How to Get a Ph.D. in Physics

Co-authored by Sean Alexander, MS

Last Updated: August 22, 2023 Approved

Physics can be an exciting field to go into! You can pursue a career in academics, in government research, or in the private sector. To start on the road to getting a PhD, develop your science and math skills. If you're still in high school and college, you have ample time to focus on your science education; if not, don't be deterred. Even without a science degree, you can find and apply to a PhD program of your choice. After that, all you need to do is complete your PhD program; it's not an easy task, but it's one you can achieve if you set your mind to it.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Developing Your Education in High School and College

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1
Focus on physics in high school, if you can. If you're still in high school, start developing your interest in physics early. Take extra physics classes, for instance, and join or start a physics club with like-minded individuals. Participate in science fairs. Apply for science camps in the summer to continue to develop your interest. Read as many books as you can about physics, including biographies about physicists.^{[1]
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- It can help to find a role model. If there are physicists in your community, try contacting them to see if they'll help you in your pursuit. Many may be willing to have you shadow them for a period of time.
- Don't forget to invest time in math classes, as well, as math is essential to physics.
- Make sure you are well-rounded, though. To do well on college entrance exams, it helps to be proficient in as many subjects as possible.
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Take your entrance exams. To get into a good school, you must do well on your entrance exams. In the United States, that means doing well on either the SAT or the ACT. Since you're applying for a science program, many schools may want the ACT over the SAT because the ACT has a science section where the SAT doesn't. However, it really depends on the school.^{[2]
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- To do well on these exams, you'll need to prep ahead of time. Your school may offer prep courses, but you can also purchase study guides that have practice tests. Taking practice tests gives you an idea of what the actual exam will be like, so you can go into the test with less anxiety.^{[3]
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Find the right undergraduate program. Look at universities with physics and science programs, or that are all-around good universities. Not only the top schools have programs in physics. Find a school which is a good fit for you. You can look into state schools with physics programs.
- Though not necessary, it can help to know whether you want to go into theoretical or experimental physics, though it's not a requirement.^{[4]
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Use your time wisely. As an undergraduate, make sure you get a solid foundational knowledge of physics and mathematics.^{[5]
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Sean Alexander, MS
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Expert Interview. 14 May 2020.} You should be studying all fields of physics, as well as calculus. Also, take time to participate in undergraduate research programs during the year or summer, which can give you much needed experience.
- Ask your professors about opportunities in your college and surrounding area.

Part 2

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Applying to a Graduate Program

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1
Don't be discouraged if you haven't focused on science earlier in your academic career. Many graduate students have degrees in engineering or other fields. If you found your passion for physics later in life, you can still catch up and have a successful graduate school experience.
- You do not need to be a genius to get a PhD. Graduate school is hard work, but success depends on your dedication more than on your ability.
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Work on your GREs. Like undergraduate, you'll often need to take entrance exams to get into a graduate program. The GRE is the main test to take in the United States. The three primary sections of the GRE are quantitative reasoning, verbal reasoning, and analytical writing.^{[6]
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- Like the SAT and ACT, you can find any number of prep courses and prep materials for the GRE. You can also find practice tests to take online.
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Decide if you need to go through a master's program, or if you will go directly into a PhD program. If getting a masters, look for the right master's program. The right master's program will help you focus on what you want to study. That means you need to look at programs that have focuses in what you want to do for your PhD. Your undergraduate professors should be able to point you to particular programs that would interest you, but you can also look at schools that appeal to you to see if they have appropriate programs.
- Keep in mind that in some cases, schools will collapse a master's program and PhD into one program. So when you choose a master's program, you may very well be choosing your PhD program, as well.
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Try to meet and talk to physicists. Look into physics talks for the general public in your area or contact a physics department directly. Most places will be happy to give you information and point you to resources about graduate programs.

