Overview of Physics Graduate Program

Joe KapustaDirector of Graduate Studies

REU 2012

What We Look for in Applications

• Undergraduate GPA• Grades in core physics courses• General GRE scores• Physics subject GRE score• Research experience• Letters of recommendation• Statement of interest

Foci of Your Life in Physics

• Courses

• Teaching

• Research

• Other

Graduate School Tips and Timeline

• Take courses (first 2-3 years)• Teach discussion and lab sessions (first 2-3 years)• Pass Graduate Written Exam (GWE)

– Given in August and January– Should pass by August of 2nd year

• Focus on research (3rd year on)• Form study groups with at least one native

English speaker and one non-US citizen.• Stay sane, have fun, connect with people

Courses to Consider in the First Year

4211* Introduction to Solid State Physics4511* Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics4611* Introduction to Space Physics4621* Introduction to Plasma Physics5081* Introduction to Biopolymer Physics

5001/2 Quantum Mechanics5011/2 Classical Physics (mechanics, E&M)5022 Relativity, Cosmology, and the Universe 5041 Mathematical Methods for Physics5201 Thermal and Statistical Physics5072 Best Practices in College Physics Teaching5073 Introduction to Research Seminar

* Survey Course

Financial Support

• Departmental Fellowship to try out research in summer 2012

• Teaching Assistantship and/or Fellowship for academic year 2012-13

• Departmental Fellowship to try out research in summer 2013

• Guaranteed financial support for at least 5 years assuming good progress

Our Fields of Research

• Astrophysics and cosmology: theory and experiment

• Biophysics: theory and experiment• Condensed matter physics: theory and

experiment• Elementary particle physics: theory and

experiment• Nuclear physics: theory• Physics education• Space physics: theory and experiment

New Physics and Nanotechnology Building

The $83 million 4+1 story 155,000 sq. ft. building will house a 5,000 sq. ft.clean room and will have offices and labs for all experimental faculty andtheir groups. Completion date will be in Fall 2013.

Where to find information:

www.physics.umn.edu

Under “Physics Intranet” look at

Advice from the DGS Physics Graduate Handbook

Graduation Statistics

• Median length of time to PhD = 5.7 years

• Time to graduate depends on external factors such as– scope of project – funding approval

• as well as on factors you have a control over such as– how hard you work – how organized you are

After graduation

Nationwide initial employment of physics PhDs

www.aip.org/statistics

Academic 57%

Government 17%

Private sector 23%

Nonprofit 1%

Other 2%

Look Where You Want to Be, Not Where You Are