Department Overview
The Department of Physics has a strong tradition of graduate study and research in astrophysics; atomic, molecular, and optical physics; condensed matter physics; high energy and particle physics; plasma physics; quantum computing; and string theory. There are many facilities for carrying out world-class research. We have a large professional staff: 45 full-time faculty members, affiliated faculty members holding joint appointments with other departments, scientists, senior scientists, and postdocs. There are over 175 graduate students in the department who come from many countries around the world. More complete information on the graduate program, the faculty, and research groups is available at the department website.
Research specialties include:
Theoretical Physics
Astrophysics; atomic, molecular, and optical physics; condensed matter physics; cosmology; elementary particle physics; nuclear physics; phenomenology; plasmas and fusion; quantum computing; statistical and thermal physics; string theory.
Experimental Physics
Astrophysics; atomic, molecular, and optical physics; biophysics; condensed matter physics; cosmology; elementary particle physics; neutrino physics; experimental studies of superconductors; medical physics; nuclear physics; plasma physics; quantum computing; spectroscopy.
PhD Degree Details
The PhD degree requires successful completion of advanced course work in physics (required core coursework), completion of a minor, and passage of the qualifying and preliminary examinations. However, the PhD is primarily a research degree, awarded only upon completion of substantial original research. This broad range of research opportunities makes the department especially attractive to beginning students who have not yet chosen a field of specialization. The program provides the background, experience, and credentials needed for employment as a professional physicist in research or education. All admitted PhD students typically receive financial support in the form of teaching or research assistantships and fellowships.
Admissions
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.
Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.
| Fall Deadline | December 15 |
| Spring Deadline | This program does not admit in the spring. |
| Summer Deadline | This program does not admit in the summer. |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Not required but may be considered if available. |
| English Proficiency Test | Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241. |
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
The Department of Physics does not require the subject GRE for admission. However, if applicants submit the score, the admissions committee will review it as part of the application.
The general GRE will not be considered even if submitted. The subject GRE is recommended in these circumstances:
- If an applicant's transcript does not accurately reflect academic strengths.
- If including the score would significantly strengthen an applicant's application.
- If an applicant is particularly interested in pursuing Physics Theory as a research focus.
Admission is competitive. All applicants are reviewed and evaluated on the basis of previous academic record, three letters of recommendation, statement of purpose for graduate studies, and resume. All eligible applicants with complete files are considered for teaching or research assistantships and fellowships. To be considered for admission, applicants must submit all application materials via the Graduate School electronic application site by the application deadline.
Funding
Graduate School Resources
The Bursar’s Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Financial Support for PhD Students in Physics
All admitted PhD students are provided with a guarantee of financial support. Typically, a graduate student is first appointed as a teaching assistant. Teaching assistants assist faculty members in the introductory physics courses, generally by teaching discussion and laboratory sections. Later, as a research assistant, the student works with a major professor on a mutually agreed research program. Tuition is remitted for teaching assistant and research assistant appointments greater than one-third time or greater. However, all students must still pay the segregated fees and any additional university fees each semester.
Teaching Assistantships
The typical first appointment for a beginning graduate student is a teaching assistantship (TA). A teaching assistantship is both a teaching position and a means of support for graduate study. It is normally advantageous for a graduate student to hold a TA position for at least a semester during graduate studies, since the teaching activity solidifies and deepens the teaching assistant's undergraduate education in physics and also helps prepare for a possible career in teaching.
Research Assistantships
Research assistantships are made available by individual professors to students who have decided on their field of research. Most departmental RA appointments are made for an annual (12-month) period. Students who wish to be considered for an RA appointment should contact the faculty directly.
Fellowships
Fellowships, including University Fellowships and Advanced Opportunity Fellowships, are awarded by the College of Letters & Science and the Graduate School upon recommendation of the Department of Physics. In addition, the department may have additional fellowships — funded by endowments from physics department alumni — available for first-year graduate students.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum degree requirements and policies, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
Mode of Instruction
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.
Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.
Curricular Requirements
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 51 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 32 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 26 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244. |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. Refer to the Graduate School: Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203. |
| Other Grade Requirements | Students must have a grade of B or better in all coursework. |
| Assessments and Examinations | Physics doctoral students are required to pass the qualifying examination at the PhD level by the end of their fourth semester. Students are also required to take a comprehensive preliminary/oral examination. It is recommended that this is completed by the end of the fifth semester. All Incomplete and Progress grades (other than research and thesis) must be cleared from the student's record prior to taking the preliminary examination. A final oral defense and deposit of the doctoral dissertation in the Graduate School is required. |
| Language Requirements | Contact the program for information on any language requirements. |
| Graduate School Breadth Requirements | All doctoral students are required to complete a doctoral minor or graduate/professional certificate. Refer to the Graduate School: Breadth Requirement in Doctoral Training policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1200. |
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Students must complete the following courses. Courses must be repeated until at least a B is earned. | ||
| PHYSICS 711 | Theoretical Physics-Dynamics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 715 | Statistical Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 721 | Theoretical Physics-Electrodynamics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 731 | Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYSICS 732 | Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
| Seminars | ||
| PHYSICS 701 | Graduate Introductory Seminars | 1 |
| Additional Coursework | ||
| In consultation with advisor, students must complete additional coursework to meet the minimum credit requirement. All Physics courses meeting degree requirements must be numbered 500 and above. | 35 | |
| Total Credits | 51 | |
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures serve as the official document of record for Graduate School academic and administrative policies and procedures and are updated continuously. Note some policies redirect to entries in the official UW-Madison Policy Library. Programs may set more stringent policies than the Graduate School. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Major-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions
Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.
Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison
Up to 7 credits in courses numbered 500 or above from UW-Madison may transfer to satisfy minimum degree requirements. Credits from other institutions do not transfer.
Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)
Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.
Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison
With program approval, students are allowed to transfer no more than 15 credits of coursework numbered 500 or above taken as a UW-Madison University Special student. However, these credits are not allowed to count toward the 50% graduate coursework minimum unless numbered 700 or above or are taken to meet the requirements of a capstone certificate and has the “Grad 50%” attribute. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
Probation
Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.
Advisor / Committee
All incoming students are assigned a faculty mentoring committee upon matriculation. The responsibility to acquire (choose and be accepted by) a major professor (permanent advisor) is entirely with the student. Acceptance for PhD research by a professor depends on the professor’s appraisal of the student’s potential for research and on the ability/willingness of the professor to accept a student at that time. Often the major professor will offer support in the form of a research assistantship, but this is not always possible, and students may need to work as teaching assistants while performing thesis research.
Graduate students should begin research work as early as possible. Students are encouraged to acquire a major professor (advisor) and begin research by the end of the second semester. Summer is the ideal time to begin research unencumbered by coursework or teaching.
At the time of the preliminary examination, the major professor and at least two additional faculty members will form a committee that will evaluate and advise the student.
At the time of the final oral defense, the major professor and at least two additional faculty members will form a committee that will evaluate the student. All PhD Committee members will serve as readers of the student's thesis.
Credits Per Term Allowed
15 credit maximum. Refer to the Graduate School: Maximum Credit Loads and Overloads Requests policy.
Time Limits
Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.
Grievances and Appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
L&S Policy for Graduate Student Academic Appeals
Graduate students have the right to appeal an academic decision related to an L&S graduate program if the student believes that the decision is inconsistent with published policy.
Academic decisions that may be appealed include:
- Dismissal from the graduate program
- Failure to pass a qualifying or preliminary examination
- Failure to achieve satisfactory academic progress
- Academic disciplinary action related to failure to meet professional conduct standards
Issues such as the following cannot be appealed using this process:
- A faculty member declining to serve as a graduate student’s advisor.
- Decisions regarding the student’s disciplinary knowledge, evaluation of the quality of work, or similar judgements. These are the domain of the department faculty.
- Course grades. These can be appealed instead using the L&S Policy for Grade Appeal.
- Incidents of bias or hate, hostile and intimidating behavior, or discrimination (Title IX, Office of Compliance). Direct these to the linked campus offices appropriate for the incident(s).
Appeal Process for Graduate Students
A graduate student wishing to appeal an academic decision must follow the process in the order listed below. Note time limits within each step.
- The student should first seek informal resolution, if possible, by discussing the concern with their academic advisor, the department’s Director of Graduate Studies, and/or the department chair.
- If the program has an appeal policy listed in their graduate program handbook, the student should follow the policy as written, including adhering to any indicated deadlines. In the absence of a specific departmental process, the chair or designee will be the reviewer and decision maker, and the student should submit a written appeal to the chair within 15 business days of the academic decision. The chair or designee will notify the student in writing of their decision.
- If the departmental process upholds the original decision, the graduate student may next initiate an appeal to L&S. To do so, the student must submit a written appeal to the L&S Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Academic Affairs within 15 business days of notification of the department’s decision.
- To the fullest extent possible, the written appeal should include, in a single document: a clear and concise statement of the academic decision being appealed, any relevant background on what led to the decision, the specific policies involved, the relief sought, any relevant documentation related to the departmental appeal, and the names and titles of any individuals contributing to or involved in the decision.
- The Assistant Dean will work with the Academic Associate Dean of the appropriate division to consider the appeal. They may seek additional information and/or meetings related to the case.
- The Assistant Dean and Academic Associate Dean will provide a written decision within 20 business days.
- If L&S upholds the original decision, the graduate student may appeal to the Graduate School. More information can be found on their website: Grievances and Appeals (see: Graduate School Appeal Process).
Other
Typical funding is through 50% assistantships. Typically, all enrolled PhD students are funded for the duration of their degree. All programs are full-time and require full-time student enrollment during fall and spring terms.
Professional Development
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
Program Resources
Students are encouraged to attend Graduate School sponsored Professional Development events and participate in Graduate School Professional Development resources, such as the Individual Development Plan (IDP).
In addition, PhD students in Physics have multiple opportunities for professional development throughout their graduate careers. As an integral part of the research experience, students regularly work at places such as CERN, national laboratories (Argonne, FermiLab), and the IceCube Neutrino observatory at the South Pole to name a few.
Students are encouraged to travel to relevant conferences across the U.S. and around the world. Students regularly attend the annual American Physical Society (APS) March Meeting and are encouraged to attend APS meetings in their sub-field throughout the year. Often students attend summer schools at various host institutions to expand their knowledge and to interact with fellow scientists in the field.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate mastery of the core physical concepts (Classical Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, Quantum Mechanics, and Statistical Mechanics).
- Evaluates or synthesizes information pertaining to questions or challenges in physics.
- Engages appropriately and communicates clearly with other research professionals in physics.
- Formulates and plans original research.
- Creates research, scholarship, or performance that makes a substantive contribution to the field of physics.
- Gains a broad awareness of the status of contemporary research beyond the student’s area of specialization.