NOTE: You must have an undergraduate degree in physics or its related field to enter the M.S. or the Ph.D. programs in Physics. Your undergraduate curriculum must have included upper-division courses in statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, and classical mechanics.
In your application, you should clearly identify your area of research interest in your personal statement (aka: letter of intent). The Selection Committee will carefully consider your interests and experience, undergraduate GPA (especially in the major), letters of recommendation, and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. The department's Graduate Selection Committees makes the final decisions regarding admission offers and financial aid (in the form of Teaching/Research Assistantships).
Detailed Admission Criteria: Domestic Applicants / International Applicants
Financial Aid: Teaching/Research/Graduate assistantships include a stipend of at least $15,000 for a work load of 18-20 hours per week during the academic year that encompasses the Fall and Spring semesters. In addition, students receive a tuition scholarship worth over $19,000 as well as health insurance coverage. Teaching assistantships are generally awarded for two years, with the possibility of extension dependent upon special circ*mstances. Summer research assistant positions are typically available, and the stipends usually range from $1,200-3,300 per month. Compensation for assistantships is taxable.
Cost of Study: A complete and current table of resident and non-resident tuition rates and fees is located here.
Living and Housing Expenses: There are a number of options to choose from: dormitories with meal plans, Student Family Housing for married students, and privately-owned apartments and houses that are available to rent. Our graduate students indicate that they budget anywhere from $500 to $800 per month to cover living expenses.
For information on the Optical Science and Engineering PhD and MS Programs, please visit the OSE site.
Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: You must have an undergraduate degree in physics or its related field to enter the M.S. or the Ph.D. programs in Physics. Your undergraduate curriculum must have included upper-division courses in statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, and classical mechanics.
WILL I BE ADMITTED WITH THESE SCORES/GRADES?
There is a minimum score for TOEFL of 79 and 6.5 for IELTS but no minimum scores set for general and Physics GRE. You must have earned a minimum of a 3.0 GPA (on a U.S. 4.0 scale) or comparable grade point average in upper-division (junior and senior level) work and in any graduate work already completed. The Graduate Admissions Committee evaluates applications on the basis of combined grades, GRE's, letters of recommendation, and statement of intent. We try to select students who seem to be a good fit with our program; therefore, we are unable to state the likelihood of being admitted based on emails submitted with your scores, grades and/or CV.
Detailed Admission Criteria: Domestic Applicants / International Applicants
GRE & TOEFL
The committee will not review your application unless both the general GRE and Physics subject GRE score are listed on the application (plus the TOEFL or IELTS if you are an international applicant). Your scores must have been taken within the last two years. You can enter your scores on your application for the committee to review and make a decision of whether to offer admission. If the department makes you an offer of admission and you accept, the GRE scores and TOEFL or IELTS must be sent from ETS electronically to UNM Admissions using institution code 4845 (no department code is necessary). There is a minimum score for TOEFL of 79 and 6.5 for IELTS but no minimum scores set for GRE. UNM Admissions will automatically reject an applicant with a TOEFL or IELTS score not meeting the minimum.
TRANSCRIPTS
Original transcripts for both domestic and international applicants are not required to be sent until you receive and accept an offer of admission by the graduate committee.
You are to upload transcripts in the application for the Physics graduate committee to review. If you submit an official electronic transcript that your institution sent directly to you, rather than to UNM Admissions, you will be required to have them send the original electronic transcript to Admissions if you accept the committee's offer of admission. If you are sending a foreign language transcript, you must submit it in both the original language form and in English and it must be verified by your university registrar, if you accept the committee's offer of admission. If you are unable to send your one original degree, you may take it to your university registrar to copy; have them sign the copy, verifying that it is a copy of the original. Admissions will accept the copy of the original with the registrar's signature. UNM does not have a preference of agencies that translate but you must make sure that the translations are stamped by the university registrar and not just stamped by the translator. Both native language and English transcripts must be stamped or verified by the university registrar.
SPRING SEMESTER APPLICATIONS
The department accepts applicants for admission beginning in the Spring semester.
- If you are seeking an assistantship or you are an international applicant, the deadline for applications is August 1st.
- If you are a U.S. applicant, and are not requesting an assistantship, the deadline is October 1st.
FEE
The University's graduate application fee may be waived for domestic applicants who are affiliated with the certain programs or in limited cases of financial hardship. Check the Office of Graduate Studies for information on the Fee Waiver Request. International students must pay the application fee.
ASSISTANTSHIP INFORMATION
Ultimate decisions regarding admission offers and financial aid (in the form of Teaching/Research Assistantships) are made by the department's Graduate Selection Committees. Depending upon budgetary restrictions, we provide TAs for up to two years pending continued satisfactory performance of teaching/grading duties. After the first two years, students typically find employment as Research Assistants (RAs) with one of our faculty. What is expected in the TA letter? A short letter stating interest in an assistantship and any previous experience you may have in the classroom or labs regarding teaching or grading.
APPLY FOR MS or PhD DEGREE?
Applying for a PhD directly is best since those accepted into the PhD program usually receive up to 2 years of a teaching assistantship. Usually, entering graduate students seeking a MS are not awarded an assistantship.
ASTRONOMY DEGREE
The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers a graduate degree, either MS or PhD, in Physics. However, you can take a concentration of Astronomy courses and complete your dissertation or thesis in the field of Astronomy. The degree is still in Physics and you must complete the required core Physics courses. If you score below 800 on the Physics GRE, you must pass the preliminary exams at the appropriate level for a MS or PhD, regardless of your concentration.
REJECTED APPLICANTS
Applicants who are not admitted should not assume that they are "less competitive" in any absolute sense. The Graduate Admissions Committee evaluates the students on the basis of their grades, GRE's, letters of recommendation, and statement of intent. We try to select students who seem to be a good fit with our program. We do not provide statistics on average tests scores of applicants, thenumber of applicants, or the number of acceptances or declines.
Students who are rejected will not be reconsidered for admission for a period of 2 years by the Physics Department graduate committee unless further education or research experience has been obtained within that timeframe.
