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Thank you for your interest in graduate studies in Physics at Washington University! We welcome applications for admission anytime during the year. Admission is considered for entry into our graduate program in either the Fall Semester (beginning near the end of August) or the Spring Semester (beginning mid-January). We encourage you to apply for admission early, if possible nine months before the entry date. Please note that for full consideration for the Spring Semester all application materials must be submitted no later than October 1. The application deadline for the Fall Semester is December 31, although petitions for later submission will be considered.

We especially encourage the application of women and under-represented minorities to our graduate program. Currently, among the 87 full-time graduate students in our department, 25 are women (29%), 51 are Americans of varied ethnic ancestry, and 36 are foreign students, representing Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Peoples Republic of China (including Hong Kong), Sri Lanka and Taiwan. Of our 13 first-year graduate students, 2 are women and 6 are from abroad.

For applicants residing in the U.S., the Physics Department will automatically waive the $45.00 application fee. Fee waivers from other applicants will be considered upon request (download fee waiver application).

Admission Requirements:
For admission to the graduate programs, a Bachelors degree is required with no minimum undergraduate GPA specified. The three standard GRE examinations are required. Phyiscs (subject) exam is recommended. The average GRE score for those who were offered admission for 2009-10 were verbal-562; quantative-776; analytic writing-4.5; and physics -765. Students from non-English speaking countries are required to demonstrate proficiency in English via the TOEFL. The minimum acceptable score is 550.

There are two ways you can apply for admission:
  1. Download, fill out, and return the Graduate School Application Form and the Physics Department Information Sheet to the address below. Also send to this address a copy of your GRE score sheet as soon as it becomes available. Have three letters of recommendation (download recommendation form) and your original transcripts sent directly to the Department of Physics at the following address:

    Physics Department Address:
      Graduate Admissions
    Washington University
    Department of Physics
    Campus Box 1105, One Brookings Dr.
    St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
    USA

  2. Apply on-line through the webpage of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at Washington University. If you apply on-line, please also download and send all material requested under point 1 directly to the Department of Physics at the postal address given above. This will ensure the most efficient processing of your application within our Department.
Questions should be addressed to Ms. Julia Hamilton, the secretary of the Graduate Admissions Committee, by email, telephone (314)935-6250.

We are looking forward to seeing you soon at
Washington University!