Physics
General Information
Physics at Harvard
Graduate education in physics at Harvard offers students a variety of opportunities extending over a diverse range of subjects and departments. The interdisciplinary nature of graduate research is reflected in the dissertation topics of doctoral candidates, and the fact that in many cases faculty members outside the Department of Physics serve on dissertation committees. In keeping with the diversity of individual programs, degree requirements in physics are few and flexible. Quality is stressed.The primary areas of experimental and theoretical research in the Department of Physics are experimental biophysics, high-energy particle physics, atomic and molecular physics, the physics of solids and fluids, astrophysics, computational physics, aspects of nuclear physics, statistical mechanics, quantum optics, mathematical physics, quantum field theory, string theory, and relativity.
The Department of Physics has more than 60 faculty members (including emeriti) and a graduate enrollment of about 180 students. Physics is committed to fostering an inclusive environment and attracting the widest possible range of talents. Approximately a third of current graduate students are women and almost 40 percent are international students. On-campus buildings of the Department of Physics include Jefferson Laboratory, the oldest physics laboratory in the country. Jefferson has undergone extensive renovations and now includes areas designed specifically for study and collaboration among our graduate students.
Intellectual Community
Cambridge and Boston offer extraordinary opportunities for keeping current in the latest developments in physics. A weekly calendar lists the many colloquia and seminars in physics at Harvard and neighboring universities. The Morris Loeb and Lee Historical Lectureships bring eminent physicists to Harvard each year for more extensive presentations. Summer institutes and other special programs in physics and related fields are conducted at Harvard and at nearby universities.
Facilities and Resources
The physics department and its collaborators are leaders in a broad spectrum of physics research, utilizing facilities and technologies that are continually being modified and improved with changing research interests and techniques. This provides students with opportunities to work in these first-class facilities and research centers at Harvard that emphasize scientific collaboration:
The Center for Ultracold Atoms (CUA), www.rle.mit.edu/cua
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), www.cfa.harvard.edu
Center for Nanoscale Systems (CNS), www.cns.fas.harvard.edu
Engineering and Physical Biology (EPB), www.physicalbiology.fas.harvard.edu
Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering (IQSE), www.iqse.harvard.edu
Institute for Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics (ITAMP), www.itamp.harvard.edu
Laboratory for Particle Physics and Cosmology (LPPC), www.lppc.physics.harvard.edu
Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), www.mrsec.harvard.edu
Nanoscale Science Engineering Center (NSEC), www.nsec.harvard.edu
Several projects are also being carried out by physics department graduate students at centers outside of Cambridge: the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; the CERN in Geneva; the Cornell Wilson Synchrotron Laboratory; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Los Alamos National Laboratory; the Soudan Mine in Northern Minnesota; the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center; and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Higher Degrees in Physics
Admission
The only specific requirements for admission are those stipulated by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. However, prospective students should be well-versed in intermediate physics and mathematics. Typically, applicants will have devoted between 50 and 60 credit hours, or approximately half of their undergraduate work to physics, mathematics, and chemistry. It is desirable for every applicant to have completed at least a one-year introduction to quantum mechanics.
The results of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) general tests and physics subject test are normally required of all applicants. These tests are given by the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ. Exceptions have been made for certain students who could not take the examinations without undue hardships, but it is to each applicant’s advantage to take the examinations.
A prospective student who has a marked interest in a particular branch of physics should describe it in the Statement of Purpose. Every applicant should indicate whether he or she is inclined toward experimental or theoretical (mathematical) research. This statement of preference will not be treated as a commitment to any course of study and research.
Each applicant should also submit on a separate page a brief description of the six most advanced courses (four in physics and two in mathematics) completed or to be completed by graduation. If a standard textbook is used, it suffices to write, for example, Quantum Mechanics, Merzbacher, chapters 1-15.
Application forms for admission may be requested from: Admissions Office
Harvard Graduate School
of Arts and Sciences
Holyoke Center, 3rd floor
1350 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Online submission of the application is encouraged.
Financial Support
The Department of Physics guarantees full financial support, on a 12-month basis, for all its graduate students as long as they remain in good standing and complete assigned duties in a satisfactory manner. Support packages consist of Harvard scholarships and some combination of teaching fellowships, outside fellowships, and research assistantships. A few advanced students are able to enrich the department’s offering with a proctorship or tutorship in one of the dorms or Houses that provides room and board, but no additional cash stipend.
The department’s financial support package is set so that all students, whatever the stage of their graduate studies, receive at least a minimum gross (taxable) stipend for living expenses. This is adjusted each year to help meet increases in the cost of living, within the limitations of available funds. Additional support includes:
- tuition and fees;
- cost of medical insurance with Blue Cross/Blue Shield;
- cost of access to Harvard’s University Health Services;
- support for professional travel ($1,000 annually) for two years plus years three-five post orals.
