Graduate Program
Leaders in Physics
Our M.S. and PhD programs are leaders in outstanding physics research programs. We provide intellectually rich, vibrant, and challenging courses to prepare students for careers in theoretical and experimental particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, condensed matter physics, and biophysics.
Experiential Research
The vast majority of our faculty and graduate students conduct research with:
- Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics (SCIPP)
- and the Materials Science and Engineering Initiative (MSEI)
Students and faculty can expect to work closely with a number of research institutions across astronomy and astrophysics, biology, chemistry, Earth sciences, electrical engineering, and mathematics, including:
- The University of California Observatories
- Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory
- Large Hadron Collider at CERN (ATLAS experiment)
- GLAST
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- NASA Ames
- NREL
- Lucent
- Institute of Marine Sciences
- Institute of Tectonics
- Xerox
- IBM
- Bell Labs
- and other national and international laboratories.
Graduate Student Timeline
Students typically enter the program with a Bachelor's and pick up the M.S. along the way to obtaining their Ph.D. The program usually takes five years to complete. Entering students receive strong grounding in basic physics, as well as exposure to active research areas. After passing a set of written qualifying examination, students complete their coursework and then pursue independent research. This research becomes the basis for Advancement to Doctoral Candidacy, at which point students then begin working on their dissertation. Upon successful completion and defense of the dissertation students are awarded the Ph.D. Throughout their graduate careers students work closely with faculty and pursue programs that fit their individual needs.
