How to Apply

Graduate Student Admissions

Thank you for your interest in graduate studies in Physics at Washington University! Most students are admitted into our graduate program in the Fall semester beginning near the end of August, but occasionally a student enters in the Spring semester beginning mid-January. The application deadline for the Fall semester is Dec. 31, although petitions for later submission will be considered. For full consideration for the Spring semester, all application materials must be submitted no later than Oct. 1.

We especially encourage the application of women and under-represented minorities to our graduate program. Currently, among the 88 full-time graduate students in our department, 18 are women (20%), 49 are Americans of varied ethnic ancestry, and 39 are foreign students, representing Australia, Brazil, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Korea, Nepal, Peoples Republic of China (including Hong Kong), Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Admission Requirements

For admission to our graduate program, a Bachelors degree is required with no minimum undergraduate GPA specified. The three standard GRE examinations are required. The Physics (subject) exam is recommended. The average GRE percentile score for those who were offered admission for 2012-13 were verbal-72%; quantative-89%; analytic writing-56%; and physics -66%. Students from non-English speaking countries are required to demonstrate proficiency in English via the TOEFL. The minimum acceptable score is 550 (equivalently 213 or 79).

Applying for Admission

Please apply directly online. There is a $45 application fee. If necessary, you may apply on-line for a waiver of this fee which will be reviewed by the Dean of the Graduate School. In addition, please download, fill out, and scan to a pdf the Physics Department Information Sheet and send by email. To this same email address also send a copy of your transcripts and report your GRE scores as soon as you learn them. Mail your original transcripts to the following postal address:

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!