Brandeis University

Program Information

Degree Offered

M.S. in physics (full or part time), Ph.D.

Program Description:

The Martin A. Fisher School of Physics at Brandeis University has an international reputation for excellence in research; it is among the highest ranked in the United States on the basis of publication citations. The department was recently awarded a major grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. Graduate students in the department are engaged in a wide variety of research programs, ranging from biophysics to particle physics, from microfluidics to radio astronomy to string theory.

Graduate study at Brandeis is characterized by a low student-to-faculty ratio. Brandeis currently has 18 faculty members and 43 doctoral students in the Department of Physics. Students enjoy ample opportunity for personal interaction with instructors in the classroom and laboratory and with advisers 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 University, MIT, Northeastern University, and Tufts University. All these schools are within 30 minutes of the Brandeis campus.

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.

Numerous opportunities for interdisciplinary studies are available to graduate students. Students can decide to enroll in newly established program in Quantitative Biology supported by the HHMI foundation. Upon completing this program students receive a Ph.D in physics “with an additional specialization in Quantitative Biology”. Furthermore, entering graduate students who are US citizens or permanent residents are eligible to apply for admission to a competitive NSF IGERT program "Geometry and Dynamics". This is a program oriented towards theorists, whose goal is to train a group of young scientists to apply a set of common mathematical concepts and techniques to problems across mathematics and natural and social sciences, from string theory to neuroscience to economics.

Generous scholarships and fellowships are available. Successful applicants to the Ph.D. programs are offered full tuition waivers, a stipend, and health insurance allowance. Most of our master’s students receive generous scholarships in the form of merit- and need-based aid.

Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Tuition & Financial Aid

Financial Aid Offered: Yes

Format: Campus

Classification: Doctoral/Research Universities - Extensive

Institution Sector: Private not-for-profit

Locale: Small City

Size & Settings: 5,000 - 9,999