What Are the Different Types of Physics Graduate Programs?

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The discussion highlights the variety of graduate programs available in physics beyond traditional pure physics, including fields like geophysics, space physics, biophysics, and medical physics. Participants note that while many specialized areas exist, students often enroll in standard physics graduate programs before choosing a specialization. Optics and Photonics is mentioned as a distinct program that may allow for direct study in that field, depending on university policies and available faculty expertise. The naming and structure of these programs can vary based on departmental history and administration.
cragar
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For example there is geophysics, space physics, biophysics, medical physics.
Are there any other physics grad programs besides pure physics?
Just trying to look at all the options.
 
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Optics, Photonics, Condensed matter, High energy particle, materials, medical, radiation/nuclear, computational, plasma, astro, ... off the top of my head.

There are many different fields.
 
ok yes, but for all of those don't you have to enroll in standard physics grad programs and then specialize in those. Like when you go to grad school for geophysics, you just study geophysics.
 
Ah, I see what you mean.

In that case, Optics and Photonics is the only one I know off hand that you did not list.
 
so I can go to grad school and just study optics
 
afaik, it depends on the policy of the university. They are probably dependent on the field of potential supervisors in the department. Whether they decide to create a name for each specialization depends on the history and administration of the department.
 
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