The graduate program in Physics at UT Austin provides exceptional academic training, preparing our students to lead as highly regarded scientists, educators, and professionals in academia, as well as in both the public and private sectors.
Located in a vibrant, green capital city, UT Physics is home to:
175
Graduate Students
(largely out-of-state, including approx. 50% international students)
400
(predominantly in-state)
55
Core Faculty (20% hired over the past 5 years)
(including National Academy of Science members, a Nobel Laureate, and Breakthrough and Wolf Prize recipients; and 10 Women)
30
Research Scientists
23
Postdocs
$11M
Total Research Expenditures
UT Austin and departmental facilities include the world’s most powerful academic supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC), a machine shop, a student workshop, a low-temperature, and high-vacuum shop, world-class libraries, and the Texas Petawatt Laser.
This master's program intends to provide guidance and assistance for students who have faced personal circumstances and challenges to pursue an advanced degree in physics.
Research Areas
Explore our 10 faculty research areas, from atomic and nuclear physics to high-energy theory, biophysics and more.
Culture, Community & Climate
In addition to the wide range of collaborative, interdisciplinary research opportunities we offer, we are also committed to, and fully embody the following:
- We fund all of our students, on a 12-month basis, for a minimum of five years;
- We continue to increase our already high program completion rate;
- We provide a high caliber of teaching and mentoring excellence both in and out of the classroom;
- We carefully foster a supportive, collegial environment;
- We remain steadfastly determined to transform our discipline for the better and ensure experiences of welcome and belonging for everyone.
Funding
We fund all of our students, on a 12-month basis, for a minimum of five years. The current 12-month stipend for Teaching Assistants and Graduate Research Assistants is $28,654 (this figure excludes tuition waivers and remission as well as insurance benefits which are part of every Financial Offer we make).
For more detailed information regarding available fellowships please see the funding page for Prospective Graduate Students.
Timeline
Annually, The Graduate School and the Department of Physics begins accepting applications for:
- Spring admission on 1 September,
- and Fall admission on 1 October.
To be considered, all applications and their accompanying materials must be submitted before the application deadlines:
- 11:59 p.m. CDT on 1 October for Spring admission;
- and 11:59 p.m. CST on 1 December for Fall
We allow a grace period of precisely two (2) weeks following each of the above-posted deadlines for uploading Letters of Recommendation by your recommenders.
Our Graduate Recruitment Committee (GRC) conducts a holistic review of all application materials for indicators that the applicant possesses the essential qualities that will contribute to the successful completion of our degree program. No single factor leads to either accepting or excluding an applicant from admission.
Outcomes
Among the 300 graduates of our doctoral degree program in the ten-year period between 2008 and 2018, 53.85% had their initial post-graduation employment in the Education sector (including university-based post-docs.), 14.23% in National Laboratories and research institutes, and 31.92% in the Private sector with their current employment distribution being 47.90%, 15.97%, and 36.13% respectively.