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3 votes
1 answer
193 views

Strategizing Post-Undergraduate Career Path for Aspiring Physics Doctoral Student [closed]

I'm a senior undergraduate physics student who hoped to attend graduate school starting next fall, but who was unfortunately not admitted to any in this admissions cycle. I remain very interested in ...
10GeV's user avatar
  • 141
-3 votes
2 answers
944 views

Is there any chance I can be accepted into a good graduate physics program without any bachelor's? [closed]

I am someone who did plenty of self-study in physics and has learned pretty much the entire undergraduate physics curriculum by himself. I have plenty of evidence to prove this (including a physics ...
Don Al's user avatar
  • 291
3 votes
4 answers
631 views

What are the criteria for a student from a weaker university to be accepted to elite graduate school?

I would like to generalize this question by asking for the general circumstances under which a strong university (in physics) like Harvard would accept a student from a much smaller/weaker ...
David Raveh's user avatar
0 votes
7 answers
2k views

Is it possible to do a masters in CS and a PhD in physics at the same time?

I’m a freshman in college and I’m a non-traditional student. I’m 45 years old with no previous degree other than high school here in the US. After college, I want to pursue a Ph.D. in physics, however,...
Andre Jones's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
236 views

Is a late switch in your PhD topic detrimental to an academic career?

I did my undergraduate in math and physics with equal coursework from both. I am now a PhD student in a physics department with an advisor who is a faculty member in both the math and physics ...
user471239's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
640 views

Changing fields from Computer Science to Physics or Mathematics

Recently, I graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science from Hong Kong. Even though I enjoy computer science, there was a field that I always loved and wanted to be a part of: astronomy (or ...
Srijan's user avatar
  • 11
0 votes
2 answers
98 views

changing groups in grad school

I am going to apply for a physics PhD in the fall of 2024. I have trouble finalizing the main research area to mention in SOP because I am interested both in HEP experiments and theory. Suppose I ...
meow007's user avatar
13 votes
5 answers
1k views

Ph.D. rejection from German University due to citizenship and gotten degree from my previous institute by BAFA

This spring I ran away from Russia due to increasing repressions and other risks. Long story short, I got a Ph.D. position in quantum computing at Stuttgart University in the state of Baden-...
Evgenii's user avatar
  • 139
23 votes
7 answers
7k views

As a PhD student in theoretical physics, what fraction of my time (if any) should I spend on background material rather than my research problem?

I am a theoretical physics PhD student in the initial years. There is something which has been bothering me ever since I have started my PhD till today i.e whether one should completely focus on ...
Vash Arry's user avatar
  • 450
13 votes
8 answers
6k views

How important is attending graduate school for a PhD for physics/mathematics/astrophysics research?

Is it possible for one to publish high quality research papers in the aforementioned fields without attending a graduate school? I feel that you can read online material and books about research/...
PutnamLegend's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
752 views

Switching from physics to math PhD with NSF GRFP

I will graduate this semester with a bachelor's degree in physics (in the US). I applied for PhD programs in physics, but have come to realize (rather late in the process) that I want to pursue a PhD ...
Joe's user avatar
  • 1
1 vote
1 answer
352 views

Transitioning to pure research in physics after an electronics engineering degree

I have always been a lover of physics but due to certain circumstances I was unable to take up a physics degree in my undergrad. I was aimless for a while but have now again decided to take a shot at ...
curious's user avatar
  • 13
3 votes
2 answers
428 views

Is it OK to propose to present research in a conference as a grad student?

I am a first year grad student, studying abroad, and there is a conference in the country where I am from which I think can be a good experience (I have never presented in a serious conference) to ...
Bohm Arahnmob's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
622 views

What physics background is necessary for pursuing a PhD in Mathematical Physics? [closed]

If I wanted to do research related to the topology and geometry of space or their applications in quantum mechanics or general relativity, would it be possible to do that from a Mathematician’s POV ...
Epsilon_Delta's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
418 views

How to study applied physics in graduate school from applied math

Upon doing background research and looking at faculty in my department, it seems that it is easy to move from studying physics to studying applied mathematics. However, I have seen few, if any cases ...
user918212's user avatar

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