Information for Prospective Graduate Students 

Note:
For most up to date information please refer to the The Graduate Student Brochure (43 pages, PDF format, 393 KB).

Introduction

The graduate physics program at Notre Dame fosters a close working relationship between students and faculty, as well as promoting a sense of cohesion among the students themselves. The research groups are small enough to enable graduate students to acquire a broad range of experience in their research and to work in close collaboration with their research advisor and other students. The graduate program leads to the Ph.D. degree with research in either experimental or theoretical physics. Major areas of research include astronomy, astrophysics, atomic physics, biophysics, condensed matter physics, cosmology, general relativity, high-energy elementary particle physics, the history and philosophy of science, nuclear physics, and statistical physics. Interdisciplinary programs are available in radiation physics, biophysics, and chemical physics.

The physics program is a combination of course work and research designed to prepare the student for a career in research, teaching or industry. The curriculum contains a sequence of basic courses in the fundamental areas of physics followed by advanced courses and seminars in specialized areas of study. Students become active participants in a research program of the department in the second semester of their graduate work. 

Most graduate students hold teaching assistantships during the academic year. These involve duties such as assisting in the laboratories and proctoring and grading examinations. In recent years, the amount of time required for these duties has averaged about 12 hours per week. Graduate students are not required to teach in the classroom. During the summer,
most students hold research assistantships.

Financial Support

All students accepted into the Ph.D. program are given financial support. The support is usually in the form of a teaching assistantship, which includes a nine-month stipend plus payment of tuition. Some fellowships and research assistantships are available. Students normally obtain research assistantships during the summer months. Support for graduate students continues until the Ph.D. degree is awarded, as long as satisfactory progress is being made toward the degree.

Fellowships are available to first-year graduate students and dissertation-year graduate students on a competitive basis. These fellowships provide 9-12 months of support and may or may not require teaching duties. Research assistantships also provide 12 months of support with no teaching duties and are awarded as funds are available from external research contracts. Several graduate school fellowships are available for minority applicants; see the Graduate School Bulletin for details.

Post-Graduate Employment Statistics of Notre Dame Physics Graduates

The department has current employment data on most former graduate students. Of 50 students who completed their degrees from 1998 to 2002, 16 percent have accepted academic or research faculty positions; 34 percent are employed by industry in physics and 4 percent by industry in computing; and 44 percent now hold postdoctoral positions.

Housing 

Both on- and off-campus housing is available. The University operates apartments and townhouses for married students and townhouses for single graduate students. Dormitory space on campus is available for single male students. Off campus, a large number of relatively inexpensive apartments and houses for rent are located within easy walking distance. Ample campus parking is available.

Graduate Student Life

The University of Notre Dame, founded in 1842, is a private, coeducational independent school with about 10,800 students; approximately 2,700 are graduate students. The graduate student body reflects a broad spectrum of educational, religious and geographical backgrounds. For more information about Notre Dame, please see our About the University page.

Graduate students are welcome to participate in all University activities, which include a variety of lectures, cultural activities, concerts and theatrical productions. The Snite Museum of Art contains five galleries where the University art collection and special exhibits are displayed. Additional cultural attractions are offered at Saint Mary's College, located just across the street from the Notre Dame campus, and at the South Bend campus of Indiana University. 

The campus is located just north of South Bend in north central Indiana (about five miles from the Michigan border), and includes 95 buildings in an uncrowded setting with two lakes and many wooded areas. The city of South Bend, center of a metropolitan area with a population greater than 250,000, offers an active social and cultural life, including a resident symphony and chorus, a ballet company, libraries, art and historical museums, a zoo and many parks and recreational areas. Chicago and all of its attractions are readily accessible by plane, bus or train; by car it is only an hour and a half away on the Indiana Toll Road. 

The University provides superb facilities for both participatory and spectator sports. Graduate students are welcome to use all facilities, including several gyms, an indoor ice-skating rink, a swimming pool, indoor and outdoor tennis courts and racquetball, handball and squash courts. Graduate students participate in intramural programs such as basketball, softball and volleyball. An excellent 18-hole golf course is located on campus. Graduate students may obtain tickets to all home football, basketball and hockey games at reduced prices. 

The Michiana area (northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan) offers a large variety of outdoor activities. Excellent beaches on Lake Michigan are about a 45-minute drive from campus, and swimming, sailing and other water sports are available on a number of smaller lakes including those on the Notre Dame campus. Skiing and other winter sports are available nearby. Allegan State Forest, 65 miles north of the campus, contains nationally recognized Nordic ski trails. 

Applying

The department brochure and application forms can be obtained electronically through the College of Science's application request form, or by writing to: 

Chair of the Admissions Committee
Department of Physics
225 Nieuwland Science Hall
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN   46556-5670 

Department phone: (574) 631-6386

Department fax: (574) 631-5952 

Department e-mail: physics@nd.edu

Complete applications should be submitted by February 1. The University of Notre Dame admits students of any race, religion, sex and national or ethnic origin.