UTAH

STATE

UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
Logan, Utah 84322-4415
http://physics.usu.edu
General University Information
President: Stan Albrecht
Dean of Graduate School: Mark R. McLellan
University website: http://www.usu.edu
Control: Public
Setting: Rural
Total Faculty: 870
Total number of Students: 15,612
Total number of Graduate Students: 1,721

Advanced GRE requirements

The Advanced GRE is recommended.
Minimum accepted Advanced GRE score: 200

TOEFL requirements
The TOEFL exam is required for students from non-Englishspeaking countries.
PBT score: 550
iBT score: 79

TUITION
Department Information
Department Chairman: Jan J. Sojka, Chair
Department Contact: Karalee Ransom, Academic Advisor
Total full-time faculty: 15
Total number of full-time equivalent positions: 15
Full-Time Graduate Students: 24
First-Year Graduate Students: 5
Female First-Year Students: 2
Total Post Doctorates: 2

Department Address
Department of Physics
Utah State University
Logan, UT 84322-4415
Phone: (435) 797-2857
Fax: (435) 797-2492
E-mail: physics@usu.edu
Website: http://physics.usu.edu

ADMISSIONS
Admission Contact Information
Address admission inquiries to: Karalee Ransom, Department of
Physics, 4415 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-4415.
Phone: (435) 797-4021
E-mail: karalee.ransom@usu.edu
Admissions
website:
http://physics.usu.edu/htm/students/
graduate-program

Application deadlines
Fall admission:
U.S. students: January 15

Tuition year 201112:

Tuition for in-state residents
Full-time students: $2,659.11 per semester
Part-time students: $1,978.32 per semester
Tuition for out-of-state residents
Full-time students: $8,297.68 per semester
Part-time students: $6,013.87 per semester
Amounts shown are for tuition and fees. Full-time was determined by a 9-credit semester. Part-time was determined by
a 6-credit semester.
Credit hours per semester to be considered full-time: 9
Deferred tuition plan: Yes
Health insurance: Available at the cost of $237 per year.
Other academic fees: International students pay a $100 per semester student fee. Health insurance is mandatory for all graduate students. The insurance is available through the University and is paid by both the student ($237 per academic
year) and the Department ($941 per academic year).
Academic term: Semester
Number of first-year students who received full tuition waivers: 8

Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants,

and Fellowships
Number of first-year
Teaching Assistants: 5
Research Assistants: 2
Fellowship students: 1
Average stipend per academic year
Teaching Assistant: $15,000
Research Assistant: $17,500
Fellowship student: $15,000

Intl. students: January 15

Application fee
U.S. students: $55
Intl. students: $55
Official applications can be found on the School of Graduate
Studies website: http://usu.edu/graduateschool.

Admissions information
For Fall of 2012:
Number of applicants: 20
Number admitted: 12
Number enrolled: 5

Admission requirements
Bachelors degree requirements: Bachelors degree in physics
or a related field.
Minimum undergraduate GPA: 3.0

GRE requirements
The GRE is required.
Mean GRE score range (25th75th percentile): 40%

FINANCIAL AID
Application deadlines
Fall admission:
U.S. students: June 30
Spring admission:
U.S. students: June 30

Intl. students: June 30

Loans
Loans are available for U.S. students.
Loans are not available for international students.
GAPSFAS application required: Yes
FAFSA application required: Yes

For further information

Address financial aid inquiries to: USU Financial Aid Office,
1800 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-1800.
Phone: (435) 797-0173
Financial aid website: http://usu.edu/finaid

2015 Graduate Programs in Physics, Astronomy, and Related Fields (ISBN: 978-0-7354-1252-1) 2014 American Institute of Physics

Utah

Utah State U., Phys.

HOUSING

FACULTY

Availability of on-campus housing

Single students: Yes
Married students: Yes

For further information

Address housing inquiries to: USU Housing and Residence Life,
8600 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-8600.
Phone: (800) 863-1085
E-mail: info@housing.usu.edu
Housing aid website: http://usu.edu/housing

Table AFaculty, Enrollments, and Degrees Granted

Number of Degrees
Granted
201011 (200611)

Enrollment
Fall 2012
Research Specialty
Atmosphere, Space
Physics, Cosmic
Rays
Condensed Matter
Physics
Nano Science and
Technology
Nonlinear Dynamics
and Complex
Systems
Plasma and Fusion
Relativity & Gravitation

Total
Full-time Grad. Stud.
First-year Grad. Stud.

201314
Faculty

Masters

Doctorate

Masters

Terminal
Masters

Doctorate

10

(3)

3(16)

2(2)

(3)

(1)

1
2
2

2
2

2(3)
1(1)

14

20

5(9)

3(20)

25
5

GRADUATE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Doctorate: Qualification decision made after first year. Candidacy exam in the third year.

