Graduate school Definition and 485 Threads

Hi all, I've asked for a lot of academic guidance before, so thanks for all the advice up to this point and going forward. Here's the background: I'll be graduating this coming May with a double major in mathematics and computer science. My true passion tends to lie with engineering and...

Hi, how does physics graduate school work in Spain? What are the admissions tests?

Hello forum, I am a soon-to-be-graduated Radiation Health Physics student who plans to study medical physics in the future. I have applied for a few schools and I have been admitted to San Diego State's medical physics masters so far. And I am still waiting to hear from Oregon State/Oregon...

ZapperZ submitted a new PF Insights post First years of Graduate School from Being a TA to the Graduate Exams Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.

ZapperZ submitted a new PF Insights post Entering Physics Graduate School From Another Major Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.

I was wondering if anyone could help me with the job search and deciding what graduate degree to pursue? Last night, my mom said something along the lines of, "It's such a shame that you got such a great scholarship (graduated with barely any debt) and studied physics in college. I should have...

Hi everyone, I'm currently researching graduate schools in mathematics. I would like to go for a PhD. My question is, do I apply directly to the PhD program? Or do I apply to the Master's program and apply for the PhD afterwards? What do people normally do?

I've thrown around this possibility before, but I've developed such a respect for this forum and the people interested in physics that I feel comfortable enough to listen to others input and experience. I'm attending a local University free of charge, but they only offer a minor in physics. I...

ZapperZ submitted a new PF Insights post The US Graduate School System Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.

Hi guys, Im Daniel, I am currently an undergraduate astrophysics student at CU Boulder. Just coming into my junior year now and I've begun thinking about grad school. My current career goal is to join the upcoming private space industry. I was hoping to get some advice about what to do after...

Hi guys, Im Daniel, I am currently an undergraduate astrophysics student at CU Boulder. Just coming into my junior year now and I've begun thinking about grad school. My current career goal is to join the upcoming private space industry. I was hoping to get some advice about what to do...

ZapperZ submitted a new PF Insights post What to Expect from Graduate School Before You Get There Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.

ZapperZ submitted a new PF Insights post Applying for Physics Graduate School Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.

Hi Guys! Perhaps this a commonly asked question on Physics forums. If this has been addressed before then I apologize. I really value the input on this board from the experienced folks, hence the question. My first question : 1) What is required to be accepted for internships for places such...

I'm curious as to whether completing one's undergraduate studies faster is a disadvantage for applying to graduate school. While there are many reasons to stay the full four years, many also have real reasons to finish earlier (financial concerns being a main one). I'm going to assume that all...

Im a junior physics major with interests in statistical physics, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, classical mechanics and all thing theoretical and mathematical. I certainly want to go into something that is very mathematical but I am just not sure what I should look into. Also how to i go...

I am currently looking at grad schools, and I am wondering if anyone knew who are the leading researchers in differential geometry. I know that question is a little vague considering how diverse differential geometry is, but I was hoping that something could direct me in the right direction...

I am afraid I made the wrong major choice. Currently I will be entering my senior year of a Civil Engineering b.s. with a concentration in structural engineering. And now that my program is coming to an end, I realized its not what I thought it is. Its too much picking through laws and...

Good morning! So, I graduated in 2013 and got a job in industry. Now, I'm starting grad school in the fall. That's a 2.5 year gap; I'd like to brush up on my skills and shore up my weaknesses. Anyone have recommendations? In particular, for Math Methods and skills? As far as Undergraduate...

I had a lot of trouble in my early undergraduate career and had received some really bad grades. I retook a lot of courses and after 6 years, I am finally graduating with good marks in my third and fourth year courses and I believe I have an overall good understanding of undergraduate physics. I...

I was wondering if there is anyone out here who was in a PhD physics program that did internships during grad school? ( Or plans to do an internship) Google searching this usually leads me to many CS people that have done this. I guess it's not that common for physics people? I do not want to...

I have to choose between U of T and UBC for my physics graduate school. QS ranking places UBC(46th) much higher than U of T (100th), but two of my professors told me the other way around. any ideas about the discrepancy? thanks~

As a senior in high school, I found my direction in life at just the right time. Unfortunately, my past three years haven't gone so well. Admittedly, I never really tried hard until this year. I've always been naturally talented academically, so maintaining a ~3.0 has been a piece of cake for...

I am an electrical engineering student who will be graduating in the spring. I had previously wanted to join the workforce after graduation, but the job search has not gone well for me... So now, I am thinking of applying to the masters program at my own school (which has a later deadline) if I...

What are your thoughts on the fact that most math PhD program applications do not contain interviews? Consider the following link: https://quomodocumque.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/are-math-departments-better-at-recruitment-than-elite-financial-firms/ One of the comments expresses concerns about...

I am currently a nuclear engineering undergraduate. I was curious what the job perspective is with only a bachelors degree. How about with a masters? P.h.D? I will be graduating with a Nuclear Engineering Honors Degree in Science.

Does anyone have advice or tips for American students wishing to pursue a PhD abroad? Background: I graduated with my BS in 2012 in aeronautical engineering. My major GPA was a 3.7(5?) but my cumulative was a 3.44. I briefly attended graduate school from 2012 to 2013, but left due to funding...

