Can you tell me my chances of admission before I apply?

No. We also do not make admissions comments should you send CVs or other applications materials prior to applying.

Due to the high volume of requests and applicants (approximately 500 a year), we cannot provide you with an estimate of your chances for admission. Admission is highly competitive and is more so for international students due to the higher volume of applicants and fewer admissions. For Fall 2020 admission, we had 182 international applicants and only accepted 42 for admission. For U.S. applicants, there were 172 applicants, and 50 were admitted. A total of 92 were admitted with 26 new students enrolling (11 international and 15 U.S. students).

When will I hear if I am accepted?

Our Graduate Recruitment Committee will begin to review applications in mid-January. Decisions should take place in late February for U.S. applicants and early to mid-March for International applicants. Please be patient as we review your materials. If you submitted a full application (application fee, official test scores, online application, etc.), you may check on your status through your MyStatus check page. The Department sends acceptance and financial aid award letters only to those who are admitted.

Can I send my application materials to the Department?

No, our admissions process is now completely online. All application materials should be submitted electronically through the MyStatus portal linked here.

I submitted my statement of purpose online; do I need to mail it in also?

No, our admissions process is now completely paperless. All application materials should be submitted electronically through the MyStatus portal linked here.

Do I need a Physics Bachelor’s degree to apply to the Physics Ph.D. program?

No, our How to Apply site has more information, linked here. Please email us at admissions@physics.utexas.edu for further guidance.

May I send more than three recommendation letters?

Once you have submitted your application, you can use our self-service feature on the “My Status” website to re-send the Request for Reference email to your recommenders, if necessary. You can also use this site to supply an alternate email if your recommender’s spam filter blocks the original request, or, has removed the link. You can also add a new recommender and send the Request for Reference email or revise your FERPA (right to view) status from retained to waived.

Can the letters of recommendation be submitted online?

Yes, letters of recommendation must now be submitted online by the recommender. This is determined by the contact information provided on your ApplyTexas application under the ‘Academic References’ section. You can check the received status by reviewing your MyStatus portal linked here.

Can I apply for a Master’s degree only?

Yes, however, please note we do not offer any financial support to Master’s applicants.

Do I receive a Master’s in route to completing a Ph.D. in Physics?

No. Most of our Ph.D. students do not earn a Master’s while en route to the Ph.D. There is an oral examination given in the third year of the program, and students also apply for Ph.D. candidacy later in that year, but this is not to earn a Master’s degree, but simply to advance in the program. If a student is making poor academic progress, he or she will often take a Master’s degree and leave before completing the Ph.D. Only about 1–2 students per year need to take the Masters' in this manner.

Do I need to send GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, and Physics GRE Subject test scores to the Department?

No, please review our main admissions page to review what is currently required. Should you need to send GRE and TOEFL scores to the University of Texas, please use Univestity code 6882 through the ETS system.

There is no institutional code for the IELTS examination, please use the IELTS electronic score delivery service to send your scores to the “University of Texas at Austin” account.

Can I be waived from the TOEFL or IELTS? (International Applicants Only.)

International applicants who are from a qualifying country are exempt from this requirement. Additionally, applicants are exempt from the requirement if they possess a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution or a qualifying country. The requirement is not waived for applicants who have earned a master's—but not a bachelor's—degree from a similar institution.

How do I find out if all my materials arrived and my application is complete?

Log into My Status to review the status of all your application materials.

Is it OK if my scores arrive after the deadline?

It should be OK if your scores arrive within a couple of weeks after the deadline. Any longer than this and we may begin the review process, and your scores will not be in your file in time. We still review your other items, but this will hurt your chances if scores are missing.

Can I just send copies of my scores?

No, we can only accept scores officially reported to us electronically by ETS (code: 6882).

Do you offer a Ph.D. in Applied Physics?

No. You may see a major code for Applied Physics on the online application, but please do not choose this major code. We simply do not have many courses in this area on a Ph.D. level. You might want to consider applying to an Engineering area at UT Austin instead.

I am interested in Astrophysics or Cosmology at UT Austin, to which department should I apply?

For studies of stars, planets, or observational astronomy (using telescopes such as JWST, HETDEX), apply to the Astronomy Dept. Information on the Physics Department’s involvement in these areas is as follows:

If you are interested in the field of Cosmology, you should apply to the Physics Department with the intent of understanding the fundamental properties of the Universe. On the other hand, you should apply to the Astronomy Department if you are interested in Cosmology with the intent of understanding galaxy/star formation or evolution. More precisely, the Physics Department’s Weinberg Theory Group is home to active research in Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics such as dark matter, inflation, CMB, and dark energy. This work is conducted by Professors Katherine Freese, Kim Boddy, Can Kilic, Sonia Paban, and Nicholas Galitzki.

If you are interested in Experimental Cosmology especially related to the development of instrumentation in collaborations such as the Simons Observatory, CMB-S4, or the BLAST Observatory you should apply to the Physics Department for work conducted by Nicholas Galitzki.

Moreover, our Department’s new, eponymous, Center for Gravitational Physics which represents the latest chapter in The University of Texas at Austin’s long tradition of study in the fields of Relativity and Gravitational physics is made up of Professors Pablo Laguna, Richard Matzner, Deirdre Shoemaker (Director), and Aaron Zimmerman. Members of the Center study gravitational physics, gravitational wave astrophysics, and numerical relativity.

Finally, it should also be noted that Professor Anna Tenerani in the Institute for Fusion Studies focuses her research on stellar plasmas and is currently engaged with the analysis of data from the Parker Solar Probe.

Is anyone at UT Austin doing gravitational wave research?

Yes, our Department recently became home to the new Center for Gravitational Physics here at UT Austin: Professors Pablo Laguna, Richard Matzner, Deirdre Shoemaker (Director), and Aaron Zimmerman work on gravitational physics, gravitational wave astrophysics, and numerical relativity.

How do I apply for financial aid?

There is no Department application for financial aid. All Ph.D. applicants are considered for financial support, and those admitted are offered a Teaching Assistant position or other aid. Applicants are welcome to review the FAFSA site for eligibility.

What is the amount of financial award given to students?

All admitted new Ph.D. graduate students are offered a Teaching Assistant financial award, in-state tuition waiver, and tuition. All fees are your own responsibility, these primarily affect International Students. The 12-month TA/GRA salary for the 2022–2023 academic year is $32,000, this amount is subject to change.

Will I receive summer support?

Yes, we support all of our students during the Summer through Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Research Assistantships, or Fellowships.

How do I apply for fellowship consideration as an incoming graduate student?

Upon review of your application, our Graduate Recruitment Committee makes recommendations based on recruitment fellowship criteria set by the Graduate School. If you would like to express your consideration for a specific fellowship, please be sure to email admissions@physics.utexas.edu.

I am applying as a Master’s candidate, will I receive financial support?

No. Should you be admitted as a Master’s student, be prepared to be self-funded throughout your Master’s degree.

I applied for Spring admission as a Ph.D. candidate, will I receive financial support?

Financial support is prioritized for Fall Ph.D. admits. Though rare, should you be admitted as a Spring Ph.D. candidate please be prepared to be self-funded your initial Spring semester.