Graduate Application Process

All Ph.D. applicants that apply to the Fall quarter will be considered for financial support in the form of fellowships and teaching assistantships. However, for full consideration of fellowship stipends, apply before the January 5, 2010 deadline and provide all of your application materials by mid-January (this applies to both domestic and international applicants). After January 5, files will be considered for fellowship stipends based on available funding. [Notes: (a) we are primarily a Ph.D. granting program, and generally cannot offer support for M.S. students unless T.A. positions happen to be available; (b) only in exceptional cases do we admit students for Winter or Spirng quarter, and financial support is generally not available].

Domestic applicants (US citizens and permanent residents) with a GPA>3.5 in upper division (last two year) undergraduate physics classes, General GRE (verbal+quantitative) > 1200, and substantial research experience can request for the waiver of the application fee. The GPA requirement is relaxed for top schools (3.4 for top 30 programs, and 3.3 for top 15 programs). If you qualify, send an e-mail asking for the application fee waiver including a summary of your grades, scores and research experience. Also complete the on-line application, but hold off on payment of the application fee.

International applications will not be considered for admission until the application fee has been received. As per policy from the grad division, we will have no access to your application until after the fee has been paid. This is a requirement of the university and no exceptions can be granted.

All students are required to take the general GRE and Physics Subject GRE. No exceptions can be made. Our ETS codes are R4839 (UCR) and 0808 (Physics).

International students whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The test must be taken within two years of matriculation (i.e. September 2008 for Fall 2010 admission), and the minimum scores for admission are: 550 (paper based), 213 (computer based), 80 (iBT). For those international students, preference for admission and fellowships will be give to those taking the TAST (i.e. the speaking portion of the TOEFL iBT). Those international students with a score of 17 or higher on the TAST (i.e. the speaking portion of the TOEFL iBT) will be eligible for additional money by serving as a part time teaching assistant and will be given preference for admission and fellowship. Note that a TAST score of 17-22 is considered a conditional pass and students can teach but must take a free English class and retake at the quarter, while 23-30 is a considered clear pass.

In making recommendation to our Graduate Division complete files are evaluated, including research experience, institution attended, GPA, and GRE scores. Research experience and letters or recommendation are given substantial weight in addition to solid GPA and GRE scores. The Graduate Division gives us the following guidelines for grades and GRE score (if close, lower scores in some areas can be overcome with strong performances in other areas.) Students with a Junior/Senior year GPA (or MA GPA) of 3.25 and General GRE score above 1100 are considered qualified for a Teaching Assistantship. Students with a Junior/Senior year GPA of 3.5 and General GRE score above 1200 are considered for our highest fellowship stipends. The Physics GRE, quality of institution, letters of recommendation, and demonstrated ability to conduct independent research are all strongly taken into consideration.(except for the application fee). [Notes: (a) if you have take the GRE multiple times, we will consider your highest score; (b) we mostly consider your GPA for your last two years of study. (c) undergraduate physics core classes are required including upper division quantum mechanics, electricity & magnetism, and mechanics].

We aim to recruit ~24 Ph.D. students for Fall 2010, including 8-10 international students. Last year we received 112 domestic and 151 international Ph.D. applications. The vast majority of students Ph.D. we admit receive fellowship packages and are fully supported.

PhD students are admitted without preference for their advisers or field. First year students take Physics 288, which introduces them to the research being performed in the department. Students are then asked to find an initial adviser before the beginning of their third quarter and an official adviser before the end of their second year of study. [Note: there are three quarter terms in an academic year at UCR.]

In order to apply, complete the official UCR Graduate School Application and consult the Graduduate Division application page for further information. Incomplete applications cannot be forwarded to the Graduate Division for fellowship and/or admission consideration.

[Note that while the receiving will be closed over the holidays, there is no reason to postpone sending applicaiton materials as all deliveries will be held and delivered the next business day.

Most of the application material is submitted through the application process. Arrange to have your transcripts (from all institutions attended) and any remaing material sent to:

Student Affairs Office
Department of Physics & Astronomy
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA 92521

Telephone: (951) 827-5332    FAX: (951) 827-4529
Email: derek.beving@ucr.edu