Graduate Studies
Join a dynamic research community where you'll work alongside leading physicists, dive deep into groundbreaking discoveries, and develop expertise across the spectrum of modern physics, from theoretical foundations to practical applications.
We welcome applications from undergraduate students with a background in physics and/or astronomy. You are strongly encouraged to contact faculty members directly to find out more about their research and about research opportunities before applying for the graduate program. Our graduate program is designed to give you a solid foundation in graduate-level physics and astronomy and to allow you to develop your skills as an independent researcher.
Facilities of various research groups of the department are available for research. Our condensed matter and biophysics research efforts are greatly enhanced by the presence of the Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory on the Iowa State University campus (literally next door to the Department of Physics and Astronomy). Many of our faculty hold cross-appointments with Ames Lab, and DOE staff scientists often work with our graduate students.
Research Areas
Our department has theoretical and experimental research groups in the following areas:
Astrophysics
Condensed Matter Physics
High Energy Physics
Nuclear Physics
Take the Next Step
We are always looking for students with an interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in Physics or Astrophysics to join our strong graduate program. The application deadline for our Graduate program is on January 15th. Please use following link for submitting application:
No application fee is required to apply to our graduate program.
The submission of general and subject GRE scores is optional for applications to Ph. D. Program.
Contact Us
If you have questions about any aspect of our graduate program please contact us by e-mail at physastro@iastate.edu. If you prefer you may also call the department office at 515-294-5440. Our departmental FAX number is 515-294-6027.
Visit Us
We welcome visits to our department by prospective students. Please contact our graduate secretary, Valerie Arnold, in advance and we can arrange for you to meet with faculty in your area of interest.