The primary source of this basic support during the first two semesters of graduate study will be the Purcell Fellowship (if student does not have outside support), which covers the full stipend as well as tuition and fees.
In addition, students may receive other fellowship offers that may be used at Harvard. A fellowship can release departmental or research funds to support other students. After receiving a fellowship, a student should inform the department immediately so that it can be integrated with the rest of the student’s financial package. If a first year fellowship provides less resources than what the department offers, the Department will provide a supplement. Alternatively, some fellowships, e.g., the Hertz, provide stipends substantially in excess of the department’s minimum, in which case we simply applaud their enterprise and rejoice in their good fortune.
Teaching fellowships are an important source of support for graduate students after their first year. Because of the importance of teaching skills for a successful physics career, one term of teaching is required of all graduate students, generally within the first five years of study. This will provide the opportunity to develop the communication skills that are vital for a career in academics and industry.
Research assistantships (RAs) are the third major source of support for graduate students. In the first year, students have the opportunity to explore informally the activities of all of the department’s research groups.
AB-AM Degree
Candidates for the AB-AM degree in physics must meet both the academic and course requirements for the honors AB degree in physics and the AM degree. A given course can be counted for only one of the two degrees, i.e., one course cannot meet the requirement for the AB degree and then be counted again for the AM degree. Any undergraduate who wishes to apply for this degree must file an application for the graduate program in physics just as any other student files for graduate work at Harvard. This application should include two letters of recommendation. The GRE is not required. Only students with advanced standing are eligible to apply for this four-year program. Undergraduates taking graduate courses in their third year may bracket those which they wish to apply on their graduate degree.
Master of Arts (AM)
The Department of Physics does not admit students whose sole purpose is to study for the master of arts degree. However, the AM degree is frequently taken by students who continue on for the PhD degree. For those who do not attain the doctorate, the AM degree attests to the completion of a full year’s study beyond the bachelor’s degree. The requirements for this degree are:
Residence. Minimum of one year.
Program of Study. Eight half-courses are required for the AM degree. At least four must be physics courses, and ordinarily all must be in physics or related fields. Not more than two half-courses may be from the 100-level listing, “for undergraduates and graduates,” and ordinarily not more than one half-course may be from the 300-level group, “Reading and Research.” The remainder must be from the 200 level, “primarily for graduates.” With the permission of their advisors and with the approval of the Committee on Higher Degrees, students may substitute 300-level courses for more than one of the required eight half-courses. All half-courses counted toward the AM degree must be passed with a grade of C- or better, and a B average must be obtained in these courses. (In calculating the average, a grade of C is offset by a grade of A; no account is taken of pluses or minuses.) No thesis, General Examination, or knowledge of a foreign language is required for the AM degree. Residence, minimum of one year.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The degree of doctor of philosophy is a certificate of high attainment in both study and research. It is not granted upon the completion of routine requirements.
Advising. A faculty advisor is assigned to each incoming graduate student to help the student make informed decisions about coursework and research opportunities. Each student is free to choose a new advisor at any subsequent time, but should inform the department administrator of such a change after obtaining the new advisor’s consent. In planning a program, students should study the catalogue of Courses of Instruction (www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/fasro/courses /) offered by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and this description in Programs of Study. After drawing up tentative programs, students should discuss them with their faculty advisors.
Requirements for Candidacy
Course Record. The student must present a high record in graduate studies during at least two terms of advanced work. The award of the AM does not automatically qualify the student as a candidate for the PhD. Students who propose to present theses in experimental fields should demonstrate promise in experimental work and a satisfactory understanding of theoretical physics. Applicants for candidacy in theoretical physics should demonstrate strength in courses of a mathematical nature and a satisfactory acquaintance with experimental aspects of physics. Detailed course requirements are given below under “Requirements for Degree.”
Qualifying Oral Examination. The purpose of the examination, required of all doctoral candidates, is to aid in estimating a candidate’s potential for performing research at the level required for the doctoral dissertation. Each student is asked to select, prepare, and discuss in depth some topic in physics, and to answer questions about that topic and closely related problems. Students are judged on the knowledge and understanding they demonstrate and on the clarity and organization of their expositions. Originality is welcomed but not required. In evaluating the candidates, the examining committee may take into account other information about their performance as graduate students. Students will pass the examination if the examining committee believes that they have demonstrated adequate comprehension of physics in the area of their chosen topic and the ability to perform the dissertation research required for the doctoral degree. Students who fail the qualifying oral examination on the first attempt will usually be permitted by the examining committee to take a second examination at a later date.