Table BSeparately Budgeted Research Expenditures

by Source of Support
Departmental
Research

Physics-related Research
Outside Department

Federal government
State/local government
Non-profit organizations
Business and industry
Other

$700,834

$1,095,745

Total

$700,834

$1,095,745

Source of Support

Table CSeparately Budgeted Research Expenditures

by Research Specialty
Research Specialty

No. of Grants Expenditures ($)

Atmosphere, Space Physics, Cosmic Rays

Condensed Matter Physics
Nonlinear Dynamics and Complex Systems
Plasma and Fusion
Mathematical Physics and Computer Algegra

30
3
2
3
1

$1,095,745
$300,834
$150,000
$250,000
$360,000

Total

39

$2,156,579

Professor
Dennison, J. R., Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University (Virginia Tech), 1985. Materials Science, Metallurgy, Solid State Physics, Surface Physics. Solid-state and
surface physics.
Edwards, W. Farrell, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology,
1960. Atmosphere, Space Physics, Cosmic Rays, Electromagnetism, Geophysics, Plasma and Fusion, Theoretical Physics.
Electromagnetic theory.
Fejer, Bela, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1974. Atmosphere, Space
Physics, Cosmic Rays, Geophysics. Space plasma physics.
Held, Eric D., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1999.
Plasma and Fusion. Plasma physics.
Peak, David, Ph.D., University at Albany, 1969. Biophysics,
Nonlinear Dynamics and Complex Systems. Complex materials and dynamics.
Schunk, Robert W., Ph.D., Yale University, 1970. Atmosphere,
Space Physics, Cosmic Rays, Geophysics. Space plasma physics.
Shen, T. C., Ph.D., University of Maryland, 1985. Nano Science
and Technology, Solid State Physics. Surface science.
Sojka, Jan J., Ph.D., University College London, 1976. Atmosphere, Space Physics, Cosmic Rays, Geophysics. Space
plasma physics.
Taylor, Michael, Ph.D., University of Southampton, 1986. Atmosphere, Space Physics, Cosmic Rays, Geophysics. Atmospheric physics.
Torre, Charles, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, 1985. Assistant Department Head. Applied Mathematics, Particles and
Fields, Relativity & Gravitation, Theoretical Physics. Gravitational physics; field theory; mathematical physics.
Wickwar, Vincent, Ph.D., Rice University, 1971. Atmosphere,
Space Physics, Cosmic Rays, Optics. Atmospheric physics.
Associate Professor
Riffe, D. Mark, Ph.D., Cornell University, 1989. Condensed Matter Physics, Surface Physics. Optical studies of surfaces.
Scherliess, Ludger, Ph.D., Utah State University, 1997. Atmosphere, Space Physics, Cosmic Rays, Geophysics. Space physics.
Wheeler, James T., Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1986. Particles and Fields. Relativity; particle physics.
Research Professor
Ji, Jeong-Young, Ph.D., Plasma and Fusion.
Wilkerson, Thomas D., Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1962.
Atmosphere, Space Physics, Cosmic Rays. Atmospheric physics.
Research Associate Professor
Singh, Ajay Kumar, Ph.D., Institute for Plasma Research, 1993.
Plasma and Fusion. Experimental Tokamak physics; plasma
physics.
Zhu, Lie, Ph.D., University of Alaska, 1990. Atmosphere, Space
Physics, Cosmic Rays, Geophysics. Space plasma physics.
Research Assistant Professor
Yuan, Titus, Ph.D., Colorado State University, 2004. Atmosphere, Space Physics, Cosmic Rays, Optics.
Senior Lecturer
Triplett, Tonya, M.S., Utah State University, 2003. Physics and
other Science Education. Physics education.

2015 Graduate Programs in Physics, Astronomy, and Related Fields (ISBN: 978-0-7354-1252-1) 2014 American Institute of Physics

United States: Geographic Listing of Graduate Programs

DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCH SPECIALTIES AND
STAFF
Theoretical
Applied Mathematics. Torre.
Atmosphere, Space Physics, Cosmic Rays. Edwards, Fejer,
Scherliess, Schunk, Sojka, Zhu.
Computational Physics. Held, Ji.
Condensed Matter Physics. Riffe.
Electromagnetism. Edwards.
High Energy Physics.

Utah

Nonlinear Dynamics and Complex Systems. Peak.

Particles and Fields. Torre, Wheeler.
Physics and other Science Education. Triplett.
Plasma and Fusion. Edwards, Held, Ji.
Relativity & Gravitation. Torre.
Experimental
Atmosphere, Space Physics, Cosmic Rays. Edwards, Fejer, Taylor, Wickwar, Wilkerson, Yuan.
Condensed Matter Physics. Dennison, Riffe, Shen.
Plasma and Fusion. Edwards, Singh.

View additional information about this department at

www.gradschoolshopper.com

2015 Graduate Programs in Physics, Astronomy, and Related Fields (ISBN: 978-0-7354-1252-1) 2014 American Institute of Physics