/her research adviser, depending on whether or not the student has yet begun research (see above).  This form includes a statement of intended timelines to take the Qualifying Exam, which is expected to be within 2-3 semesters of starting research.  

After passing the Qualifying Exam, the student and research adviser complete a similar form, but in addition to the research adviser, the student must also meet with at least one other and preferably both other members of their Dissertation Committee (this must include their co-adviser if the research adviser is not a member of the Physics Department) to discuss progress made in the past year, plans for the upcoming year, and overall progress towards the PhD.  This can be done either individually as one-on-one meetings of the graduate student with members of the Dissertation Committee, or as a group meeting with presentation. (The Graduate Council requires that all doctoral students who have been advanced to candidacy meet annually with at least two members of the Dissertation Committee. The annual review is part of the Graduate Council’s efforts to improve the doctoral completion rate and to shorten the time it takes students to obtain a doctorate.)

Advancement to Candidacy

After passing the Qualifying Examination, the next step in the student's career is to advance to candidacy as soon as possible.  Advancement to candidacy is the academic stage when a student has completed all requirements except completion of the dissertation.  Students are still required to enroll in 12 units per semester; these in general are expected to be seminars and research units.  Besides passing the Qualifying Exam, there are a few other requirements described in the Graduate Program Booklet. Doctoral candidacy application forms can be picked up in the Student Affairs Office, 378 Physics North.

Completion of Dissertation Work

The expected time for completion of the PhD program is six years.  While the Department recognizes that research time scales can be unpredictable, it strongly encourages students and advisers to develop dissertation proposals consistent with these expectations.  The Berkeley Physics Department does not have dissertation defense exams, but encourages students and their advisers to ensure that students learn the important skill of effective research presentations, including a presentation of their dissertation work to their peers and interested faculty and researchers.

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How to Get a Ph.D. in Physics

Last Updated: August 22, 2023 Approved

This article was co-authored by Sean Alexander, MS . Sean Alexander is an Academic Tutor specializing in teaching mathematics and physics. Sean is the Owner of Alexander Tutoring, an academic tutoring business that provides personalized studying sessions focused on mathematics and physics. With over 15 years of experience, Sean has worked as a physics and math instructor and tutor for Stanford University, San Francisco State University, and Stanbridge Academy. He holds a BS in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MS in Theoretical Physics from San Francisco State University. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 149,523 times.

Physics can be an exciting field to go into! You can pursue a career in academics, in government research, or in the private sector. To start on the road to getting a PhD, develop your science and math skills. If you're still in high school and college, you have ample time to focus on your science education; if not, don't be deterred. Even without a science degree, you can find and apply to a PhD program of your choice. After that, all you need to do is complete your PhD program; it's not an easy task, but it's one you can achieve if you set your mind to it.

Developing Your Education in High School and College

• It can help to find a role model. If there are physicists in your community, try contacting them to see if they'll help you in your pursuit. Many may be willing to have you shadow them for a period of time.
• Don't forget to invest time in math classes, as well, as math is essential to physics.
• Make sure you are well-rounded, though. To do well on college entrance exams, it helps to be proficient in as many subjects as possible.

• To do well on these exams, you'll need to prep ahead of time. Your school may offer prep courses, but you can also purchase study guides that have practice tests. Taking practice tests gives you an idea of what the actual exam will be like, so you can go into the test with less anxiety. [3] X Research source

• Though not necessary, it can help to know whether you want to go into theoretical or experimental physics, though it's not a requirement. [4] X Research source

• Ask your professors about opportunities in your college and surrounding area.

Applying to a Graduate Program

• You do not need to be a genius to get a PhD. Graduate school is hard work, but success depends on your dedication more than on your ability.

• Like the SAT and ACT, you can find any number of prep courses and prep materials for the GRE. You can also find practice tests to take online.

• Keep in mind that in some cases, schools will collapse a master's program and PhD into one program. So when you choose a master's program, you may very well be choosing your PhD program, as well.
• 4 Try to meet and talk to physicists. Look into physics talks for the general public in your area or contact a physics department directly. Most places will be happy to give you information and point you to resources about graduate programs.

Determining Your Research Focus

• Take the time to gain some experience. Apply for lab positions so you can get a feel for what it's like to do research in a lab full time.

• Choosing a school with professors whose research you enjoy is a great way to focus your work. As your work gets more individual, you want to work with professors who have similar interests.

• Submit all the appropriate paperwork for your application, including your transcripts, academic references, and your basic application. [10] X Research source
• In many cases, you'll need to write a personal statement or research proposal, as well.

Working on Your PhD

• Try to focus classes on the area you want to write on.
• Outside of class, read as much as you can in your area.

• The best way to get started is to attend department functions so you can start getting to know your professors better, as well as their interests.
• It can also help to talk with older students informally, so you can get an idea of who will be a good fit for you.

• Part of managing your time well is learning to shift your schedule when you need to. If something is taking longer than it should, realize you'll need to cut something else from your day.

• You should also take advantage of courses teaching things like writing grant proposals, which is a great skill to have.

Researching and Writing Your Dissertation

• If you're still looking, consider taking classes with potential advisors. You can also ask to meet with them, though be sure to do your research ahead of time by reading articles the professor has published.
• "What are your expectations for a research student?"
• "How do you offer criticism?"
• "How often will we meet?"
• "How quickly will you get back to me with revisions?"
• Once you've narrowed down your choices, approach the professor and ask them to be your research advisor. If you have an interdisciplinary project, you may need more than one advisor.

• Start with the outline. You fill in the verbiage last, usually. Figure out what you need to say, and divide it into chapters. Work on the supporting figures next. You'll need plenty of figures and tables to support your conclusions. Additionally, reviewers on your committee may not read every word, but they usually look at all of the figures and read the captions to get the gist of what's going on.
• When you write, only write. Give yourself a time span where you allow yourself no option of doing anything else but writing. Sometimes it helps to write in the same office/coffee shop/etc. with another student working on their thesis, if you both can keep each other on task. You can take breaks together and take the heat off a bit.

• However, by the time you're doing your defense, your paper should have been reviewed multiple times by your advisor, which means you shouldn't have any trouble passing.

Expert Q&A

• Don't let money hold you back. Most physics departments will support their students through teaching assistantships or research assistantships. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Is your interest more focused on learning or on doing science?
• Would you enjoy actively doing research in physics? All programs require you to take classes or pass exams, but most of your work during a PhD program will be dedicated to doing research.
• What would you pursue once you get a PhD? If what you are after is a particular job or line of work, consider whether you need a PhD for it.
• Are you comfortable with spending a few additional years in a university? Most PhD programs in the United States will take 5-6 years on average.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://mkaku.org/home/articles/so-you-want-to-become-a-physicist/
• ↑ https://www.princetonreview.com/college/sat-act
• ↑ Sean Alexander, MS. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 14 May 2020.
• ↑ https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/?WT.ac=grehome_greabout_b_150213
• ↑ https://www.elsevier.com/connect/9-things-you-should-consider-before-embarking-on-a-phd
• ↑ http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/pcphpdphy/apply
• ↑ http://web.eecs.umich.edu/~imarkov/advisor.html
• ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2015/12/07/what-its-like-to-get-a-phd-in-experimental-physics/#43b503524fe0
• ↑ http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/08/what_is_the_value_of_a_science_phd_is_graduate_school_worth_the_effort_.html

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Many PhD students in the MIT Physics Department incorporate probability, statistics, computation, and data analysis into their research. These techniques are becoming increasingly important for both experimental and theoretical Physics research, with ever-growing datasets, more sophisticated physics simulations, and the development of cutting-edge machine learning tools. The Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Statistics (IDPS)  is designed to provide students with the highest level of competency in 21st century statistics, enabling doctoral students across MIT to better integrate computation and data analysis into their PhD thesis research.

