Experimental Space Plasma Group at UTD
WHY?
Graduate Admission
Application deadline for the Fall: January 15
Admission requirements for the PhD in Physics degree program can be found here.
General info regarding the UT Dallas graduate program and academic policies can be found here.
University deadlines and application fees apply. All students are encouraged to apply as early as possible (by the early deadline), but will continue to be considered (until the regular deadline) if space permits.
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Minimum Requirements: BS degree in Physics or closely related subjects from a university or college, with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Application Package Requirements:
Copy of your official score from the GRE General Test (verbal and quantitative): Upload digital copies of unofficial test scores using the online graduate application. Official score documents are only required after admission.
Copy of your official transcript: Unofficial copies suffice for the application; Official score documents are only required after admission.
Request Three Letters of Recommendation
Statement of Purpose
Copy of TOEFL score (>80 for the internet-based test, >550 for the paper-based test) within the past two years (only applies to international applicants)
Undergraduate/
Graduate
Student Researcher
Undergraduate
Volunteering as an undergraduate student researcher can benefit one's profolio, no matter what path he/she wants to go after. The standard way to volunteer is: 1. to demonstrate interest by emailing the PI, 2. prove yourself in a brief interview, 3. participate in a research topics course with the PI for a semester (e.g., PHYS4390, PHYS 4V07, PHYS4V10, or PHYS4399), 4. upon satisfactory progress, a paid position can be offered thereafter. The third requirement can be waived by an existing publication or previous research experience in the field. Students from all fields of science and engineering, with some interest/curiosity in space exploration, are welcome to apply.
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Graduate
A similar procedure works for graduate student researcher outside the group: 1. to demonstrate interest by emailing the PI, 2. prove yourself in a brief interview, 3. participate in a sample research topic test (take-home, open-book), 4. upon satisfactory reports, a paid position can be offered thereafter. The third requirement can be waived by an existing publication or previous research experience in the field. We always welcome graduate students from all fields of science and engineering to apply as a paid graduate student researcher.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long does it take to graduate?
From admission to an MS degree, it takes 2 years. From admission to oral defense for a PhD, it takes about 4-5 years (depending on individual performance).
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2. How to choose a thesis topic?
Students will have enough freedom to pursue any topic they are interested in. Normally, the mentor will offer a couple potential topics in the beginning, after knowing the student's preferred direction; after the mentor walking through the first topic/paper, the students will normally get a good understanding of topics they want to solve for their thesis. Our goal is to optimize interest and efficiency, so no students will end up enjoying a PhD for too long.
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3. What about post-graduate?
As much as we hope every PhD graduate will continue to work in the field as a colleague, we completely understand this will not always work. If one wants to find a job outside the field, the mentor will help tune the research to a more practical direction. If one wants to try work in the field, the mentor can offer a postdoctoral position in the group a transition. But it is more beneficial for the student to work in multiple groups to enrich his/her experience and expand the network.
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4. What is Dallas like?
This is more commonly asked by international students. Dallas, or the so-called Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, is a conurbation of urbanised area, in the state of Texas. It is the economic and cultural hub of North Texas. The Metroplex has seen a quick growing in population and physical expansion in recent years; in particular, in 2016, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex had the highest annual population growth in the United States. As of 2022, Dallas-Fort Worth is home to 23 Fortune 500 companies, the 4th-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the United States behind New York City, Chicago, and Houston. The DFW international airport, American Airlines' Largest Hub, conveniently serves Dallas residents with direct domestic and international flights to majority of big cities around the world. Overall, Dallas is a safe, convenient, and diversified city for almost anyone to live. (based on information from wikipedia)