Physics Doctorate Degree Programs

California Institute of Technology

• The California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) is one of four top rated physics programs that were ranked in terms of prominence and reputation by "U.S. News & World Report" in 2010. Cal Tech awards the Ph.D. in physics as its only graduate degree program. Master's degrees are awarded in conjunction with the Ph.D., but not separately. Courses of study offered through the department include areas such as elementary particle theory, string theory, gravitational radiation, general relativity, high-energy physics, space physics and astronomy and advanced quantum mechanics, among dozens of others.

  California Institute of Technology
  Division of Physics, Mathematics & Astronomy
  103-33
  Pasadena, CA 91125
  626-395-4244
  www.pma.caltech.edu

Harvard University

• Harvard University is the second program rated as a top physics department by "U.S. News & World Report." Harvard encourages interdisciplinary research, and its doctoral students work regularly with other departments such as those in astronomy, math, biophysics and engineering and applied science. Ph.D. candidates at Harvard regularly produce cutting-edge research in the field. Areas of study covered by the doctoral program include modern atomic and optical physics, string theory, quantum field theory, general relativity and cosmology, solid state physics and electrodynamics.

  Harvard University
  Department of Physics
  17 Oxford St
  Cambridge, MA 02138
  617-495-2872
  www.physics.harvard.edu

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is yet another top-rated doctoral program in the world of physics. MIT is renowned for its science and engineering programs in general; specifically, its physics program ranks only second to engineering in terms of its importance among the university departments (engineering is the largest university department). As such, university funding and resources are used to support research through the department, more so than in other departments. Areas of research covered by the MIT doctoral program include astrophysics, theoretical nuclear and particle physics, atomic, biophysics, condensed matter and plasma physics and experimental nuclear and particle physics.

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  Department of Physics
  77 Massachusetts Ave., 4-315
  Cambridge, MA 02139
  617-253-4841
  web.mit.edu/physics

Stanford University

• The Stanford University Department of Physics is the fourth program listed atop the "U.S. News & World Report" list of top physics programs for 2010. Like the other three programs, Stanford offers the Ph.D. in physics. Students at Stanford, like MIT, Harvard and Cal Tech, benefit from learning from some of the top physicists in the field. Areas of research covered by the doctoral program include theoretical particle physics, biophysics, cosmology, theoretical gravitational physics, condensed matter and biophysics, superconductivity, quantum electronics, polymer physics, laser physics and eight different areas of experimental physics.

  Stanford University
  Department of Physics
  Varian Physics Room 108
  382 Via Pueblo Mall
  Stanford, CA 94305
  650-723-4344
  www.stanford.edu/dept/physics