Admission to this program is restricted to students currently enrolled in the Physics doctoral program or another participating MIT doctoral program. In addition to satisfying all of the requirements of the Physics PhD, students take one subject each in probability, statistics, computation and statistics, and data analysis, as well as the Doctoral Seminar in Statistics, and they write a dissertation in Physics utilizing statistical methods. Graduates of the program will receive their doctoral degree in the field of “Physics, Statistics, and Data Science.”

Doctoral students in Physics may submit an Interdisciplinary PhD in Statistics Form between the end of their second semester and penultimate semester in their Physics program. The application must include an endorsement from the student’s advisor, an up-to-date CV, current transcript, and a 1-2 page statement of interest in Statistics and Data Science.

The statement of interest can be based on the student’s thesis proposal for the Physics Department, but it must demonstrate that statistical methods will be used in a substantial way in the proposed research. In their statement, applicants are encouraged to explain how specific statistical techniques would be applied in their research. Applicants should further highlight ways that their proposed research might advance the use of statistics and data science, both in their physics subfield and potentially in other disciplines. If the work is part of a larger collaborative effort, the applicant should focus on their personal contributions.

For access to the selection form or for further information, please contact the IDSS Academic Office at  [email protected] .

Required Courses

Courses in this list that satisfy the Physics PhD degree requirements can count for both programs. Other similar or more advanced courses can count towards the “Computation & Statistics” and “Data Analysis” requirements, with permission from the program co-chairs. The IDS.190 requirement may be satisfied instead by IDS.955 Practical Experience in Data, Systems, and Society, if that experience exposes the student to a diverse set of topics in statistics and data science. Making this substitution requires permission from the program co-chairs prior to doing the practical experience.

• IDS.190 – Doctoral Seminar in Statistics and Data Science ( may be substituted by IDS.955 Practical Experience in Data, Systems and Society )
• 6.7700[J] Fundamentals of Probability or
• 18.675 – Theory of Probability
• 6.S951 Modern Mathematical Statistics or
• 18.655 – Mathematical Statistics or
• 18.6501 – Fundamentals of Statistics or
• IDS.160[J] – Mathematical Statistics: A Non-Asymptotic Approach
• 6.C01/6.C51 – Modeling with Machine Learning: From Algorithms to Applications or
• 6.7810 Algorithms for Inference or
• 6.8610 (6.864) Advanced Natural Language Processing or
• 6.7900 (6.867) Machine Learning or
• 6.8710 (6.874) Computational Systems Biology: Deep Learning in the Life Sciences or
• 9.520[J] – Statistical Learning Theory and Applications or
• 16.940 – Numerical Methods for Stochastic Modeling and Inference or
• 18.337 – Numerical Computing and Interactive Software
• 8.316 – Data Science in Physics or
• 6.8300 (6.869) Advances in Computer Vision or
• 8.334 – Statistical Mechanics II or
• 8.371[J] – Quantum Information Science or
• 8.591[J] – Systems Biology or
• 8.592[J] – Statistical Physics in Biology or
• 8.942 – Cosmology or
• 9.583 – Functional MRI: Data Acquisition and Analysis or
• 16.456[J] – Biomedical Signal and Image Processing or
• 18.367 – Waves and Imaging or
• IDS.131[J] – Statistics, Computation, and Applications

Grade Policy

C, D, F, and O grades are unacceptable. Students should not earn more B grades than A grades, reflected by a PhysSDS GPA of ≥ 4.5. Students may be required to retake subjects graded B or lower, although generally one B grade will be tolerated.

Unless approved by the PhysSDS co-chairs, a minimum grade of B+ is required in all 12 unit courses, except IDS.190 (3 units) which requires a P grade.

Though not required, it is strongly encouraged for a member of the MIT  Statistics and Data Science Center (SDSC)  to serve on a student’s doctoral committee. This could be an SDSC member from the Physics department or from another field relevant to the proposed thesis research.

Thesis Proposal

All students must submit a thesis proposal using the standard Physics format. Dissertation research must involve the utilization of statistical methods in a substantial way.

PhysSDS Committee

• Jesse Thaler (co-chair)
• Mike Williams (co-chair)
• Isaac Chuang
• Janet Conrad
• William Detmold
• Philip Harris
• Jacqueline Hewitt
• Kiyoshi Masui
• Leonid Mirny
• Christoph Paus
• Phiala Shanahan
• Marin Soljačić
• Washington Taylor
• Max Tegmark

Can I satisfy the requirements with courses taken at Harvard?

Harvard CompSci 181 will count as the equivalent of MIT’s 6.867.  For the status of other courses, please contact the program co-chairs.

Can a course count both for the Physics degree requirements and the PhysSDS requirements?

Yes, this is possible, as long as the courses are already on the approved list of requirements. E.g. 8.592 can count as a breadth requirement for a NUPAX student as well as a Data Analysis requirement for the PhysSDS degree.

If I have previous experience in Probability and/or Statistics, can I test out of these requirements?

These courses are required by all of the IDPS degrees. They are meant to ensure that all students obtaining an IDPS degree share the same solid grounding in these fundamentals, and to help build a community of IDPS students across the various disciplines. Only in exceptional cases might it be possible to substitute more advanced courses in these areas.

Can I substitute a similar or more advanced course for the PhysSDS requirements?

Yes, this is possible for the “computation and statistics” and “data analysis” requirements, with permission of program co-chairs. Substitutions for the “probability” and “statistics” requirements will only be granted in exceptional cases.

For Spring 2021, the following course has been approved as a substitution for the “computation and statistics” requirement:   18.408 (Theoretical Foundations for Deep Learning) .

The following course has been approved as a substitution for the “data analysis” requirement:   6.481 (Introduction to Statistical Data Analysis) .

Can I apply for the PhysSDS degree in my last semester at MIT?

No, you must apply no later than your penultimate semester.

What does it mean to use statistical methods in a “substantial way” in one’s thesis?

The ideal case is that one’s thesis advances statistics research independent of the Physics applications. Advancing the use of statistical methods in one’s subfield of Physics would also qualify. Applying well-established statistical methods in one’s thesis could qualify, if the application is central to the Physics result. In all cases, we expect the student to demonstrate mastery of statistics and data science.

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 The Ph.D. Degree

Completing a Ph.D. in Physics or Astronomy is a  significant challenge, not only because of the large amount of intellectual and emotional effort, but also because of the many requirements

  The learning goals for the PhD degree are as follows:

• Should have mastered core physics and should be familiar with areas of physics outside their research specialty.
• Should be able to think independently and have acquired critical reasoning skills.
• Should be an expert in their research specialty and have demonstrated the ability to conduct original research.
• Should be able to communicate research results to an audience of physicists.

Requirements

Our program has 3 defined tracks to a Ph.D. Most students will follow the  Default Track , but there are also the options of a  Ph.D. Degree with Concentration in Astronomy  and a  Ph.D. Degree with Concentration in Physical Biology ,  which have modified requirements from the  Default Track . We will begin by discussing the requirements of the  Default Track and later specifying how the requirements for the other two trracks differ.

Default Track to a Ph.D. Degree in Physics

The requirements for the Ph.D. Degree are  are presented in the flow chart below. The discussion below is divided into three major sections: 1) required courses, 2) exams, and 3) thesis research. Only courses with a grade B or better are counted towards the Ph.D. degree.

Core Courses

One of the requirements for advancement to candidacy is demonstration of command of four core areas of physics: Classical Mechanics (PHY 501), Electricity and Magnetism (PHY 505), Quantum Mechanics (PHY 511/512) and Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics (PHY 540). If a student already successfully passed similar courses elsewhere a student can fulfill the course requirments of one or more of these core courses by taking advanced graduate courses (subject to approval by an Advising Committee appointed by the Graduate Program Director). If that is not the case you can still skip these courses by a sufficiently good performance in the corresponding parts of a placement examination given during the beginning of the Fall semester.   (2nd year students and beyond need permission from the Graduate Program Director).   Most students take the core courses during their first year.

