For Prospective Students

Physics PhD Application

Please be sure to select "Physics" from the drop-down menu on the application for what program you are applying for. The Astronomy and BioPhysics graduate programs are separate from the Physics graduate program, and must be applied to separately.

If you have any technical questions about the application (e.g how do I upload..., how do I enter_______ information, why haven't I received my confirmation email yet?, checklist status questions) please contact the Graduate Admissions Office at gradadmissions@osu.edu

GRE Policy:

General and physics subject GRE scores are optional, with no negative impact on applicants who choose not to submit them. Each application will have an initial holistic review without reviewers knowing if GRE scores were submitted. After this initial phase, GRE scores from students who chose to submit them could be considered as a “plus-factor” by some admissions committee members representing certain research areas, but would not be used to downgrade applicants who chose not to submit them.

Applicants to the Physics Graduate Program must meet the following criteria of the OSU Graduate School:

• an earned baccalaureate or professional degree from an accredited college or university by the expected date of entry.
• a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative point-hour ratio (on the 4.0 scale used at this university) in the last degree relevant to the program of study earned by the applicant. For international students, the GPA is calculated on the home institution’s grading scheme and the grade key on the transcript is then utilized to approximate an equivalent US grade based on the educational system of that country.
• prerequisite training that will enable the student to pursue the graduate program to which admission is sought, e.g., upper-level physics courses, lab or research experience.
• International students must meet the minimum score requirement of an English proficiency test, as listed below. This requirement applies only to any applicant from a country where the first language is not English, unless a bachelor’s degree or higher was earned in an English-speaking country.
  • TOEFL- 550, internet based TOEFL (IBT)- 79, Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)- 82, International English Language Testing System (IELST)- 7.0

International applicants: November 30th. All supporting materials for international students, including official transcripts, letters of recommendation must be received no later than December 10th.

Domestic applicants: December 15th. All supporting materials for domestic students, including official transcripts, letters of recommendation must be received no later than December 20th.

To have a better chance of winning a fellowship, please apply by December 1st. This deadline is not required but is preferred.

Every applicant must start by completing an online application that can be found here: https://gpadmissions.osu.edu Many of the required materials listed below should be uploaded with your application. Please read carefully, and be sure to complete the entire application. 

Additional, required, supplementary materials include:

• 1 copy of an OFFICIAL transcript from all colleges and universities you have attended, where college credit was earned
  • This includes schools you attended for only a short time (even if the transfer credit shows on another transcript).
  • Advising reports or PDF documents of web page listings of courses and grades are NOT acceptable.
  • Once received, your transcript(s) will be uploaded to your application by the admissions office. Sometimes that doesn't happen so if it is still missing after 5 working days from the expected receipt date, please email the admissions office at gradadmissions@osu.edu.
  • If you have any difficulties attaching your transcripts, you can email them to gpadocs@osu.edu, and they will upload it to your application.
    • Please do not send your transcripts to our department, or to the Grad Studies email.
    • Please be sure to redact (black out) all U.S. social security numbers if your transcript copy would use that number.
  • Secured, electronic versions of transcripts can be sent to gpadocs@osu.edu.
• 3 letters of recommendation
  • ​We will not accept any additional letters of recommendation beyond the required 3, even though the application system will allow you to request more.
  • Although the new application system requires you to enter information for you recommenders, it does not automatically initiate your request for a recommendation. You will receive a confirmation email, after submitting your application, that will give you instructions about how to request your letters.
  • You will be able, and expected, to monitor the progress of your recommendations.
• Statement of Purpose

  • The application requires a two-page Statement of Purpose (see below for Statement of Purpose prompt), and that you provide short answers to three questions.

    o You will find this prompt on the application, "Please discuss your academic record, research experience, research interests, motivation for obtaining your Physics PhD at the Ohio State University, and your long-term goals after obtaining your PhD. Please address any substantial gaps or blemishes in your academic record. In addition to evidence of strong physics scholarship and research ability, we are also looking for other qualities in graduate students that would help them succeed and would support and add to an inclusive graduate student culture and diversity of lived experiences. In addition to completing the short answer part of this application, you may include other examples of these qualities in your Personal Statement."

    o If you have any difficulties attaching your Statement of Purpose, you can email it to gpadocs@osu.edu, and they will upload it to your application. 

• Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) or Resume
  • Please limit to 1-2 pages   
  • This document should be uploaded with your application.
  • If you have any difficulties attaching your C.V. or resume, you can email it to gpadocs@osu.edu, and they will uploaded to your application.
• Official English proficiency test score
  • This is required of international applicants or those who have held the status of U.S. Permanent Resident for less than one year.
  • Minimum scores required for admission consideration: TOEFL- 550, internet based TOEFL (IBT)- 79, Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)- 82, International English Language Testing System (IELST)- 7.0
  • If you do not meet the university minimum TOEFL IBT score (79), you cannot be considered for our graduate program.
  • We cannot waive the TOEFL requirement or consider scores near (but below) the minimum.
  • TOEFL scores are valid for up to two years following the test date.
  • Ohio State's institutional code is 1592.
  • Applicants who are citizens of, or who have received a bachelor's degree or higher from one of the following countries are exempt from the English proficiency requirement: Australia, Belize, the British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Scotland, the United States, and Wales.

​Optional Supplementary Materials

• Writing Sample (THIS IS NOT REQUIRED)
  • ​If you choose to further elaborate on any publications you may have (as publication should be noted in your resume) you may upload a list of publications, or an abstract
  • In total, you should not submit more than 1 page for your 'writing sample'
  • Please do not attach any papers, presentations, thesis, etc. They will not be saved, nor printed for your file.
  • You should upload your list or abstract(s) in the writing sample section of your application
  • If you have any difficulties attaching this document, you can email it to gpadocs@osu.edu, and they will upload it to your application.
    • Please do not send this document to our department, or to the Grad Studies email.
• Adding Course Data
  • ​​​​​​​Our intent is for gathering specific information related to the 4 core Physics topic areas only and additional entries will cloud the data we are trying to compile. Transcripts are reviewed in detail as part of our application review process therefore the committee will see the additional courses in physics or related subject areas.  If you would like to call attention to particular courses we suggest adding them to a section on your resume about further academic preparation beyond the 4 core physics areas.

  Please email gradstudies@physics.osu.edu if you have any further questions about our program or application process. Email the graduate admissions office at gradadmissions@osu.edu for any technical questions about the application.

The application fee for the Physics PhD program $60 for U.S. citizens and $70 for international students. 

After you submit your application you will receive a confirmation email from gpadmissions@osu.edu. Please note that it can take a few days for this confirmation email to be sent. If you have not received it within 4 days of submitting your application, please contact the Graduate Admissions office gradadmissions@osu.edu. You confirmation email will assign you an OSU ID and Internet username (lastname.#) with directions to activate your account. You must activate your account to electronically prompt your recommenders for letters, and to monitor the status of your application. Please monitor your spam/junk mail. and send requests for letters of recommendation. 

Once you activate your account you can monitor the status of your application at http://appstatus.osu.edu  There, you will be able to:

• Verify/update your contact information
• Check your application status by clicking the Application Status link on the main page, then the Status link for the application
• Review what items have been received (and what, if anything, still needs to be submitted) by clicking the Application Requirements tab

We begin our review process in early January. If we are missing any of your paperwork, we will contact you directly via email during that time. We receive a large volume of applications and it is difficult for us to respond to individual requests for confirmation of having received materials, therefore it is very important for you to take responsibility and monitor the status of your application and materials regularly on OSU's application system. 