Part 3

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Determining Your Research Focus

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When you're an undergrad or even a master's student, your primary focus is on taking classes and learning from your professors. While you'll still likely have some required courses as a PhD candidate, the focus is placed on you developing your own research. You're producing the content instead of merely consuming it.^{[7]
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Expert Interview. 14 May 2020.}
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Take a break if you need to. If you're not sure exactly what you want to research as a PhD candidate, it can make sense to take a break after your undergraduate or master's program. Of course, you don't want to wait too long, but you can take a year to figure out the direction you want to go in.^{[8]
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- Take the time to gain some experience. Apply for lab positions so you can get a feel for what it's like to do research in a lab full time.
If you're still in undergrad, try taking classes in topics that interest you or in topics you haven't explored yet. When you come across things that you find interesting, dive deeper. Read more outside of class to see if that could become your PhD focus.
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Learn about professors in PhD programs. Often, your "original" research may just be something you work on under the direction of a professor. That is, you may be assigned your research work and perform the research with guidance from the professor.^{[9]
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- Choosing a school with professors whose research you enjoy is a great way to focus your work. As your work gets more individual, you want to work with professors who have similar interests.
5
Apply to a PhD program. Check out the requirements for each program on the school's website. Every department has different requirements for who they admit to their program. The earlier you understand what they will be looking for in different schools, the higher your chances will be to prepare a great application. Often, you'll need to have a certain level of knowledge in the fields of mechanics, electromagnetism, atomic and nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, and advanced calculus.
- Submit all the appropriate paperwork for your application, including your transcripts, academic references, and your basic application.^{[10]
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- In many cases, you'll need to write a personal statement or research proposal, as well.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Working on Your PhD

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Once you arrive at your university, you'll likely be given a placement exam. These exams determine where you will start your graduate coursework. Once you take these exams, you'll meet with an advisor to choose the best course of study.
2
Do the required coursework. You'll be required to do a certain amount of coursework. Work on it early on, so you can get it out of the way as soon as you can. You'll often need to pass some of your early coursework to be green-lighted to start working on your dissertation.
- Try to focus classes on the area you want to write on.
- Outside of class, read as much as you can in your area.
3
Connect with professors. It's important that your research advisor is someone who you get along with. You're going to be working with them for a good number of years. If you don't have similar interests or the professor won't offer criticism in a way that is constructive for you, your PhD years are going to be miserable.^{[11]
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- The best way to get started is to attend department functions so you can start getting to know your professors better, as well as their interests.
- It can also help to talk with older students informally, so you can get an idea of who will be a good fit for you.
4
Learn to manage your time well. If you thought time management was difficult in your earlier education, it becomes even more so in your PhD years. You'll need to find time for classes and homework, of course, as well as doing your research and meeting with your advisor. You'll also likely be teaching, and in some cases, you may need to hold down a job, as well. Be prepared to schedule your time down to the minute.^{[12]
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- Part of managing your time well is learning to shift your schedule when you need to. If something is taking longer than it should, realize you'll need to cut something else from your day.
5
Take advantage of your school's research courses. In many cases, you'll be required to take classes on researching and writing. However, that may not always be the case. If it's not (and even if it is), you should take advantage of any workshops and training your school does offer, so you can be ready to research and write when the time comes.^{[13]
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- You should also take advantage of courses teaching things like writing grant proposals, which is a great skill to have.

Part 5

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Researching and Writing Your Dissertation