PHY 598 and 599 are required of all Ph.D., M.S.I. and M.A. students. Almost everybody should take them during their first two semesters at Stony Brook as they provide a good way to get acquainted with the department. The two courses cover different areas of physics, and they can be taken in any order.

Other Required Courses for the Ph.D.

• PHY 515 or PHY 517 -  Both laboratory courses provide an introduction to the special problems of experimental physics and astronomy. Students perform a number of classical and instructive experiments to learn why and how we acquire the knowledge upon which physics is based.
• PHY 600 Teaching (two semesters) -  Because teaching and research are inextricably intertwined in a scientist's career, all Ph.D. students are required to teach (be a TA) for two semesters. Many do this for a second year. The first introduction to teaching begins during the orientation week: entering students participate in a TA training, required for all new TA's. Usually graduate students will conduct laboratory sections associated with undergraduate courses. Senior faculty members closely supervise this effort. Students normally do their teaching concurrently with their own first year courses, and earn 0-3 academic credits per semester in PHY 600.
• PHY 598 and PHY 599 - Teaching skills are also honed in PHY 598 and PHY 599 where students gain experience presenting research topics to an audience of their peers. This requires very different skills because in PHY 598 and PHY 599 the level of knowledge of speaker and listeners is nearly on a par and because the motivation for the activity is also quite different. Thus, the graduate students are prepared for the time they will present research at seminars or at scientific meetings, as well as for their own thesis defense.
• Breadth Requirement - All Ph.D. students must take at least three advanced courses in three different areas of physics and astronomy or a related area chosen from a list of courses and areas approved for this purpose (see table below) or courses approved by the graduate program director. No more than one course from the 680 or 690 series or outside the Department of Physics and Astronomy can be used to fulfill this requirement.

Students in the Astronomy track have the option to take three of the four astronomy courses (PHY 521-524) rather than the above.

Core Course Plans

How quickly you approach the core courses should depend on your level of preparation. Please do not underestimate these courses and overestimate your own preparation! Remember that you also need to do breadth, grad lab, grad seminars. Here are some example plans you could follow, slowest at the top, fastest at the bottom.

Course Waivers

On the basis of work done at other universities waivers may be granted for required courses such as core courses, breadth requirements, teaching experience, PHY 515, etc.  Waivers have to be requested during the first semester of study in Stony Brook and all such requests must be directed to the Graduate Program Director. In general, it is not sufficient to have the transcript. The student must also bring to Stony Brook, and be prepared to show, other supporting documentation, for example a detailed course syllabus, printouts of the course WEB pages, homework assignments, etc. To obtain a waiver of a core course where the student has not taken an equivalent graduate course the student should pass the relevant subject on the Comprehensive Exam at the Placement level.

In the case of the Graduate Laboratory course (PHY 515 or PHY 517) all materials associated with the course taken elsewhere should be presented: syllabus, the faculty supplied instructions or "write-ups" of the experiments done by the student, the laboratory logbook in which the student recorded the day-to-day results of each experiment, and the final written report for each experiment, together with the grades for each of those. Students seeking a waiver in PHY 515 or PHY 517 should submit all materials to faculty teaching the course soon after arrival to Stony Brook. Instead of fully waiving the course requirement, waivers are sometimes granted for individual experiments.

Comprehensive and Placement Exam

The comprehensive exam, which also plays the role of a Placement Exam is offered in four days, and covers classical mechanics (CM), relativity, electricity, magnetism and optics (EM), quantum mechanics (QM) and statistical mechanics and thermodynamics (SM). The exam takes place in August and in January during the week before the start of classes. 

All PhD students are required to pass the Comprehensive exam before the start of their third year as PhD student. The minimum requirement for passing this exam is passing three subjects at the PhD level and one subject at the Master level.  Admission to the fifth semester of graduate study is contingent upon passing the comprehensive and oral exams or by explicit approval of the Graduate Program Director . We encourage all first-year students to take the Comprehensive exam for practice. There is no expectation by the Department that such students will pass, although some do. There is absolutely no disgrace in an unsuccessful attempt.

Most students with an American bachelor degree and no additional advanced studies have passed the Comprehensive by the beginning of the fourth semester; many pass earlier. Students with more advanced background often pass in the first year. In some cases, students pass the comprehensive exam at the beginning of the fifth semester,  but this is not encouraged. In such cases, the Oral exam should be completed beforehand so that a student's status in the department is clear immediately after the written exam results are available.

The comprehensive exam can be passed at three different levels. The highest level is at the placement level, then all three problems in a given subject area have to be passed at a high level set by the faculty. Students passing at this level are exempt from the corresoponding core course requirement. The second pass level is the PhD level -- at this level students have to pass only two of the three problems at a lower level than the placement level. The lowest pass level, also for two out of the three problems for each subject, is as the Master level. The passing level is set by the faculty and is lower than the PhD level. The comprehensive exam is passed in each subject separately. The level is roughly that of the midterm and final examinations in the core courses. With regards to academic integrity, religious observances, disabilities, etc., this exam follows the university wide guidelines for courses and exams. One hand written page of notes (both sides) is allowed for each subject.

The Comprehensive Exam is prepared by the Graduate Examinations Committee. The Department's faculty meets to discuss the results of the Comprehensive exam about one week after each exam. After that meeting, the answer books are available in the Department office for inspection by the students for grading errors, or for removal by the appropriate student. No grade changes are allowed to an exam book after it has left the office. It is a student's responsibility to ask a professor to regrade a particular question, and this must be done in the office. A large number of small grade changes is not an acceptable way to make a significant change in a total score. Unclaimed books may be discarded after four weeks.

Waivers: A transfer student who has been admitted into the Ph.D. program in Physics at Stony Brook and who has passed a written comprehensive examination as a matriculated student in the doctoral program of the physics or astronomy department at another university may request a waiver of the written comprehensive examination. To request such a waiver a student should:

• First, discuss the situation with the Graduate Program Director.
• Submit to the Graduate Examination Committee a copy (in English or in the original language with an English translation) of the examination which the student passed.
• Supply a signed statement by a the Chair or Graduate Program Director of the student's previous university certifying the maximum possible grade on the examination, the minimum grade for a pass at the Ph.D. level, and the grade obtained by the student.

The Graduate Examinations Committee will consider both the level of the test and the quality of the student's performance in deciding whether to recommend to the faculty that the student be exempted from taking the written comprehensive exam at Stony Brook.

The oral exam consists of a presentation of an  approved and interesting topic in physics or astronomy to a committee of at least three faculty members and should be prepared under the guidance of one of them. The committee members must be approved in advance by both the Graduate Program Director. The committee should contain at least one experimentalist and one theorist, and at least one member whose research specialty is different from the student's field of research. At least half of the committee, and the chair, must be full time faculty.

The faculty advisor for the oral exam will generally become the student's thesis advisor. This exam is a demonstration that the student is capable of beginning Ph.D. level research. The student should show that he/she is conversant with the basic phenomenology of the chosen research field, but it is not necessary to show a completed research project.  

The Oral exam, like the Comprehensive Exam, should be passed by the end of the student's fourth semester at Stony Brook. In practical terms, the latest passing date is week 2 of the 5th Semester. 

In some cases a student may pass the Oral Exam on time, but a thesis advisor will not be identified before the beginning of the fifth semester. In this case, students will be provisionally readmitted for the fifth semester (but not for later semesters, except if an advisor is identified). The Department can not guarantee financial support to students readmitted this way.