The procedures for the qualifying oral examination are as follows: The student selects a faculty member to serve as chair of his or her examining committee. The committee chair is normally one of the department members and, when feasible, a prospective dissertation advisor. The student then selects a topic, preferably but not necessarily related to the proposed field of dissertation research, prepares an abstract and submits it, with a program of study (described below), and a decision as to whether the prospective doctoral research will be experimental or theoretical. The student then confers in detail with the examining committee chair about the topic to be discussed, the nature of the examination, and the other faculty members who will serve on the committee. The examining committee must have at least three members, two of whom must be from the Department of Physics. The committee chair will provide written approval of the topic, and the overall composition of the examination committee must be approved by the chair of the Department. To avoid inappropriate preparation, this conference should take place at the earliest possible date.
A student who wishes to change from an experimental to a theoretical dissertation topic, or vice versa, may be required to pass a second qualifying oral examination.
Students are required by the end of their second year, to select a committee of three faculty members to advise them on their research progress. Students are expected to pass an oral examination given by this committee by the end of their second year. The committee may, upon petition, grant a deferment of the examination for up to one year. Students who have not passed their oral examinations by the end of their third year of graduate study must seek approval from the Committee on Higher Degrees prior to being allowed to register for a fourth year of graduate study. If satisfactory arrangements cannot be made, the student will be withdrawn by the department.
Acceptance as a Candidate for the PhD. The final requirement for acceptance as a doctoral candidate is formal acceptance by a suitable dissertation supervisor (a faculty member of the Department of Physics or a related department). This requirement should be met soon after the oral examination is passed. Sometimes a student may wish to do a substantial portion of his or her dissertation research under the supervision of someone who is not a faculty member of the Department of Physics or a related department. Such an arrangement must have both the approval of the student’s dissertation supervisor and that of the Committee on Higher Degrees.
Students who encounter difficulty in being accepted by an appropriate advisor after passing their qualifying orals should consult with the chair of their oral examining committee, their Director of Graduate Studies, or the department chair. Any student who has not been accepted as a doctoral candidate by some suitable dissertation advisor within 18 months after passing the qualifying oral must obtain permission of the Department of Physics to register in any subsequent term until the dissertation research is begun. This permission will be granted only if, upon review of the student’s work, the department is satisfied that the student is making sufficient progress toward dissertation research. In order to become acquainted with the various programs of research in progress and promising areas for dissertation research, students should attend seminars and colloquia, and consult with their faculty advisors and upper-level graduate students. A list of the current faculty and their research programs is available at www.physics.harvard.edu .
Requirements for Degree
Academic Residence. Ordinarily a candidate must be enrolled for at least two years (four terms) of full-time study in the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Ideally, the PhD is completed within five years. The department reviews the progress of students each year. For financial residence requirements, see the GSAS Guide to Admission and Financial Aid or The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Handbook (www.gsas.harvard.edu/student/handbook ).
Program of Study. Each student is required to demonstrate proficiency in a broad range of fields of physics by obtaining honor grades (B- or better) in at least eight half-courses, specified as follows:
a. Core courses: Physics 251a, Physics 251b, Physics 232, or Applied Physics 216, and Physics 262 or Applied Physics 284.
b. Elective courses: Four additional half-courses drawn from the following list, with at most two half-courses in any one field. Note: not all courses listed are given every year and course offerings, numbers, and contents sometimes change. Students therefore should occasionally confer with their advisors or the chair of the Committee on Higher Degrees about their programs of study.
Particle Physics, Field Theory, String Theory, and Mathematical Physics: Physics 245, 248, 253a, 253b, 253c, 264, 283b, 283, 287a, 287br, and 289r.
Condensed Matter Physics: Physics 266, 268r, 270, 298r, Applied Physics 225, 282, 292, 293, 295a, 295b, 296r, 298r, Engineering -Sciences 247.
Optics, Atomic, and Molecular Physics: Physics 265, 265r, 281, 285a, 285b, Applied Physics 216 (if Physics 232 is used as a core course), 217.
Relativity and Astrophysics: Physics 210, 211, any 200-level Astronomy.
Mechanics, Electromagnetism, and Applied Mathematics: Physics 218, 232, Applied Mathematics 201, 202, 203, 205, 210, 212, Engineering Sciences 220, 225, 240, 241, 246.
Biological and Medical Physics: Engineering Sciences 218, and physics-related courses at the 200 level from Biophysics and Biology offerings.
Earth and Planetary Physics: Physics-related courses at the 200 level in Earth and Planetary Sciences.
Course Descriptions: Courses of Instruction (www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu)
Other Fields: A student may use 200-level courses or fields not listed with the approval of the Committee on Higher Degrees. In place of demonstrating proficiency by satisfactory course performance, a student may demonstrate proficiency by an oral examination, by submitting evidence of satisfactory work in appropriate courses taken at other institutions, or by other means deemed satisfactory by the Committee on Higher Degrees. Students wishing to utilize this option should submit a petition to the Committee on Higher Degrees before the end of their first year of Harvard graduate school. The general requirements outlined above are a minimum standard and students will usually take additional courses in their selected fields and in other fields. A student need not fulfill these requirements before beginning research. As a result of an exchange agreement between the universities, graduate students in physics at Harvard may also enroll in lecture courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The procedure is outlined under “Cross-Registration into Courses Offered by Other Faculties” in The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Handbook (at www.gsas.harvard.edu/ student/handbook) which is available at registration.
