Prospective Graduate Students

General Information

The Department of Physics, part of the Western Michigan University's College of Arts and Sciences, offers two graduate programs. One leads to a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics and the other leads to a Master of Arts in Physics.

A diverse selection of specialities are available for graduate research at WMU. Participation may occur in one of the following areas:

• Theoretical physics--astrophysics, atomic physics, nuclear structure, nuclear reactions, or condensed matter.
• Experimental physics--astronomy, atomic physics, nuclear physics, condensed matter physics, or materials analysis with accelerated ions. Campus facilities available for experimental research include a Van de Graaff accelerator and laboratory, and a low-temperature physics laboratory.
• Computer and instrumentation physics--software and hardware development for computer data acquisition and analysis, or instrumentation development for physics research.
• Physics Education, especially methods for teaching at secondary and post-secondary levels.
• Or any combination of these, or some interdisciplinary areas.

Further details of the research areas can be found here (or via the menu at the top of the page).

The department prides itself on the high quality of its teaching and faculty-student relationships. It is large enough to offer strong, well-rounded programs and small enough to promote good communication and interaction between faculty and students.

More details about the graduate programs can be found here (or via the menu at the top of the page).