What Are the Different Types of Physics Graduate Programs?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the various types of graduate programs available in physics, exploring both specialized fields and the structure of graduate studies. Participants are considering options beyond pure physics, including interdisciplinary fields and the nature of enrollment in these programs.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants mention fields such as geophysics, space physics, biophysics, and medical physics as examples of specialized graduate programs.
  • Others propose additional fields including optics, photonics, condensed matter, high energy particle physics, materials science, computational physics, plasma physics, and astrophysics.
  • There is a suggestion that students typically enroll in standard physics graduate programs before specializing in a particular field, such as geophysics.
  • One participant notes that optics and photonics may be an exception where students can focus directly on those areas.
  • Another participant indicates that the ability to specialize may depend on the policies of individual universities and the availability of supervisors in specific fields.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of viewpoints regarding the structure of graduate programs and the availability of specialized fields, indicating that there is no consensus on how these programs are organized or named across different institutions.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include potential variations in program structures across universities, the influence of departmental history and administration on specialization, and the lack of clarity on the specific requirements for entering specialized programs.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals considering graduate studies in physics or related fields, as well as those interested in the organizational structure of academic programs in STEM disciplines.

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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