Keywords

Enter a program, idea, office, or department into the field above and click go

Students in the clean room of the microfluidics fabrication facility
The Martin Fisher School of Physics at Brandeis University has an international reputation for excellence in research; it is among the highest ranked in the USA on the basis of publication citations. Three of our faculty are members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and two are also in the National Academy of Arts and Sciences. Graduate students find a wide variety of research programs ranging from fundamental theoretical studies in elementary particle physics to the application of laser tweezers in studies of polymers; from major experiments at National accelerator laboratories to studies of liquid crystals, complex fluids, and theories of biological and disordered systems; from biophysics to astrophysics and cosmology; from microfluidics to string theory.

Graduate study at Brandeis is characterized by a low student-to-faculty ratio. Brandeis currently has 18 faculty members and 28 doctoral students in the Department of Physics. Students enjoy ample opportunity for personal interaction with instructors in the classroom and laboratory and with advisors to guide their doctoral research. There are also many postdoctoral research associates collaborating with the faculty and graduate students, thus providing further occasions for connections between graduate students and physicists active in research.

The Boston area is also one of the world's major centers of research in physics. During the academic year, there are several colloquia and specialized seminars daily at area Universities including Boston University, Harvard, MIT, Northeastern and Tufts. All these sister schools are within 30 minutes of our campus. Brandeis has its own calendar, including a weekly colloquium (Martin Weiner Lecture Series) where distinguished visitors lecture on all aspects of physics. There are also weekly seminars organized by our various research groups.

The department believes that the undergraduate experience rarely provides incoming graduate students with a firm idea of the best field to choose for their doctoral dissertation research. We have therefore built into the graduate program the maximum flexibility and opportunity to make a well-informed choice of research field. At the same time, we also minimize the time required for students to get immersed in their fields once the choice has been made. Our schedule of courses and the qualifying exam process have been tailored not only for these purposes but to add to the richness of a good understanding of physics in general.

Normally full financial support is available for students accepted into the Ph.D. program. Stipends are $23,100/year for students beginning in Fall 2008 and are expected to rise for Fall 2009. For example, the entire class of 2006 and 2007 received full financial support. In addition, all students are also normally granted full tuition remission. The combined annual financial package is competitive and annually updated.

For applications please use the online application forms.

It is the policy of Brandeis University not to discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual or affectional preference, age, national origin, veteran or disability status. The university operates under an affirmative action plan and encourages minorities and women to apply, both in terms of employment and to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to its students. Inquiries concerning discrimination may be referred to the Assistant to the President for Affirmative Action, Gryzmish Building, Brandeis University and/or to the Director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.