Thesis Defense

This is the last exam taken by a Ph.D. student at Stony Brook; It is the defense of the thesis in the form of an oral presentation before the Thesis Defense Committte. This Committee has at least four members: typically the three members of the student's Oral Exam Committee, and one more member, outside of the Department. The outside member should be able to give an independent evaluation of the thesis work and cannot be a collaborator or co-author. At least three members must be Physics and Astronomy faculty (full time or adjunct). At least half of the committee, and the chair, must be full time faculty. There should be at least one experimentalist, at least one theorist, and at least one department member from a research field other than that of the thesis topic. The external member may also serve as the required theorist or experimentalist. The chair can not be your advisor. At most one committee member can attend by Skype, and the defending student, the Chair and the Advisor have to be physically present. All defense committees are subject to approval by the Graduate Program Director. Usually, the student's Oral Exam committee serves as the core of the Defense Committee. The committee must have at least three members (adjunct or full time) from the Department, and one external member - a scientist from another Department at Stony Brook, or another institution. At least half of the committee, and the chair, must be full time faculty. There should be at least one experimentalist, at least one theorist, and at least one department member from a research field other than that of the thesis topic. The external member may also serve as the required theorist or experimentalist. The thesis supervisor is an ex officio member of the committee, and can not serve as the chairperson.

The committee must be approved at least 28 days in advance by both the Graduate Program Director and the Graduate School. The Doctoral Degree Defense form should be also sent to the Graduate Program Director at least four weeks before the scheduled date of the defense. A defense announcment needs to be prepared and sent to the Graduate program director at least 3 weeks before the defense.

The written Ph.D. thesis should be distributed two or three weeks before the exam, so that committee members can read the work carefully.

Procedures when Requirements are not Met

Core courses.   Students are required to take the core courses, except if they passed the relevant Comprehensive Exam at the Placement level. If a student  has not passed out of the course and does not pass the course with a grade B or better, he/she can either take the course again or petition for a "make-up" oral exam. The "make-up" oral exam may be set up to test the student's knowledge in the particular area. For example, if a student got a B- in PHY 505 then the exam will cover "Electricity and Magnetism". The time of the exam, and the three member exam committee will be chosen by the Graduate Program Director.

Comprehensive exam. If a PhD student has not passed the comprehensive exam at the beginning of their fifth semester, an ad hoc committee shall be setup. This committee will be chaired by the graduate program director and include the chair of the exam committee, any mentors assigned by the mentoring program, and any advisor if the student has started working with a professor. Additional members as considered appropriate may be added at the discretion of the graduate program director. This committee will decide whether the student shall be given an Oral Exam in the relevant subject(s), whether there are additional comprehensive exam attempts to be given, or whether they will have to leave the program. The criteria on which the decision will be made include past performance on the comprehensive exam, the standing of the student with regard to required courses and their demonstrated potential to proceed to full time Ph.D. research. It is the department’s general policy that if progress on these three criteria is satisfactory a student will be granted an opportunity to either take the written exam again or have an Oral Exam. In the event a student is denied this opportunity and asked to leave the program they may request that their case is discussed at a meeting of the full faculty as a final appeal.

Oral Exam.   This exam can be repeated as long as the student is within the deadlines outlined above.

PhD Degree with Concentration in Astronomy

Students whose emphasis will be in astronomy a have modified set of course requirements. During their first two years, they should take three of the four core astronomy courses, PHY 521, 522, 523, 524, which are offered one each semester. Therefore a possible astronomy sequence looks like this:

The particular order of the astronomy courses is determined by the actual course offering in those semesters. The order PHY540/PHY505 and PHY511/PHY512 can be switched according to the preference of the student.   PHY 515 or PHY 517 (discussed above) can be taken in any semester during the first two years.

PhD Degree with Concentration in Physical Biology

This is an interdisciplenary concentration in connection with the   Laufer Center for quantitative biology . Students usually declare their interest in this concentration not later than the end of the first semester. Postponing this decision will result in a loss of time. The main difference with the default physics concentration is a reduction of core courses by one course while several physical biology courses are required. Instead of the graduate lab students do rotations with faculty associated with the Laufer center. Also the Graduate Seminar is substituted by the Laufer Center Journal Club. The Requirements fo a Ph.D. Degree in Physics with Concentration in Physical Biology are as follows:

• Four Physics core course: Electrodynamics (PHY 505), Quantum Mechanics I (PHY 511), Statistical Mechanics (PHY 540) and either Classical Mechanics (PHY 501) or Quantum Mechanics II (PHY 512).
• Two Core Courses in Physical Biology: Physical Biology (PHY 558) and Biological Dynamics and Network (PHY 559)
• Biology For Physical Scientists (PHY 561)
• Two semesters of Teaching (PHY 600)
• Two semesters of Lab Rotations (PHY 584 / AMS 531)
• Two semester of the Laufer Center Journal Club (PHY 665 / AMS 532)
• Two Life Science courses form an approved list. Currently, the following courses have been approved: Biomolecular Structure and Analysis (CHE 541), Molecular Genetics (MCB 503 ), Structural Biology and Spectroscopy (MCB 512), Graduate Biochemistry I ( MCB 520) and Cell Biology (MCB 656), Introduction to Neurosience I (BNB 561), Introduction to Neurosience II (  BNB 562)
• Passing of the Comprehensive Exam. 
• An oral exam on a topic in Physical Biology
• Student shoud find an advisor working on the topic of Physical Biology

A typical course sequence for students in the Physical Biology concentration looks something like:

Additional information on the Concentration in Physical Biology can be found on the webpage of   the Laufer Center which also has a   list of course requirements.

Tuition rates for the Fall 2023 semester can be found here .

If properly handled, Ph. D students do not pay tuition, which is covered by a tutition scholarship. However, serious problems can arise for those who fail to follow instructions, respond to notices, or submit forms on time. Sometimes such failures result in large, irretrievable financial losses. To make sure that your Ph.D. tuition will be covered there are two important requiements you should pay attention to.

The first requirement is based on the   campus requirement   that all those eligible to become residents of the State of New York do so. The two main conditions for residency are one year of stay in NY state and an appropriate "visa" status (either US citizen, or permanent resident). Please carefully read the instructions on the bursars website and make sure you follow them.

The second requirement is related to the the fact that tuition depends on the number of credits taken, and there are limits on this, given in the chart below. The limit is not the same for all students, so find your status from your registration papers and consult the chart to determine the appropriate limit. Students who register for more than the limit will be liable for the difference.

Tuition scholarships for students classified as  G3 will cover between 9-12 credits, including remedial Oral Academic English courses if required. However, the tuition scholarship for G4 will cover only 9 credits. If G4 students need to take OAE courses, additional tuition support can be requested - please contact the Department's Office. This request is granted as a matter of routine.  G4 and G5 students must register for "exactly" 9 credits for full time status.  Note that many courses are offered for a variable number of credits, providing some flexibility to the students to satisfy these requirements. Sometimes a course may be taken for zero credit; nevertheless, in order to satisfy a Department requirement, full effort is expected from the student.

Tuition costs for 6 credits at the in-state rate will be charged to the research grants as students move on to research appointments (G5 status) as detailed here .

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PhD Physics / Overview

Year of entry: 2024

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The standard academic entry requirement for this PhD is an upper second-class (2:1) honours degree in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent) OR any upper-second class (2:1) honours degree and a Master’s degree at merit in a discipline directly relevant to the PhD (or international equivalent).

Other combinations of qualifications and research or work experience may also be considered. Please contact the admissions team to check.

Full entry requirements

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In your application you’ll need to include:

• The name of this programme
• Your research project title (i.e. the advertised project name or proposed project name) or area of research
• Your proposed supervisor’s name
• If you already have funding or you wish to be considered for any of the available funding
• A supporting statement (see 'Advice to Applicants' for what to include)
• Details of your previous university level study
• Names and contact details of your two referees.

