How to Get a PhD in Physics

Like many of the hard sciences, physics offers a wide range of specializations from which to choose, from synthetic magnetic fields and laser-cooled molecules to the popular yet controversial super string theory. Yet regardless of where your interests lie, advanced study in this cutting-edge field often requires an advanced degree. A PhD in physics, for example, represents the pinnacle of science education and serves as a stepping-stone toward an academic or professional career. Use this guide to learn the ins and outs of the doctorate degree in physics, as well as how to apply to programs, join the academic community, and more.

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Earning a PhD in Physics

Many top jobs for physicists are limited to those with doctoral degree training. After five or more years of education, research, and scholarship, doctoral students in physics prove their knowledge in a dissertation defense and earn this high-level terminal degree.

The scope of doctoral training looks vastly different for students, even those who attend the same university. Physics doctoral students may focus on any number of areas, many of which have both academic and professional applications.

Potential Careers for Physics PhD Graduates

After graduation, a physicist with a doctoral degree has a range of career options. The career path for doctoral degree graduates in physics is as varied as the degree itself. Graduates of physics PhD programs go on to pursue careers in the following fields:

Research: Creating and completing research, either with no application in mind, or a specific commercial or otherwise applied goal.

Development and Design: Using existing physics research to design and develop new tools, processes, products, and more.

Teaching: Education at any level, including high school and college positions.

Management: Administration and consulting positions, either in education, government, or the private sector.

Many physicists end up in higher education, pursuing tenure-track positions and teaching at community colleges or universities. At the university level, professors may be required to complete current research and maintain a current publishing record.

Physics PhD Graduates in Industry

If academia is not your preferred career path, you may consider work as a researcher for one of the top physics PhD employers. Here are some of the largest employers of physics doctoral degree graduates, as reported by the American Institute of Physics:

Companies in biotechnology, communication, transportation, and petroleum research all require physicists with advanced doctoral degrees. For a high-level research career in the private sector, a PhD in physics may offer the ideal degree training.

Typical Physics PhD Degree Requirements

Completing a doctoral degree in physics means completing original research at the top of your field. While no two schools are alike, students can find the same general standards in place across all physics doctoral programs. Here are the basic requirements:

Completing approximately two years of doctoral coursework
Passing a doctoral qualifying exam after completing coursework
Passing a departmental review of research process
Presenting a thesis proposal and defending it before committee

Typical physics PhD programs require about five years of full-time study and research. The process requires an extended commitment of time, financial resources, and attention, and the resulting degree is proof of your lifelong commitment to the sciences.

Typical Physics PhD Coursework

Your specific physics doctoral degree coursework depends on your own specialization, program specifics, and other factors. A general PhD program in physics will likely require the following doctoral-level coursework:

Advanced Quantum Mechanics
Classical Mechanics
Graduate Research
Methods of Experimental Physics

Beyond basic coursework, look for PhD programs that offer courses that relate to your own interests in physics. The best doctoral physics schools offer a mix of courses that support your fundamental growth as a scientist.

Campus-Based Vs. Hybrid Online PhD in Physics

The world of online doctoral degrees is swiftly changing. While there is currently no option for a fully online PhD in physics, that may change in the coming years. In the meantime, students may choose between a fully campus-based PhD in physics, and hybrid online doctoral programs that offer a mix of on-campus and online coursework. The hybrid degree has its benefits:

Lower campus requirement means students save travel and classroom time, allowing flexibility with work and family schedules

Students log on to online physics coursework anywhere, interacting with colleagues and professors in an online environment

Flexibility is the key benefit to an online doctoral program. The online PhD model comes with a set of challenges as well:

Less access to hands-on research and physics laboratory materials
Online coursework requires a high level of self-discipline and time management skill

Whether you're pursuing a fully online PhD program in the sciences or considering a hybrid PhD in physics, it helps to consider the benefits and challenges behind the degree training you'll receive. Online doctoral degree training offers the freedom to attend classes while maintaining a busy schedule both at work and at home.

Start Your Search With Physics Ranking Sites

Begin your search by taking a look at one of the most popular ranking reports available. U.S. News and World Report ranks the top physics schools in the nation. Rankings include all graduate degrees, including master's degrees. The rankings can be ordered by location and narrowed down by category:

From there, continue your research using WorldWideLearn.com's portal for physics degrees. Use the page to complete your list of doctoral degree schools, learn more about available degrees, and make contact with potential schools. This essential research step helps you begin to put together a comprehensive list of physics programs. At that point, you can begin to focus your options on the most promising doctoral programs.

