Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Physics and Astronomy

The Department of Physics & Astronomy at Vanderbilt University offers graduate students the opportunity to do original research working side-by-side with world-renowned faculty. We are large enough to include a wide range of research programs – from astronomy and cosmology to biological and medical physics, condensed matter materials, and particle, nuclear and relativistic heavy-ion physics – all while remaining small enough to provide a friendly, welcoming environment. The department presently has 27 full-time faculty, approximately an equal number of postdoctoral research associates, and about 60 graduate students. We offer programs leading to PhD degrees in Physics or Astrophysics (with options for earning MA or MS degrees in route to the PhD or by completing a Master’s thesis, respectively).

Qualified applicants with bachelor’s or comparable non-U.S. degrees are eligible for admission to the Graduate School. Applications from international students with three-year bachelor’s degrees will also be considered.

The minimum acceptable score on the paper-based TOEFL is 570, and for the Internet-based test, 88. Many programs, however, require a considerably higher level of proficiency.

For IELTS, the minimum acceptable score will vary by program. In many cases, a score of at least 7.0 is desirable.