Programme options

Programme description

The  Department of Physics and Astronomy at Manchester is one of the largest and most active physics departments in the UK. We have a long tradition of excellence in both teaching and research, and have interests in most areas of contemporary research.

The Department has a strong presence in a number of Manchester-based centres for multidisciplinary research: The National Graphene Institute, the Photon Science Institute, the Manchester Centre for Non-Linear Dynamics, and the Dalton Nuclear Institute. In addition, the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire is a part of the department.

Strong research activity exists in a broad range of physics topics funded by the Research Councils including EPSRC, STFC, BBSRC, the EU and industry. All the research groups offer well-equipped laboratories and computing facilities and are involved in a wide range of collaborative projects with industry and other academic departments in the UK and overseas. 

The postgraduate research environment is well funded and world-class as demonstrated by our ranking in REF2021.  Supervision is provided by academic staff, who are leaders in their fields, with independent pastoral back-up. Transferable skills training is available and there are some school teaching opportunities.

For more information about research themes within the department please visit our themes page or view available projects within the department on our Postgraduate Research projects page . 

To be announced.

The programme fee will vary depending on the cost of running the project. Fees quoted are fully inclusive and, therefore, you will not be required to pay any additional bench fees or administration costs.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of the course for Home students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit the postgraduate fees page .

Always contact the Admissions team if you are unsure which fees apply to your project.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards at university, faculty and department level to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers.

To be considered for many of our scholarships, you’ll need to be nominated by your proposed supervisor. Therefore, we’d highly recommend you discuss potential sources of funding with your supervisor first, so they can advise on your suitability and make sure you meet nomination deadlines.

For more information about our scholarships, visit our funding page or use our funding database to search for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

Contact details

Our internationally-renowned expertise across the School of Natural Sciences informs research led teaching with strong collaboration across disciplines, unlocking new and exciting fields and translating science into reality.  Our multidisciplinary learning and research activities advance the boundaries of science for the wider benefit of society, inspiring students to promote positive change through educating future leaders in the true fundamentals of science. Find out more about Science and Engineering at Manchester .

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

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You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .

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How Long Does It Take to Get a Ph.D. Degree?

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Earning a Ph.D. from a U.S. grad school typically requires nearly six years, federal statistics show.

(CAIAIMAGE/TOM MERTON/GETTY IMAGES)

A Ph.D. is most appropriate for someone who is a “lifelong learner.” 

Students who have excelled within a specific academic discipline and who have a strong interest in that field may choose to pursue a Ph.D. degree. However, Ph.D. degree-holders urge prospective students to think carefully about whether they truly want or need a doctoral degree, since Ph.D. programs last for multiple years.

According to the Survey of Earned Doctorates, a census of recent research doctorate recipients who earned their degree from U.S. institutions, the median amount of time it took individuals who received their doctorates in 2017 to complete their program was 5.8 years. However, there are many types of programs that typically take longer than six years to complete, such as humanities and arts doctorates, where the median time for individuals to earn their degree was 7.1 years, according to the survey.

Some Ph.D. candidates begin doctoral programs after they have already obtained master’s degrees, which means the time spent in grad school is a combination of the time spent pursuing a master’s and the years invested in a doctorate. In order to receive a Ph.D. degree, a student must produce and successfully defend an original academic dissertation, which must be approved by a dissertation committtee. Writing and defending a dissertation is so difficult that many Ph.D. students drop out of their Ph.D. programs having done most of the work necessary for degree without completing the dissertation component. These Ph.D. program dropouts often use the phrase “ all but dissertation ” or the abbreviation “ABD” on their resumes.

According to a comprehensive study of  Ph.D. completion rates  published by The Council of Graduate Schools in 2008, only 56.6% of people who begin Ph.D. programs earn Ph.D. degrees.

Ian Curtis, a founding partner with H&C Education, an educational and admissions consulting firm, who is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in French at Yale University , says there are several steps involved in the process of obtaining a Ph.D. Students typically need to fulfill course requirements and pass comprehensive exams, Curtis warns. “Once these obligations have been completed, how long it takes you to write your dissertation depends on who you are, how you work, what field you’re in and what other responsibilities you have in life,” he wrote in an email. Though some Ph.D. students can write a dissertation in a single year, that is rare, and the dissertation writing process may last for several years, Curtis says.

[ READ: What Is a Doctorate or a Doctoral Degree?  ]

Curtis adds that the level of support a Ph.D. student receives from an academic advisor or faculty mentor can be a key factor in determining the length of time it takes to complete a Ph.D. program. “Before you decide to enroll at a specific program, you’ll want to meet your future advisor,” Curtis advises. “Also, reach out to his or her current and former students to get a sense of what he or she is like to work with.”

Curtis also notes that if there is a gap between the amount of time it takes to complete a Ph.D. and the amount of time a student’s funding lasts, this can slow down the Ph.D. completion process. “Keep in mind that if you run out of funding at some point during your doctorate, you will need to find paid work, and this will leave you even less time to focus on writing your dissertation,” he says. “If one of the programs you’re looking at has a record of significantly longer – or shorter – times to competition, this is good information to take into consideration.”

Pierre Huguet, the CEO and co-founder of H&C Education, says prospective Ph.D. students should be aware that a Ph.D. is designed to prepare a person for a career as a scholar. “Most of the jobs available to Ph.D. students upon graduation are academic in nature and directly related to their fields of study: professor, researcher, etc.,” Huguet wrote in an email. “The truth is that more specialization can mean fewer job opportunities. Before starting a Ph.D., students should be sure that they want to pursue a career in academia, or in research. If not, they should make time during the Ph.D. to show recruiters that they’ve traveled beyond their labs and libraries to gain some professional hands-on experience.”

Jack Appleman, a business writing instructor, published author and Ph.D. candidate focusing on organizational communication with the  University at Albany—SUNY , says Ph.D. programs require a level of commitment and focus that goes beyond what is necessary for a typical corporate job. A program with flexible course requirements that allow a student to customize his or her curriculum based on academic interests and personal obligations is ideal, he says.

[ READ: Ph.D. Programs Get a Lot More Practical.  ]

Joan Kee, a professor at the University of Michigan  with the university’s history of art department, says that the length of time required for a Ph.D. varies widely depending on what subject the Ph.D. focuses on. “Ph.D. program length is very discipline and even field-specific; for example, you can and are expected to finish a Ph.D, in economics in under five years, but that would be impossible in art history (or most of the humanities),” she wrote in an email.

Jean Marie Carey, who earned her Ph.D. degree in art history and German from the  University of Otago  in New Zealand, encourages prospective Ph.D. students to check whether their potential Ph.D. program has published a timeline of how long it takes a Ph.D. student to complete their program. She says it is also prudent to speak with Ph.D. graduates of the school and ask about their experience.

Bennett urges prospective Ph.D. students to visit the campuses of their target graduate programs since a Ph.D. program takes so much time that it is important to find a school that feels comfortable. She adds that aspiring Ph.D. students who prefer a collaborative learning environment should be wary of graduate programs that have a cut-throat and competitive atmosphere, since such students may not thrive in that type of setting.

[ READ: 4 Fields Where Doctorates Lead to Jobs.  ]

Alumni of Ph.D. programs note that the process of obtaining a Ph.D. is arduous, regardless of the type of Ph.D. program. “A Ph.D. is a long commitment of your time, energy and financial resources, so it’ll be easier on you if you are passionate about research,” says Grace Lee, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and is the founder and CEO of Mastery Insights, an education and career coaching company, and the host of the Career Revisionist podcast.

“A Ph.D. isn’t about rehashing years of knowledge that is already out there, but rather it is about your ability to generate new knowledge. Your intellectual masterpiece (which is your dissertation) takes a lot of time, intellectual creativity and innovation to put together, so you have to be truly passionate about that,” Lee says.

