Frequently Asked Questions

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION

Application forms and official information regarding admission to Graduate Programs at The University of Texas at Austin can be obtained from the Graduate and International Admissions Center.

Please note that priority admission deadlines are as follows:

December 21 for Fall admission
December 21 for Summer admission
October 1 for Spring admission *

* Preference for entry to the graduate program is given to Fall admission. All Fall applicants to the Ph.D program are considered for financial support and are typically awarded a teaching assistantship. Spring applicants are not offered financial support.

Online Application for Admission

Three Letters of Recommendation. The online application allows your referees to submit their letters of recommendation online. When you list your referees on the application you will need to enter the referee's email address. They will be sent an email with directions on how to submit a recommendation letter for you. If your referee would like to send a paper letter, have them indicate in the online submission that they will mail the letter. The letter should be mailed to the department at the address listed below.

Statement of Purpose. The online application allows you to enter your statement of purpose. You may mail a paper copy to the department if you wish.

Official GRE General Test Scores (Sent by the Educational Testing Service. The ETS code for the University of Texas at Austin is 6882)

Official Transcripts from any university or college attended

Certification of Financial Responsibility (For International Applicants only)

TOEFL Scores (For International Applicants Only)

Please visit the GIAC web site for further details on how to apply including application fee, address information, and how to submit official test scores.

A professional resume or CV (curriculum vitae), and

A copy (official or unofficial) of your college transcript(s) or listing of coursework and grades from all colleges previously attended.

Official GRE Physics Subject Test Scores (Scores may arrive after the deadline but should be sent before enrollment. The ETS Code is 6882.)

These items should be mailed to:

Graduate Program in Physics
1 University Station, C1600
Austin, Texas 78712

To provide some guidance to prospective applicants, the average GRE scores of those admitted for the Fall of 2007 are as follows:

	Int'l	U.S.	ALL
Verbal	492	614	570
Quantitative	789	776	781
Physics Subject Test	858	731	777

Still have questions about the admissions process? Please read the FAQ page.

For additional information about the Graduate Program in Physics contact the Physics Graduate Office at 512-471-1664 (carol@physics.utexas.edu).

Additional information about the faculty and research programs of the Department can be found on the Physics Department home page.

Degrees offered

The graduate program in Physics offers three degrees: a Master of Arts in Physics, a Master of Science in Applied Physics, and a Ph.D. in Physics. The official degree requirements are found in the Graduate Catalog. Below we include a brief summary of these requirements. Each graduate student must be enrolled for 9 semester hours of credit in the fall and spring semesters.

MASTER OF ARTS
The MA degree requires 30 hours of credit including six hours of thesis. Of the remaining 24 hours, 18 credit hours of course work must be in Physics and at least six hours of course work must be in supporting work outside of Physics. All requirements must be completed within one six-year period. The MA degree is not required to advance to the Ph.D. program.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED PHYSICS
The requirements for the MS degree in Applied Physics are 30 hours of credit, six of which are obtained by the preparation of the required thesis. This course work must include the graduate level physics courses in experimental physics, quantum mechanics, classical electrodynamics, the physics of sensors and the technical seminar. Supporting work must be chosen from engineering, chemistry or geological sciences.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
There are several steps in the program leading to the Ph.D. degree, the most important of which is the last, the preparation and defense of a dissertation based on original research.
Prior to being admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree the student must:

1. Take four "core" courses, quantum mechanics, classical electrodynamics, classical mechanics and statistical mechanics with a grade-point average of B+ (3.3);
2. Show evidence of exposure to modern methods of experimental physics through a senior-level course, participation in an experimental research program or by taking the graduate course in experimental physics;
3. Present a seminar on a proposed research topic followed by an oral examination.

After satisfying the three requirements listed above the student prepares a "program of work" for the Ph.D. degree. This program of work lists the courses the student has completed and those that will be taken to satisfy the requirements for the Ph.D. The program of work must be approved by the graduate adviser in the Physics department and by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Following this approval the student is admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.

The last step in the process is the preparation of a dissertation based on original research. The research leading to the dissertation is done under the supervision of a faculty committee chaired by the students' dissertation director. This is certainly the most rewarding and most time-consuming part of the degree program. Approval of the dissertation follows a final oral examination covering the dissertation and related topics in physics.