Hi all, I have heard from different people about the interview for physics graduate school (before the admission). Some say there won't be interviews, while some say otherwise. Anyone can confirm this?

So I am currently an undergrad student working on a BS of EE. I ultimately want to get a masters degree in biomedical engineering from a certain school. I currently lack work experience in engineering. I would like to find a job dealing with electrical equipment in a hospital or some medical...

I have been dating a girl for quite a while, we are both on our 2nd year of college majoring in maths. The other day while we were talking about ourselves I mentioned my intention to go study abroad for my masters and phD. I have really good chances to do that, I have very good grades and I am...

I really want to attend MIT graduate school. Here are some things about me: I am a sophomore at an HBCU on a full scholarship. I am a physics major planning on double majoring by adding mathematics (because I LOVE it). -Overall GPA: 3.84 -Physics GPA: 4.00 (but I've only taken Physics I &...

This question is geared towards anyone who started off graduate school, but decided not to continue. I especially want to hear from physics people, but anyone! After reading some threads and stumbling on an article that had short anecdotes of people who decided to leave graduate, I sort of...

Hello forum, I'm a current undergrad student in radiation health physics planning to apply for medical physics grad schools in the US. There are a few things that make me worry: my GPA (3.24 cumulative) isn't superb because my first two year of undergrad was troublesome (my recent performances...

Hi Guys, So I am in a pretty peculiar pickle, by the end of my junior year I will have completed all graduation requirements for both my majors (Physics and Mathematics) and all graduation requirements for the university to grant me my degree. I want to emphasize that I am not overloading on...

Hello everyone, I am trying to write a personal statement for graduate school, and I am not sure what to say. I started off by saying that I would like to eventually become a professor in order to give students research opportunities that I wasn't given as an undergraduate student (because I...

Hi, I am filling up graduate school applications, but I am asked to list the universities I am applying for. Any ideas about the reasons they ask us? Should I tell them? I am afraid this information will affect the admission in a bad way.

Im about to graduate with a physics and math double major, so I'm currently searching for graduate programs that include applied physics, applied math, and engineering. Ultimately I am interested in applying science/math to practical applications in engineering or Earth science. My goal is to...

Hello, Physics Forums. I am currently working through my graduate school applications and am now finishing up my statements of purpose for MIT, Caltech, and Michigan. While working on the MIT application, I came upon a thought that I'm sure most people have- am I even good enough to succeed at...

Hello Everyone! I'm currently in the final year of my Bachelor of Science, and I'm interested in pursuing graduate studies in theoretical/computational neuroscience. Unfortunately, I don't feel prepared for graduate level study/research in this discipline. Therefore, I'm contemplating taking...

Hi everyone. I recently finished a first draft for a statement of purpose for CalTech (I know, I know - I figured it would be the first one I draft - I have others I will be modelling off of this one soon enough), and I have a few (well, maybe more than a few) concerns about how I wrote it and...

I am graduating with my BSc in Physics next spring and I want to go to graduate school. The problem being that I missed the sign up date for the Physics GRE, I did however, take the general GRE. What can I do now to get into graduate school?

Hey Everyone, Before I made a thread about applying to grad school, now I am not sure if I should for PhD just yet. I feel like my gpa is not high enough, my physics gre is not good enough, and overall feeling pretty lousy about applying. I am already taking a year off, and now I just think I...

I just took my GRE today and I must say I did very mediocre on it. I did not fail but did mediocre. If one looked at my score they would never guess I';m a physics major. I got 156 in both verbal and quantitative. On my physics GRE I'm probably going to get in the 70 to 80th percentile. My GPA...

Choosing between engineering, physics and math is a choice I have been putting off for a long time. I am in my undergrad under engineering physics trying to do it all still by taking 6 courses a semester so that I can still fit in things like real analysis and topology, as well as quantum, EM...

I'm beginning to apply to grad schools (primarily in observational or computational cosmology and extragalactic astronomy) but have a deep interest in M-theory and quantum gravity although I haven't been able to study it. I very much enjoy theory and think that I would find studying M-theory or...

I want to go to physics grad school, but I also want to be ready to go to into CFD for industry if academia doesn't pan out - what area of physics would prepare me best for that?

Looking at different graduate programs to apply to for physics focusing on biological physics. Very different research going on from school to school in the field so most of the criteria I'm basing where I apply is what kind of research is listed. My understanding of the process at your given...

Hello, My post concerns getting jobs after my Masters degree in Chemical Engineering. I am currently in my 4th/senior year for a BS Chemical Engineering degree. I got accepted in a fifth-year program, so I can spend one more year at school and get my Masters degree. I am excited because I love...

I'm a physics and likely math major, heading into the second half of the first semester of my sophomore year in college. I started college taking all sophomore classes having placed out of all freshmen courses. I did poorly my first year and this year, thus far I have started off similarly, only...

Hello fellow PF members, Some background about me: I am currently a senior (actually is my 6th year in college) in Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University. I am on track and will be graduating next summer. Given how long I have been in college, I would want to go straight to work...