Erin Skelly, a graduate admissions counselor at the IvyWise admissions consulting firm, says when a Ph.D. students struggles to complete his or her Ph.D. degree, it may have more to do with the student’s academic interests or personal circumstances than his or her program.

“The time to complete a Ph.D. can depend on a number of variables, but the specific discipline or school would only account for a year or two’s difference,” she wrote in an email. “When a student takes significantly longer to complete a Ph.D. (degree), it’s usually related to the student’s coursework and research – they need to take additional coursework to complete their comprehensive exams; they change the focus of their program or dissertation, requiring extra coursework or research; or their research doesn’t yield the results they hoped for, and they need to generate a new theory and conduct more research.”

Skelly warns that the average completion time of a Ph.D. program may be misleading in some cases, if the average is skewed based on one or two outliers. She suggests that instead of focusing on the duration of a particular Ph.D. program, prospective students should investigate the program’s attritition and graduation rates.

“It is worthwhile to look at the program requirements and the school’s proposed timeline for completion, and meet current students to get their input on how realistic these expectations for completion are,” Skelly says. “That can give you an honest idea of how long it will really take to complete the program.”

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Is it possible to get a PhD in Physics in 2 years in the US?

• Thread starter 1v1Dota2RightMeow
• Start date Oct 11, 2016
• Tags Career advice Phd Phd advice Phd program Physics Years
• Oct 11, 2016

A PF Electron

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I've never heard of anyone doing it in two years. Even four years is unusual, I doubt that is the average; 5-6 years is more typical. Typically the first year is spent on course work - it is possible to save some of this time if you can test out of all of the required courses. Then you have to identify a thesis advisor, find a thesis topic, and do quality research that merits a PhD. It just takes time. What is your background? Have you taken graduate level courses in Mechanics, E-M, QM, and Statistical Physics?  

A PF Molecule

A pf universe.

tionis said: True story.

phyzguy said: I've never heard of anyone doing it in two years.

For the 10 youngest Ph.D. awarded see http://www.gradschoolhub.com/10-youngest-people-ever-to-achieve-a-doctorate-degree/ Interestingly even by graduating from college as a teenager most of these people still took more than two years to earn their doctorate. So compare yourself to these persons and draw your own conclusions.  

Vanadium 50 said: Then you should have no trouble posting a reference.

A PF SuperCluster

phyzguy said: Typically the first year is spent on course work - it is possible to save some of this time if you can test out of all of the required courses.

jtbell said: Where (in the US) can you test out of graduate courses?

Let's say that I can get a phd in 2 years. Would you recommend it? Is there anything to be gained from spending more time on it (even if the extra time is unnecessary)?  

A PF Planet

Gordon Drake did it 50 years ago and went on to a distinguished career in theoretical atomic physics (and to become an editor at Phys. Rev. A), but he did an M.Sc. before his Ph.D. (3 years of grad study), though at a different university. I believe he did his B.Sc. in three years (but don't have a reference), so B.Sc, M.Sc., and Ph.D. in a total of six years. Look at years in which degrees were awarded at http://www1.uwindsor.ca/physics/dr-gordon-drake-1 An outlier.  

1v1Dota2RightMeow said: Let's say that I can get a phd in 2 years. Would you recommend it? Is there anything to be gained from spending more time on it (even if the extra time is unnecessary)?

I am completely lost in what I think I should be doing with my life and career. I never had someone to give me advice growing up so I've kept it all stifled until now, but now I need serious advice on my life. I like technology, psychology, philosophy, business/economics. I have ideas in a huge number of fields that will result in massive improvements for all humanity that will combine biomedical engineering, computer science, and business. I'm working on completing my bachelor's in physics right now, but the question of whether or not I should get my PhD is coming up. I'm 24 years old, but I'll finish my bachelor's at 25 and then begin my PhD at 27 due to family constraints. Is it even worth it? I figure that the best use of a PhD will be to get me a steady job. I can't really imagine myself doing research and working at a university all my life. I have too many ideas in too many different fields. I'd feel suffocated. My current plan is to get my PhD done at age 31, and THEN begin to work on the things that really give me enjoyment in life. Yes, I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous, but I've received so much resounding advice from older people saying to just get the PhD because it is invaluable in your later years. Please feel free to be as brutally honest as possible. I need someone to lay it straight, regardless of my feelings.  

phyzguy said: What is your reason for wanting a PhD? Personal satisfaction? Do you want a faculty or research position somewhere? Do you just want to learn some things? Answering these will help answer your question.

tionis said: I read it in a book about string theory a few years ago

Vanadium 50 said: I don't believe this. In practically every university - if not every university - the thesis defense is public. You don't just decide to do this in Aspen (where they don't have a cafeteria, just a kitchen).

Why can you only start at 27? is it financial issues? Also where would you be willing to live? Are you willing to relocate? If not can be done about getting a PhD earlier, what would you do in those two years? Interesting that you'd find university research suffocating. By the way, if you are thinking of going to interdisciplinary research (as it seems to be the case) look at institutes that offer this. I agree with the advice of getting a PhD. I can't speak from myself, since I will be applying (younger than you) for next year, but that is what I hear: both academia and industry values a PhD. Now this is my opinion, but I think you should focus on one thing, at least for now, even though you like going off in many different directions. A PhD would be great for that too.  

In the summer of 1983, many theorists gathered at the resort station Aspen in Colorado to ponder about the whole issue. Paul goes there and along the side, he has another job – to conduct a Ph.D viva voce examination of a candidate named Neil Turok of Imperial College , London , whose thesis had been sent earlier to Paul for scrutiny. And this is where Neil enters the picture and let us now turn to his part of the story. But before that, a few parting words from Paul: “Because both Neil and his adviser, David Olive, were attending the Aspen workshop, Neil’s oral presentation was arranged to take place at the Aspen Institute on some afternoon during our time there – a fanciful location for a thesis defence, to be sure. Although Neil’s thesis was mostly mathematical in nature, with only one section somewhat related to cosmology, I decided to focus on that portion during the oral presentation. I wanted to test whether he had any serious interest in this area. I was very impressed by the outcome. Although he was obviously new to cosmology, Neil displayed an unusual combination of technical prowess, creativity, and self-confidence. I passed him, of course. But in addition to that, I made a mental note to follow this talented fellow’s career and look for an opportunity to collaborate with him in the future.” That had to wait for many years though.

Turok took three years at Imperial, but normally in the UK system one already has completed one's classwork and received a masters before starting a PhD.  

1v1Dota2RightMeow said: My current plan is to get my PhD done at age 31, and THEN begin to work on the things that really give me enjoyment in life.

A PF Singularity

1v1Dota2RightMeow said: Personal satisfaction and to be able to work almost anywhere. But my curiosity is also a factor here. I do want to learn about the universe. But then the question is this: can't I just learn endlessly from my house? Why do I need the degree in that case? It seems meaningless in that scenario. Please help.

1v1Dota2RightMeow said: I like technology, psychology, philosophy, business/economics. I have ideas in a huge number of fields that will result in massive improvements for all humanity that will combine biomedical engineering, computer science, and business.

Is it even worth it? I figure that the best use of a PhD will be to get me a steady job. I can't really imagine myself doing research and working at a university all my life. I have too many ideas in too many different fields. I'd feel suffocated.

My current plan is to get my PhD done at age 31, and THEN begin to work on the things that really give me enjoyment in life.

And by the way, what do you think is "theoretical physics" that you seem to want to do here? Zz.  

A PF Organism

Here in Electrical Engineering 4 years is what we aim for for a PHD, the very odd few have done it in less.  

A PF Mountain

The shortest I've heard in the U.S. was something like three years and the very few examples are all really exceptional and did not get their PhDs recently. People rarely even get them in four these days. Even people who could do so often elect to stay longer to get more publications.  

