Overview

The Martin A. Fisher School of Physics at Brandeis University has an international reputation for excellence in research and is one of the highest-ranked of its size in the country. Physics graduate students enjoy maximum curricular flexibility and the opportunity to make a well-informed choice of research field. Graduate students work closely with faculty in a wide variety of research, ranging from biophysics to particle physics, from microfluidics to radio astronomy to string theory. Two members of our faculty have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and three are fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The department was awarded a major grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. Read more about our Physics programs on the department website. Application instructions can be found below.

Apply Financial Aid Program Site

How to Apply

Application Deadlines

• PhD: January 15
• MS: Rolling through May 1; application review begins January 1. Please note that the application may be closed earlier if the desired cohort size is reached prior to May 1; questions can be emailed to scigradoffice@brandeis.edu. 

Application Requirements

To apply for the program, you need to submit:

• An online application

• An application fee

• Transcripts from all universities and colleges attended must be uploaded to your application; do not mail official transcripts to our office. For more information, visit Frequently Asked Questions.

• Two letters of recommendation, submitted online

• A curriculum vitae (CV) or resumé

• A statement of purpose indicating your reasons for undertaking graduate study. In addition, please describe your qualifications for the physics program and your objectives in undertaking this program. Applicants to the doctoral program should clearly outline their research interests and how they would complement those of the faculty. Applicants to the master's program should discuss their academic and professional career plans and how the Graduate School could help them attain their goals.

• Graduate Record Exam (GRE): Please note that if you are applying for the 2022-2023 academic year, your application will receive full consideration even if you are unable to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Typically, the GRE general test is required and the GRE subject test is recommended, but not required. If you would like to send your scores, please note that MyBest™ scores from ETS are not accepted. Our institution code for the GRE exam is 3092.

• Additional Requirements for International Applicants: Score report from one of the following English language proficiency exams: TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Revised Paper-delivered Test, TOEFL ITP Plus for China Solution, IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, or Duolingo English Test. You can arrange for the delivery of your TOEFL iBT or Revised Paper-delivered Test score report by providing ETS with our institution code, 3261 (no department code is necessary); please note that we do not accept TOEFL Essentials score reports or MyBest™ scores from ETS. Delivery of your TOEFL ITP Plus scores can be arranged via your Vericant account, delivery of your Duolingo scores can be arranged via your Duolingo account, and delivery of your PTE Academic scores can be arranged via your Pearson account. Further information about this requirement can be found on the International Students page.

For a more comprehensive description of application requirements, please visit Frequently Asked Questions.