PhD in Physics

The primary objective of the doctorate program in Physics is to provide talented graduate students with a rigorous academic environment in which to conduct research and to develop the analytical, empirical, and leadership skills required for mathematical, scientific, and technological careers. The Department is comprised of fifteen tenure-tracktenured faculty members committed to excellence in research. The faculty conducts experimental, theoretical, and computational research in the areas of:Axion and astrophysical particle detectionLaser ablationLaser interactions with matterNanomaterial growth and propertiesPlasma physics and theoretical researchAtomic and molecular scatteringElectronic and structural properties of carbon nanomaterialsNumerical algorithms and optimization methodsQuantum theory on manifoldsEnergy conversion and generationSustainable low carbon energy and fuel generation technologiesMaterials design and modelingMachine learning and data analyticsPhysics is the study of matter and energy and its interactions; therefore, physics describes the fundamental nature of our reality in this existence. It is the most basic of sciences and the foundation of many aspects of our modern civilization. Look around, you would be hard pressed to find pieces of technology i.e., micro and nanoelectronics, lasers, solar panels, nuclear power plants, as well as medical devices, that were not at one time research tools of, or examples of some fundamental principles discovered and explored by physicists. As our world continues its juggernaut of unstoppable technical progress, sustaining economic activity will require increased numbers of individuals educated at higher and higher levels of technical skill. There is no level higher than that of physics, thus studying physics is great preparation for an endeavor that you may desire or undertake. On the other hand, you may just have an insatiable curiosity about how the universe works Studying physics is the best way to satisfy this curiosity and to prepare for the challenges of the life in the future.

Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education and have earned a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or better in the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate work taken while enrolled as an upper-division undergraduate student working towards a bachelor’s degree; OR Hold a graduate degree in a related field from an accredited institution of higher learning with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better