ZapperZ said: What do you think is involved in a PhD program? Just "reading books"? There are several issues here: 1,. There is a difference between learning physics and being a physicist. The former you MIGHT get by "reading books" and papers. The latter is an OCCUPATION that requires MORE than just learning a specific material. Read my "So You Want To Be A Physicist" essay and figure out for yourself if everything I wrote in there you can simply acquire from books. Do you still think it is a "meaningless" endeavor? 2. What makes you think you can teach yourself, even by just reading books, the necessary material? What makes you think you have the capability to comprehend what you read? How would you know the difference between something that is "important" versus something that is just "interesting"? 3. How will you be able to judge that you have mastered the knowledge? Just because you've read an entire book does not mean you've learned and understood the material. Many of my students can claim the same thing, yet, many of them still crashed in exams that tested them on that material. How will you know that you're not one of them? It is extremely annoying that many people seem to think that the process of learning physics involves nothing more than just "reading books". I would never go to doctor whose training involves only "reading books" (ignoring the fact that a medical degree will not be granted to someone without medical internships). Not only is this a rather wrong and naive view of what is involved in a physics program, but it ignores a whole HUGE part of physics, which is experimental work. Zz.

ZapperZ said: And by the way, what do you think is "theoretical physics" that you seem to want to do here? Zz.

1v1Dota2RightMeow said: I guess I had high aspirations to be like Leonardo da Vinci (substitute in anyone you want who has mastered many fields). I enjoy learning, but on my own terms. That, combined with an interest in many fields, compelled me to want to be like da Vinci, Cicero, and Charlie Munger.

Will it make me happy to be able to simply know very terse and difficult topics in all my areas of interest? Then what becomes of that thing I do for money, oh what's it called...oh - a job ?? If I'm learning so many things, which one do I pick to make me money so that I can live off of?

Here's my awkward and probably-likely-to-fail plan: finish my Bachelor's degree in a year, work at whatever company hires me for a bit while I build up my side businesses that I want to try. Then, once those businesses are stable, I go back to finish my PhD. Feel free to rip this apart if you think it will fail for any reason.

• Oct 12, 2016

The average time a physicist spends in graduate school (masters and PhD) is 7.5 years according to the American Physical Society. That includes several years of graduate level coursework, a qualifying exam, defending a PhD topic, doing the research, sometimes meeting a minimum number of publications, and then defending the PhD itself. I've known some to get out in as little as 4 years. I've known some to take more than 12. I was right on average myself. No, physics careers are not either 'theoretical or experimental'. Even with a PhD, very few people do just theory (and theorists are far more likely to be employed at universities than anywhere else). Many people do computational work of some sort, or working with data that they didn't gather themselves directly. It sounds like you want to get a PhD because you think it will make you happy, or more employable. The fact is that it's not going to do either if that's why you're doing it. The jobs that require a PhD in physics are few and far between; it's not going to set you up for a career anywhere you want to live unless you're willing to teach high school (and get qualified to do so, because while a PhD will qualify you to teach at a university, it will NOT qualify you to teach at a high school). A PhD is not a test of how many books you can read, or what you can memorize. It's going to ask you to make an original contribution to your field. Have you done any research up to this point? Have you worked on an original project with anyone? Do you even know if you're going to enjoy it?  

Vanadium 50 said: Turok took three years at Imperial, but normally in the UK system one already has completed one's classwork and received a masters before starting a PhD.

Lucas SV said: Is that not true in the U.S? What are generically the requirements to start a PhD in the U.S?

In the US one usually enters a PhD program after a BS and picks up an MS (or not) along the way.  

eri said: The average time a physicist spends in graduate school (masters and PhD) is 7.5 years according to the American Physical Society. That includes several years of graduate level coursework, a qualifying exam, defending a PhD topic, doing the research, sometimes meeting a minimum number of publications, and then defending the PhD itself. I've known some to get out in as little as 4 years. I've known some to take more than 12. I was right on average myself.

StatGuy2000 said: Do PhD students in physics in the US generally are funded past the 5 year mark?

ZapperZ said: "Funding" is not that straight-forward of an issue. If the student receives a RA, then the funding depends on the PI that is supporting the student. So however long the research grant is, and often, one gets moved from one research grant to another, then the student will continue to get funding as long as the PI is willing to support him/her. If the student is not receiving RAship, but rather continue to be a TA, then the department pays for his/her tuition and stipend. It is then up to the student's advisor to decide when that student should finish. Unless the school itself puts a limit on the length of time that a student can stay on, then there is no official cut-off period other than what the students and his/her advisor decide. Zz.

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Tim Walz career timeline: From high school teacher to Kamala Harris' vice-presidential pick

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday.

The Minnesota governor was selected by Harris to join the ticket over a short list of other contenders, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro , Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly , Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg .

A former teacher, coach, veteran and member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Walz was elected as Minnesota's governor in 2018.

He is expected to be introduced as Harris' running mate at a campaign rally Tuesday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Here's what to know about Tim Walz.

Tim Walz is Kamala Harris' VP pick: Minnesota governor named running mate: Live updates

April 1964: Tim Walz born in West Point, Nebraska

Walz was born April 6, 1964 in West Point, Nebraska. The 60-year-old Minnesota governor grew up in Nebraska, graduating from Butte High School in 1982.

After high school, Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard, according to his Minnesota Governor bio.

He graduated with a bachelor of science in social science education from Chadron State College in 1989. He spent a year teaching abroad before he returned to the U.S. to serve full time in the National Guard, and worked as a high school social studies teacher and football coach.

He graduated with a Master of Science in educational leadership from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2001.

1994: Tim and Gwen Walz marry

Walz married his wife, Gwen , in 1994. The couple has two children, Hope and Gus. The family lived in Mankato, Minnesota for nearly 20 years before moving to Saint Paul when he was elected governor.

Gwen Walz, whose maiden name is Whipple, was born in Glencoe, Minnesota and grew up in western Minnesota, according to her Minnesota First Lady website. She met Walz when she was an English teacher in Nebraska, and the couple moved to Mankato, Minnesota in 1996, where they both worked at Mankato West High School .

As teachers, the Walzs established a summer trip to China for their students, traveling there nearly every summer through 2003.

2004: Tim Walz gets involved in politics

Walz began his political career in by volunteering for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2007, beating the incumbent, Republican Gil Gutknecht.

He was reelected in 2008, again in 2010, and in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

2018: Tim Walz elected Minnesota Governor

Walz was elected as Minnesota's governor in 2018, running after former Gov. Mark Dayton announced he would not seek a third term. He won reelection in 2022.

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WVU physicist explains the arrival of new radiation ring in Earth's magnetosphere

Extreme solar flares and a geomagnetic storm hit Earth on May 10-11, 2024 disrupting Earth’s magnetosphere and resulted in various disruptions including certain GPS functionalities. It also provided us with a stunning arrangement of colorful aurorae across the globe.  This geomagnetic storm was the most powerful storm on record since 1989.

A unique parting gift from this geomagnetic storm was a new radiation belt circling Earth. 

The radiation belts are called Van Allen belts. Named after the discoverer, Dr. James Van Allen, these rings are zones of energetic charged particles and take residence in Earth’s magnetosphere, responding to solar wind and cosmic rays, and contain harmful particles that can interact with Earth’s atmosphere. 

Normally, there are two resident Van Allen belts; an inner and outer belt. Both surround Earth but following the 2024 geomagnetic storm, a third Van Allen belt was discovered by NASA’s Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Experiment, CubeSat. This new, temporary radiation ring of charged, high-energy particles now circles the Earth and brings new questions forward for scientists. 

Scientists don’t know how long Earth will have the third Van Allen belt, so experts are keeping a close eye on it, particularly with watchful eyes as these radiation belts could present a hazardous radiative environment for spacecraft operating within it, or passing through it.

With the addition of this mysterious third belt, what can we expect? 