If at any time you do not remember your ID, Username, or password, help is available at http://my.osu.edu. If you need assistance with the activation code request process, please visit 8help.osu.edu; or, contact the IT Service Desk by e-mail at 8help@osu.edu or calling (614) 688-HELP (4357). For those applicants who do know their current password, passwords may be changed or reset by following the instructions at: http://my.osu.edu, or by contacting the IT Service Desk.   

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The Vice Chair for Graduate studies will be hosting open office hours at the following times:

Tuesday 11/12 2-3pm EDT

Thursday 12/5 5-6pm EDT

You can sign into any of these meetings using the link here: Join the meeting now

We are a top-25 Physics Department with 60 faculty members and a history of research excellence.  We have undergone an aggressive expansion over the past ten years (a new Physics Research Building, 17 new faculty members, and a 70% increase in research funding) focused on emerging areas of physics research.   

You can learn more about our research programs.

 Our students and faculty also play central roles in three interdisciplinary research centers that are headquartered in the OSU Physics Research Building:  

We offer a Bridge to PhD Program in Physics, which strives to enhance the diversity of qualified applicants to physics PhD programs. This program is for domestic or permanent US residents who have a bachelor’s degree in Physics or closely related field who are motivated to pursue a PhD, but require additional course work, training, and research experience to excel in a PhD program. 

We have designed the graduate program in physics to give you a solid background in the fundamentals, an understanding of the major fields of current research and an opportunity for in-depth investigations. Working with your faculty advisor, you can tailor your program to meet your own needs and interests, taking into account your particular goals and undergraduate preparation.

In the PhD program, you will devote most of your first year and some of your second year to course work. These courses are designed to strengthen and extend your knowledge of the theoretical foundations of physics and to introduce you to areas of current interest in the field. During the summer following your first year, you will be encouraged to join one of the ongoing research programs in the department. As mentioned earlier, teaching associates with satisfactory records are offered special summer-term appointments, free of teaching duties, to enable them to take advantage of this opportunity to explore a research area early in their graduate careers. 

From your third year on, you will concentrate on carrying out your PhD thesis research with your faculty research advisor. This work culminates in your PhD thesis defense by about the fifth or sixth year.

The resources of the university and of the physics department are available to assist you with job placement after graduation. Recent graduates now have successful careers at colleges, universities, national research laboratories and in industry.

Qualifying and becoming a PhD candidate

Becoming a Better Physicist

Research Opportunities and Affiliated Faculty

Teaching Associates: Many of our first-year graduate students are supported through their appointment as teaching associates. These appointments ordinarily are made for the academic year (two semesters). Teaching assignments involve a maximum of eight contact hours of combined laboratory/recitation instruction per week. In this appointment, your responsibilities include teaching, grading and giving individual assistance to students. You also will receive training for this position through the department.

After your first academic year, you will be awarded a special research appointment for the summer term if you have a satisfactory record of academic work and teaching performance for your first two semesters. Your regular stipend is continued during this summer term, but you will have no teaching duties. This appointment allows you to begin research work early in your graduate program. The stipend for teaching associates is very competitive and is re-assessed regularly. The value of the present stipend will be provided with your offer of admission. Excellence in graduate teaching is recognized annually with the presentation of the Hazel Brown Teaching Awards, which include a monetary award as well as a certificate of recognition.

Research Associates: Graduate research associate positions are available to nearly all advanced graduate students. The stipend is equal to that of a teaching associate. This support is obtained from research grants that have been awarded to individual faculty members from either industrial or governmental sources. As a research associate, you will devote essentially all of your time to dissertation research.

Fellowships: A number of prestigious fellowships, including fellowships from The Ohio State University Graduate School and the departmentally funded Fowler Fellowships, are awarded annually to top students. Since these awards require no teaching duties for the first year, fellows take more classes each semester and move more quickly into research. Fellowships are available to students beginning with their first year in the physics graduate program. All qualified applicants, who apply by December 15 with all supplementary materials, including letters of recommendation, received by January 1, will be considered for fellowship nomination.