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1
Find a thesis advisor. When it comes time to start your research, you'll need to have a research advisor. You should have a general idea by now of who you'd like to work with. In most cases, you'll need to approach the advisor and ask if they will work with you.^{[14]
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- If you're still looking, consider taking classes with potential advisors. You can also ask to meet with them, though be sure to do your research ahead of time by reading articles the professor has published.
- Ask questions like
  - "What are your expectations for a research student?"
  - "How do you offer criticism?"
  - "How often will we meet?"
  - "How quickly will you get back to me with revisions?"
- Once you've narrowed down your choices, approach the professor and ask them to be your research advisor. If you have an interdisciplinary project, you may need more than one advisor.
Once you've decided on a topic, you need to put in the hours doing your research. That may mean building equipment, reading past research, working in a lab, or collecting sporadic outdoor data.^{[15]
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Put your dissertation together. As you work on your research, you'll start collecting it into a workable dissertation. It should include your hypothesis, how you set up your experiment, the data you collected, and your conclusions. You'll work on your dissertation under the advisement of your research advisor/professor, so you'll be submitting parts of your work and getting feedback to improve.^{[16]
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- Start with the outline. You fill in the verbiage last, usually. Figure out what you need to say, and divide it into chapters. Work on the supporting figures next. You'll need plenty of figures and tables to support your conclusions. Additionally, reviewers on your committee may not read every word, but they usually look at all of the figures and read the captions to get the gist of what's going on.
- When you write, only write. Give yourself a time span where you allow yourself no option of doing anything else but writing. Sometimes it helps to write in the same office/coffee shop/etc. with another student working on their thesis, if you both can keep each other on task. You can take breaks together and take the heat off a bit.
4
Pass your defense. In most cases, you'll need to give an oral presentation of your research, known as a defense. You'll do this presentation in front of a collection of professors from your university, who will ask questions about your research that you must answer.
- However, by the time you're doing your defense, your paper should have been reviewed multiple times by your advisor, which means you shouldn't have any trouble passing.

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How long does it take to get a degree in physics?

Sean Alexander, MS
Academic Tutor
Sean Alexander is an Academic Tutor specializing in teaching mathematics and physics. Sean is the Owner of Alexander Tutoring, an academic tutoring business that provides personalized studying sessions focused on mathematics and physics. With over 15 years of experience, Sean has worked as a physics and math instructor and tutor for Stanford University, San Francisco State University, and Stanbridge Academy. He holds a BS in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MS in Theoretical Physics from San Francisco State University.

Sean Alexander, MS

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Expert Answer

Master's and PhD programs are similar. A master's program will take 2-3 years, while a PhD program will take 5-6 years. The main difference of a PhD program is you'll need to complete an independent research project in addition to your classes.

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Should I complete a master's or PhD program?

Sean Alexander, MS
Academic Tutor
Sean Alexander is an Academic Tutor specializing in teaching mathematics and physics. Sean is the Owner of Alexander Tutoring, an academic tutoring business that provides personalized studying sessions focused on mathematics and physics. With over 15 years of experience, Sean has worked as a physics and math instructor and tutor for Stanford University, San Francisco State University, and Stanbridge Academy. He holds a BS in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MS in Theoretical Physics from San Francisco State University.

Sean Alexander, MS

Academic Tutor

Expert Answer

That all depends on your career interests. If you're interested in teaching at the college level or doing independent research, a PhD will prepare you for that. Otherwise, a master's is usually sufficient.

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What other profession could I choose after getting a Ph.D. in Physics, besides becoming a physicist?

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Majoring in physics and obtaining a doctorate in the field is no small feat, and employers from all fields recognize that. Physics is incredibly quantitative and numerical; thus, you might get a job in fields such as engineering, finance, forensics and even algorithmic trading. Most employers assume that if you have the intelligence and grit to get a Ph.D. in Physics, you can pretty much conquer any numerical problem they throw at you, irrespective of the field. So your life as a Ph.D. Physicist doesn't have to be be composed of theoretical calculations about space and time.

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Don't let money hold you back. Most physics departments will support their students through teaching assistantships or research assistantships.

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In deciding if a physics Ph.D is the right path for you, ask yourself:
- Is your interest more focused on learning or on doing science?
- Would you enjoy actively doing research in physics? All programs require you to take classes or pass exams, but most of your work during a PhD program will be dedicated to doing research.
- What would you pursue once you get a PhD? If what you are after is a particular job or line of work, consider whether you need a PhD for it.
- Are you comfortable with spending a few additional years in a university? Most PhD programs in the United States will take 5-6 years on average.
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