Combined B.S.-M.S. Program

Qualified undergraduates may apply for admission to the M.S. program and, if accepted, simultaneously work toward completion of the requirements for both undergraduate and graduate degrees. See the undergraduate bulletin, http://www.albany.edu/undergraduate_bulletin/department_physics.htmlfor details.

M.S. and Ph.D. Graduate Programs

Students are considered for admission by the graduate studies committee of the physics department, usually in early February for fall admission, and early December for spring admission.  Applications later in the year may be considered, but generally without funding.

Requirements for Admission

In addition to the general University requirements, a strong undergraduate background is needed. Most students admitted to the graduate program have an undergraduate degree in physics or a closely related field. Applicants from other areas may be considered, but they may need to take some undergraduate physics courses to make up for deficiencies.  The GRE subject exam is not required, but is recommended to help the graduate studies committee make relative comparisons.  The TOEFEL exam is required by the university for foreign students.  The minimum score to receive funding is 100, 250 or 600 depending on the test format. Waivers can be made in exception cases if the language of undergraduate instruction has been in English. More information on the application process is available at  http://www.albany.edu/graduate/

The Application Fee

Applications are made directly to the university and require a $75 application fee.   It is a good idea to email us to let us know if an application has been submitted to Graduate Admissions, as the university office does not inform us of the existence of incomplete submissions.

Graduate Funding

Nearly all full-time Ph.D. students receive financial support. Typically, a student is admitted with a Teaching Assistantship and a tuition waiver. Students who receive summer teaching assistantships can earn some additional money. The combined 12 month support including out-of-state tuition is about $26,500 for a first year student. A student involved with a research project will often change to a Research Assistantship. Research assistantships are for 12 instead of 9 months. Some fellowships are also available for both entering and more senior graduate students. Fellowship pay can be significantly greater than teaching or research assistantship pay.  Funding is generally not available for part time or Masters students.

Please contact us for more information

Physics department:

Write to:
Professor John Kimball
Chair, Department of Physics
University at Albany Albany, NY 12222

Telephone 1-518-442-4500
Fax 1-518-442-5260

jkimball@albany.edu