The Department of Physics offers graduate programs leading to the MS and PhD degrees in physics. The Department is located in the 78,000 sq. ft. Physics building (built in 1999), which contains numerous research and teaching labs, offices, classrooms, a machine shop, and a physics library. Research in the UMBC Physics Department is centered in 4 main areas: atmospheric physics, condensed matter physics, quantum optics and quantum information science, astrophysics. Faculty members are engaged in both theoretical and experimental research in these areas.

The Atmospheric Physics (ATPH) graduate program aims to educate future leaders in the physical and Earth sciences. The curriculum is designed to train students with both deep understanding of the fundamental laws of physics that govern weather and climate as well as practical tools and skills in a broad range of applications. The ATPH faculty members involve graduate students in wide-ranging research areas, including the design and fabrication of airborne and satellite borne sensors, active and passive remote sensing techniques, ultraviolet to thermal infrared spectroscopy, light scattering and radiative transfer, atmospheric dynamics, and many others.

We closely collaborate with scientists from federal agencies and research institutes to provide fellowship and internship opportunities to students, including National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and NASA Langley Research Center, Applied Physics Lab, Naval Research Lab, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), etc. All our faculty members are affiliated with the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), formed under a cooperative agreement between the Earth Science Division of NASA GSFC and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Beyond the ATPH tenured or tenure track faculty, JCET hosts far more research faculty, GSFC Sponsors, appointed fellows, which exposes students to a plethora of research frontiers and future employment opportunities. UMBC ranks #12 across all US colleges and universities in terms of NASA funding, which sponsors the broad category of geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences. The ATPH program has contributed significantly to this recognition.

According to the rules of the Graduate School, any applicant with a TOEFL score below 80 or an IETLS score below 6.5 is automatically rejected. Although the department does not have a strict limit of its own, our experience shows that a student should have a TOEFL score above or very close to 95, or an IETLS score above or very close to 7.0, to function effectively in her/his courses and as a teaching assistant. For Fall 2022 applications, UMBC will also be accepting DuoLingo scores. The minimum required score is 105, and the recommended score for admission to the department is 120.

Program Admission Requirements

The admission process is competitive, with selections determined by an Admissions Committee comprised of faculty members of the Department of Physics. The number of available admission slots varies from year to year based on faculty and financial resources. Applicants are required to submit undergraduate transcripts, 3 recommendation letters, a personal statement, and scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test. The GRE Subject Test is not required.

International students may submit an explanation of the grading scheme at their undergraduate institution and / or information on converting their grades to the U.S. GPA system. Otherwise, we will not consider materials beyond those requested in the application, in order to treat all applicants equally. Please do not submit a CV, GRE scores, publications, certifications, etc. All of your relevant accomplishments should be briefly summarized in your Statement of Purpose. Any materials that are not required as part of the application will be discarded and will not be taken into consideration when evaluating your application.

SOP:

The Statement of Purpose should explain why you want to pursue a Ph.D. degree in physics at UMBC and why you’re qualified for the Ph.D. program. There is no set length requirement, but most effective Statements of Purpose are 1 – 3 pages long. A successful SOP will include your motivation for pursuing a physics Ph.D.; a description of the type of research you’re interested in pursuing and why you want to pursue it in the UMBC Department of Physics; an explanation of relevant research experience or other preparation to conduct research; and demonstration of your resilience, adaptability, perseverance.

Typically, yes, unless you are supported in some other way. Most first year students receive a teaching assistantship that carries a stipend, tuition and health benefits. During subsequent years, students who are making good progress towards their degree will receive a teaching assistantship or research assistantship.

Student health benefits are included in all Teaching and Research Assistantships.  Typically, there is some choice in health plans and routine health services are available on campus.  For international students, it is advised that you have an official translation of your immunization documentation.

Tuition fee-2 years$50,000

Total fee-2 years$80,000