Ph.D. in Natural Sciences: Physics

The Physics discipline in the Natural Sciences Ph.D. program provides you with the professional training needed for a scientific research career with specialization in your chosen area of inquiry.

Program Overview

In our program you will:

Receive technical training on the use of scientific instruments.
Learn how to work with high-performance research computer systems.
Take courses covering the relevant theoretical background.
Meet professional written and oral communication requirements.
Supervise other researchers (e.g., undergraduate students).
Plan and execute a complex, open-ended and multi-year project.
Identify how to attack hot, new cross-disciplinary problems with the innate curiosity of a physicist.

Careers that graduates of the program are likely to pursue include tenure-track faculty at research universities; researchers at national laboratories; industry professionals doing research, prototyping, modeling, development, data science and analysis; and teaching in higher education.

Admissions and Course Requirements

Program Structure

Format

In-person

Typical program length

5 years

Typical course load

2-3 courses per semester for two years, followed by variable research credits per semester until your dissertation defense

Program Details

Program Requirements

The program is comprised of at least 42 credit hours, including:

At least 15 credit hours in the Physics primary discipline
At least 9 credit hours outside the primary discipline
At least 6 credit hours of electives
At least 12 dissertation hours

Complete course listing on Academic Catalog

Program Benchmarks

Notable benchmarks include:

Plan of study: committee selection and preliminary research plan
Comprehensive exam: oral defense of an NSF-style research proposal
Dissertation research proposal: written NSF-style research proposal with timeline and benchmarks for completion
Dissemination: interspersed plans for conference presentations and publication of results

Costs, Aid and Funding Opportunities

Cost is a major consideration when deciding whether to continue your education. Please contact the program coordinator about assistantships that may be available. There are also a number of external financial awards and funding opportunities that can help make the program more affordable.

Some notable funding opportunities include:

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship: This program aims to strengthen and diversify the U.S. workforce in science and engineering and encourages participation from a wide-range of talent in STEM disciplines.
Department of Defense SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program: This Department of Defense (DOD) program offers an opportunity for recipients to receive full tuition and guaranteed civilian employment with the DOD after graduation.

We also encourage you to learn more about costs, financial aid and other external funding opportunities.

Why UMKC?

Distinguished faculty

Join distinguished faculty as they engage in cutting-edge research that focuses on novel phenomena at the convergence of condensed matter physics and electrical engineering, the development and application of electronic structure methods, advanced materials fabrication and characterization, and more.

Success after graduation

Join our successful alumni in notable organizations, such as the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Kansas City National Nuclear Security Campus, the Georgia Tech Research Institute, Intel Corporation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and more.

Valuable program partners

Industry partners serve as valuable resources during the program. Missouri Space Grant Consortium supports and enhances STEM workforce development through internships and fellowships. Missouri Institute for Defense and Energy has many research scientists who serve as day-to-day research directors for students in the program.

Application Details

Application Procedures and Requirements

Prepare required documentation, including:
1. Official transcripts from all previously attended institutions
2. Statement of purpose outlining your interests and career goals
3. Three letters of recommendation
4. TOEFL or IELTS (if applicable), GRE General Test (optional), Physics Subject Test (optional)
Complete the online application. Please be sure to pay applicable domestic or international program fees.
Make sure you meet discipline-specific requirements, which are listed in the Academic Catalog. Please note that these criteria are to be used only as an approximate guide for prospective students. The number of available slots in our program varies from year to year. Simply meeting the criteria will not guarantee admission, and conversely, falling somewhat short of these criteria will not completely preclude admission either. Ultimate admission decisions will be based on a comprehensive review of all application materials in the context of the resources available to our program at this time. Accepted students will typically show the these characteristics that we have ordered most important (transcript) to the least important (optional GRE scores):
1. Transcript: Evidence that you have taken and succeeded in a challenging sequence of courses that demonstrate your readiness to study graduate-level physics (cumulative GPA on a four-point scale greater than or equal to 3.0).
2. Personal statement: Evidence-based indication that you can complete the degree program. If you have research ambitions, then you should also provide a clear, succinct indication that your research interests align with those of potential research advisors. Additionally, it would be helpful to indicate any potential vision that you have regarding your career intent (i.e., what do you plan to do with the degree that you will earn?).
3. Letters of recommendation: Evidence-based support for the student and their ability to complete the degree program and that the student shows the creativity and internal motivation necessary to pursue research. Letters of recommendation are optional for admission to the MS program but are required for consideration to receive an appointment as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA). You may submit a maximum of three, but at least one is required for GTA consideration.
4. Exams:
  - TOEFL: Greater than or equal to 80/120 or IELTS: Greater than or equal to 5.5
  - GRE General Test: This exam is no longer required. It is now optional. Greater than or equal to the 75th percentile
  - Physics Subject Test: This exam is no longer required. It is now optional. Greater than or equal to 525
Please email Professor Rulis expressing your interest in the program and for additional instructions.

Application Deadlines

The application deadline for this program is December 15 for fullest consideration.
Applications submitted after the deadline will only be reviewed on a space-available basis.
It is strongly recommended that applicants reach out to the program coordinator prior to applying.
Applications received by the December 15 deadline will receive final admission decisions by February 15.

Still Have Questions?

Email our program coordinator for more information.

Paul Rulis, Ph.D. Program Coordinator for Ph.D. in Natural Sciences: Physics Email: rulisp@umkc.edu