The Benefits of an Accredited Physics Doctoral Program

The first step of focusing your potential physics PhD options is to determine each program's accreditation. An accrediting agency establishes operating standards, determines which schools meet those standards, and makes their findings public. These third-party agencies operate without bias and help ensure the value of your physics education.

The U.S. Department of Education recognizes national, regional, and specialized accrediting agencies. If you're ever in doubt about the accreditation status of a particular school, use their search glossary to find schools by name, location, or accrediting agency. Schools also typically publish their accreditation status on their Web sites.

Condense Potential Physics Doctoral Degree Options

After you determine the accreditation status of your potential physics doctorate programs, you can further narrow down the options. Focusing your potential options may seem like a time-consuming process, but the rewards are plentiful; you'll be more likely to find a physics PhD program that suits your needs, location, and budget. Check out these top categories for refining your degree options:

Faculty: Spend some time considering the research and publication listed from faculty at your potential schools. Most schools list these facts online. Search for faculty with current publications, proving their relevance to physics research. Faculty with experience in your subset of physics can provide a perspective to your own research.

Program: The coursework you find in a physics PhD degree program may determine your own experience later in your research and career. Try to match specialized doctoral programs with your own goals in research.
History: Physics as a doctoral study is relatively established, and it's possible to find a program with a long history in the sciences. A physics program with a long history may easily provide a record of its success, while newer programs may not have the achievements to distinguish them from other schools.
Alumni: A successful set of alumni speak to the strength of a doctoral degree program in physics. Individual departments should be able to note job placement rates in academia and the public sector alike. Talk to department chairs for more information on recent alumni achievements.

Admissions: Each physics degree program has different admission standards. Many schools require GRE scores as well as physics subject test scores. Schools may also request letters of reference, a statement of interest, transcripts, and more. In general, the most selective degree programs have the most admissions requirements.
Community: Get a personal perspective on your potential physics degree by seeking out graduates for their opinion on the community fostered by the doctoral program. Consider general community facts, such as research lab availability, as well as student life and other features.

Use sites like WorldWideLearn.com and school Web pages to help focus your research in the categories above. This research is an essential part of your physics degree process, and you complete it before you even begin your first application for admission. Once you've established a list of your best possible programs, you can begin to apply for the coming academic year.

Use WorldWideLearn.com for Physics Education Research

The free tools you find at WorldWideLearn.com can help you find a doctoral program in physics, secure financial aid, consider future careers in physics, and more. These free resources are designed to help potential and current students at every step of the educational process. Here's a sampling of what you can see on the site:

Financial Aid. Browse here for more information about federal grants and loans, where to find specialized scholarships for physics doctoral degree students, and information on how to repay your financial aid package.

Guide to College Majors. Check out more information on majors and minors, in and outside the sciences with this guide. You'll find more information on physics doctorates and other options at all degree levels.

Education Resources. Head to this page to find facts on accreditation, a mission statement from WorldWideLearn.com, information on campus-based and online PhD programs in physics.

The materials you can find at WorldWideLearn.com help you at every step of your education and career search. Use the site as a gateway that guides you through your path to a doctoral degree in physics.

Contributing to the International Physics Community

Membership in professional organizations is key to the job search, as many employers in and outside academia look for physicists with a high level of involvement in the physics community. Physicists should also contribute to research publications and participate in physics conferences nationwide and internationally. Here are a list of resources you can use to begin interacting in the international physics community:

Professional Organizations: Society of Physics Students, American Institute of Physics (AIP), International Association of Mathematical Physics (IAMP), American Nuclear Society, American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM)

Research Publications: Annals of Physics, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Physical Review A-E, Physics Letters Part A-B, Science, Scientific American, Semiconductor Science and Technology, Physics Today

Physics Conferences: Nuclear Power Asia, 4th International Conference on Nano Science and Technology, Research Trends in Laser Matter Interaction, New Perspectives in Quantum Statistics and Correlations, Environmental Physics Conference, International Applied Geological Congress, International Conference on Computational Physics

Take part in the world of professional physics and you can use your doctoral education to make a real contribution to the scientific community. For scientists with a lifelong passion for physics, a doctoral degree is the natural culmination of years of focused study. Graduates go on to fulfilling careers that aspire to make a difference to the scientific world and beyond.

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