Laboratory. Physics 247r, or equivalent laboratory experience, or an oral examination on an experimental topic is a required part of the PhD program for all students who do not submit a dissertation that demonstrates experimental proficiency. Students who wish to fulfill this requirement by equivalent laboratory experience or an oral examination should obtain approval of the Committee on Higher Degrees no later than the end of the third year of residence.
Criteria for Satisfactory Progress. In addition to the guidelines specified by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, satisfactory progress (see The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Handbook, Chapter VI: Degree Requirements) for graduate students in the Physics Department is identified by the following guidelines. Upon successful completion of the qualifying oral examination, the student must arrange for the appointment of a research committee of faculty members who will monitor the progress of the student thereafter. The student must be accepted by an appropriate dissertation advisor within 18 months after passing the qualifying oral examination. During each subsequent year the student’s academic progress will be evaluated for satisfactory progress toward the completion of the degree; beginning with the third year of graduate study, the student must submit a progress report each year in the form specified by the Committee on Higher Degrees. The progress report must be approved by the student’s research committee and the Committee on Higher Degrees. The Committee on Higher Degrees will examine with special care students beyond their fifth year.
For other types of extensions or leave-of- absence policies, consult Chapter VI of The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Handbook.
Final Examination. The final examination, conducted orally, involves a searching analysis of the dissertation. If the coursework does not indicate a wide proficiency in the field of the dissertation, the examination may be extended to test this proficiency as well.
The candidate must provide copies of the completed (unbound) dissertation for members of the final examination committee well in advance of the examination. Detailed requirements on the dissertation are published in The Form of the PhD Dissertation (available online at www.gsas.harvard.edu ), available at the department office.
Additional Information
Further information about courses and programs of study in physics may be obtained from our Website, www.physics.harvard.edu, or from the Department Graduate Program Administrator:
Department of Physics
Harvard University
17 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138.
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Dissertation Titles of Recent Harvard- Physics PhDs
Please visit www.physics.harvard.edu/grad/phds.htm .
Faculty by Research Area
Astrophysics & AstronomyProfessors Horowitz, Shapiro, Stubbs, Zaldarriaga
Experimental Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics Professors Doyle, Gabrielse, Golovchenko, Greiner, Hau, Heller, Lukin, Prentiss; Professor Emeritus Ramsey; Senior Lecturer Walsworth
Theoretical Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics Professors Demler, Glauber, Heller, Lukin, Sachdev
Experimental Biophysics Professors Berg, Golovchenko, Hau, Kiruluta, Manoharan, Mazur, Park, Samuel, Weitz, Zhuang; Senior Lecturer Walsworth
Theoretical Biophysics Professors Fisher, Nelson
Computational Physics Professors Heller, Kaxiras
Experimental Condensed Matter Physics Professors Golovchenko , Greiner, Hoffman, Manoharan, Marcus, Mazur, Narayanamurti, Park, Pershan, Silvera, Weitz, Westervelt, Yacoby; Research Professor Tinkham; Professors Emeriti Paul, Pound; Senior Lecturer Walsworth
Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics Professors Demler, Fisher, Halperin, Heller, Kaxiras, Martin, Nelson, Sachdev; Professor Emeritus Ehrenreich
Environmental Modeling & Risk Analysis Professor Emeritus Wilson
Experimental High Energy Physics Professors Doyle, Feldman, Franklin, Gabrielse, Guimaraes da Costa, Huth, Morii; Professor Emeritus Wilson, Senior Research Fellow Brandenburg
Theoretical High Energy Physics/String Theory Professors Arkani-Hamed, Georgi, Jaffe, Minwalla, Randall, Strominger, Vafa, Wu
Experimental High Pressure Physics Professor Silvera
History of Physics Professor Galison, Research Professor Holton
Experimental Low Temperature Physics Professors Doyle, Gabrielse, Halperin, Hoffman, Marcus, Silvera, Westervelt; Research Professor Tinkham;,Yacoby; Senior Lecturer Walsworth
Mathematical Physics Professors Heller, Jaffe
Experimental Mesoscopic Professors Golovchenko, Marcus, Mazur, Narayanamurti, Park, Tinkham, Weitz, Westervelt; Research Professor Tinkham
Theoretical Mesoscopic Professors Demler, Fisher, Halperin, Heller, Lukin, Nelson, Sachdev
Nuclear Physics Professor Doyle; Professors Emeriti Pound, Ramsey, Wilson