Prospective Physics Graduate Students

Thank you for considering the Ph.D. program in Physics at MIT.  Information regarding our graduate program and our application process can be found below and through the links on this page.  If your questions are not answered after reviewing this information, please contact us at physics-grad@mit.edu.

Graduate students with faculty member Steve Nahn
Graduate students with faculty member Steve Nahn.

A Ph.D. from MIT certifies high ability and significant accomplishment in physics. Because research is central to graduate study in physics, in your Statement of Purpose be sure to describe your research aptitude and achievements as completely as possible. Applications are evaluated only when they are complete.  It is to your advantage to have the application evaluated during the early stages of the admissions process.

The graduate application can be found and submitted online via the linkexternal link icon below.  Any supporting materials that must be mailed (i.e., test scores, transcripts, etc.) should be sent to:

Department of Physics
Academic Programs Office, MIT 4-315
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139


Our application deadlines are:


  • for admission in September:
    • applications:  December 15
    • supplemental material (recommendation letters, test scores, and transcripts):  January 1
  • for admission in February:
    • all applications and supplemental material:  November 1

Receipt of your application will be acknowledged by email after the application deadline.


Your completed application must include:

  • MIT Graduate Admissions Online Graduate Applicationexternal link icon; in the Statement of Objectives, summarize  your interests, academic and scientific achievements, research experience, and the research you hope to undertake as a doctoral student, if known;
  • official undergraduate transcript from each institution attended.  Candidates whose official undergraduate fall term grades will not be finalized until after our January 1 supplementary materials deadline should ensure that a list of fall term courses is included in the official transcript sent to us by January 1,  and should then provide fall term grades as soon as possible afterward.  Sending an unofficial report of your fall grades as soon as they are available is strongly encouraged, but please note that we do require a complete official transcript when it becomes available, and will check unofficial reports for consistency with the official transcript when we receive it;
  • graduate transcript (if applicable);
  • three letters of recommendation.  Letters of recommendation are extremely important to us.  You should solicit letters from scientists with whom you have worked, if you have been involved in research; in all cases, seek letters from people who can provide concrete and detailed information about you and your scientific and academic abilities. Letters should be sent via the MIT on-line application system.  Please note:  a fourth additional letter may be provided using our online application system;
  • the Graduate Record Examination:  both the general exam and the physics subject tests are required.  Please arrange to take these examinations so that we will receive the results by January 1st;
  • all applicants whose first language is not English:  IELTS (International English Language Testing System test score report is required [Please note:  TOEFL and TOEFL iBT exam scores are not accepted by MIT Physics].

Again, additional information can be found by reviewing the links on this page.

Best of luck in the application process.

Sincerely,

Vladan Vuletic
Professor of Physics
Director, Graduate Admissions