West Virginia University Physics Professor, Weichao Tu  (right) is an expert in Van Allen radiation belts and whose research focuses on modeling the trapped radiation environment in near-Earth space.  When asked about the newest belt, she gave valuable insight to the new discovery.

“The Van Allen radiation belts around Earth are truly fascinating,” states Dr. Tu. “This discovery offers an exciting opportunity for scientists, including my team at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at WVU , to investigate how this third belt forms after such intense solar activity, how long it might last, and what implications it could have for space exploration and satellite technology.”

Usually astronauts on the International Space Station don’t pass through a belt as they are under the sphere of concern, but missions that move beyond the belts will pass through a ring of radiation, specifically through the additional ring.

The upcoming NASA Artemis missions will transport astronauts through both inner and outer belts, but now they may need to add on precautions for a third radiation belt in the journey. 

When asked about the upcoming missions, like Artemis, Tu says “All missions passing through the radiation belts must be equipped with adequate shielding to protect their sensitive electronics from high radiation levels. The discovery of a third belt introduces increased radiation in areas typically free from it. Depending on the mission’s orbit, additional precautions may be necessary to account for this heightened radiation exposure. Therefore, understanding and predicting the behavior of radiation belts around Earth, including this new third belt, is crucial for the future of space exploration and satellite technology.” 

For more information on Van Allen belts and Tu’s research in the WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy and in the WVU Center for Kinetic Plasma Physics, see links below. 

https://tuweichao.wixsite.com/home

https://kineticplasma.wvu.edu/

hal/08/07/24

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How did Raygun qualify for the Olympics? Is she really the best Australia has to offer?

Since Australian breaker Rachael "Raygun" Gunn failed to score a single point in any of her Olympic bouts, many have asked how she qualified for the Games.

Fellow breaker and anthropologist Lucas Marie says she won her qualification "fair and square" last year, but African American man Malik Dixon has criticised the Olympic body for letting her in.

What's next?

Breaking will not be an event at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games — a decision made before Raygun's performance.

The 2024 Paris Olympics marked breaking's debut as a sport at the global event, with 36-year-old lecturer and breaker Rachael "Raygun" Gunn representing Australia for the first time.

Having failed to win a single point in any of her Olympic bouts, Raygun quickly became a viral sensation.

The question on many people's minds now is: How did she even qualify?

Lucas Marie is a breaker who has competed, performed, taught and judged breaking competitions over the past 25 years. He's also an anthropologist who recently co-authored an article with Gunn.

He says the answer to that question is simple.

"There was an Oceania qualifier in which any B-boy or B-girl from Australia [or] New Zealand could enter, and that was in Sydney in October 2023," he told ABC News.

"And leading up to that, there were a lot of other events in which breakers were competing.

"She won those battles fair and square and won the qualification in Sydney.

"And it wasn't really a surprise to anyone. 

"She's been fairly consistent, winning or coming second or third at a lot of breaking events in Australia for the last five to 10 years."

Marie said there was nothing out of the ordinary about Raygun's performance.

"It's not like gymnastics where there's this kind of agreed-upon standard," he said.

"It's always had a rawness to it. It's always had an improvisational kind of quality. And I think looking different and trying different stuff has always been celebrated.

"And I think Raygun, in a way, was just expressing a core kind of hip hop trait in a way a lot of breakers do."

He described her efforts as bold.

"I thought — and this is how I judge a lot of breaking events — I thought, 'Oh, she's making some really interesting choices to mimic Australian animals.' And you can kind of see the choices that she's making in the moment."

Is she the best Australia has to offer?

Team Australia chef de mission Anna Meares insisted after Raygun's performance that she was the best breaker the country had to offer. But is this true?

"It's sometimes just who's performing better on the day," Marie said.

"And at the qualification event in which she won, and other events in which she's won, she performed better on that day and won the ticket.

"That doesn't mean she's the best. It doesn't really work like that.

"I think she's a great breaker. She won the qualification. She's won other events in the past, and she was a good representative for Australia at that competition."

Asked whether there were B-girls in Perth, regional Victoria or rural Brisbane who might have qualified but could not afford to travel to Sydney for the tryouts, Marie agreed this was possible.

"Of course, there's breakers all over the country that maybe should have been in that event, but they weren't."

Breaking will not carry over to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, a decision made before Raygun's battle.

Marie described this as sad.

"Maybe, based on the ratings, they'll reassess that and maybe allocate some medals to breaking," he said.

"I really hope that's the case, and I hope that for other breakers who want to compete in it as a dance sport."

Marie said that at the end of the day people should remember they were dealing with a human.

"As a friend of Rachael's, there's a human being who's getting a lot of negative attention," he said.

"I think people kind of miss that sometimes and forget the human aspect of all this."

'Toying with the culture'

Malik Dixon is an African American who has been living in Australia for more than a decade and is a Sydney University graduate.

He said Raygun made a total "mockery" out of breaking at the Olympics.

"She was dressed like a member of the cricket team or an Australian PE teacher, and from that point it just seemed like satire," Mr Dixon told ABC News.

"It just looked like somebody who was toying with the culture and didn't know how culturally significant it was being the first time in the Olympics and just how important it was to people who really cherish hip hop and one of the elements of hip hop, which is breakdancing.

"It made me think, was Borat her breakdancing coach?"

Mr Dixon said too many people felt entitled to African American culture.

"The African American space has been one where we've shared our community so much and without any restraints, any barriers, roadblocks, obstacles, any gatekeepers, that essentially what should have been African American cultural capital is just shared, which is cool," he said. 

"We like to share, right? 

"We shared 400 years of free labour.

"To see Rachael in her attempt to be a part of the culture just be grossly underwhelming made it seem like she didn't take it seriously."

Olympics body criticised for Raygun qualification

Mr Dixon criticised the body that qualified Raygun, saying she devalued breaking with her performance.

"Whatever governing body nominated her as Australia's entrant into the Olympics either did not understand the assignment or didn't really believe in the integrity or significance of breakdancing, because if they did they would just say, rather than disrespect the culture, we're just not ready to send an applicant this year."

He said Raygun was extremely audacious and not self-aware.

"You've got to know your role, know your position, know your limitation," he said. 

"And I think that part of privilege is saying that there are no limits to what I can do. 

"Part of privilege is having the authority to say that there are no limits and there are no requirements, there are no prerequisites to what I can do."

Raygun's degrees do not hold much water with Mr Dixon.

"Due to consumerism, this Foundational Black American product, which is hip hop, is global," he said.

"And even people who have no connection to any African Americans or any local or regional things that come out in these songs, they have become a part of the whole experience now.

"If I came in and said that I was an authority on Greek music and I was going against the grain of what the mainstream Greek musicians thought, or the school of thought, and I've said that I was the authority, people would check me on that.

"If I had a PhD in sprinting, does that qualify me to go against Noah Lyles? No, it doesn't."

He also doubts Raygun was the best breaker Australia had to offer.

"[There's] got to be somebody out here that's better than that! The kangaroo! The sprinkler! She did the sprinkler out there, man!" he said.

Should everybody just lighten up?

Should we lighten up? Mr Dixon does not believe so.

"Larrikinism is used as a get-out-of-jail-free card and to escape responsibility of how words or actions impact a hurt person," he said.

"But when the majority culture is offended, there's no playing around.

"This is a part of my culture, and I don't think Australians are in a place to tell me how I should feel about breakdancing being mocked on an international stage.

"People who don't have any or limited access to black people or hip hop culture now may see Rachael and her buffoonery as a representation of hip hop and black culture.

"People who were already side-eyeing breakdancing as an Olympic sport, Rachael Gunn has put the nail in that coffin.

"This might be the most viral clip of the whole Olympics. From a comedy standpoint, she's got it, but from an Olympics perspective, its regressive."

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