physics phd at mit

Doctoral Degrees

A doctoral degree requires the satisfactory completion of an approved program of advanced study and original research of high quality..

Please note that the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Science (ScD) degrees are awarded interchangeably by all departments in the School of Engineering and the School of Science, except in the fields of biology, cognitive science, neuroscience, medical engineering, and medical physics. This means that, excepting the departments outlined above, the coursework and expectations to earn a Doctor of Philosophy and for a Doctor of Science degree from these schools are generally the same. Doctoral students may choose which degree they wish to complete.

Applicants interested in graduate education should apply to the department or graduate program conducting research in the area of interest. Some departments require a doctoral candidate to take a “minor” program outside of the student’s principal field of study; if you wish to apply to one of these departments, please consider additional fields you may like to pursue.

Below is a list of programs and departments that offer doctoral-level degrees.

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Your Academic and Research Advisors:  Every graduate student is assigned an academic advisor in addition to their primary research advisor. You'll have an academic advising meeting on Registration Day at the beginning of every semester, but you can email this person for advice any time during the year. 

Graduate Student Advocate:    A person you can go to outside of your advisors is  Claude Canizares , the department's Graduate Student Advocate. He works with graduate students to connect them to resources in the Department and around MIT, and to help them progress towards their degrees and develop professionally. Prof. Canizares is an X-ray astrophysicist who led the Center for Space Research (now the MIT Kavli Institute), served as Vice President for Research, and is deeply connected around MIT. His email address is crc at mit dot edu.

APO Staff:   The staff of the Physics Academic Programs Office supports every aspect of the Physics education program at MIT. We are a friendly, welcoming team of professionals dedicated to the success of all students in MIT Physics degree programs or taking an MIT Physics course. From inquiries about the undergraduate major or questions about admission to our doctoral program, to overseeing degree completion and celebrating graduates, we are available at every step of the Physics education journey: providing information, interpreting academic policy, administering advising, organizing classes, and solving problems. As a part of your extended support network, we’re also available to help with non-academic issues as well, pointing you towards opportunities and resources of all kinds. If you have a question about any aspect of academic life at MIT, ask the Academic Programs Office and we’ll help you find the answers you need.

GradSupport:   GradSupport in the Office of Graduate Education (OGE)  is a place you can go to outside the department for advice and counsel about academic matters. It is the rough equivalent of the undergrads' S3 . 

Core Course Tips

Resources and advice.

• From PGSC  - the most comprehensive info you'll find!
• From the Department  
• From physREFS

Astrophysics

• Students are provided with the  180 questions  they could be asked in advance

Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

• Generally speaking, the exam covers all the material in Wolfgang Ketterle's two classes on Atomic Physics: 8.421 and 8.422 .
• Students typically take the exam during spring of their 2nd year or fall of their 3rd year and often will spend a full two to three months preparing.
• Students will be given a topic one week ahead of their scheduled exam.
• Students are expected to prepare a ~15 minute chalk-talk without any notes on their assigned topic.
• During the roughly one hour and forty-five minute exam, the committee (made up of three AMO faculty, not including the student's research advisor) will interrupt and ask questions about the topic, the student's research, and/or other unrelated AMO topics.
• See this document for the official list of topics students should be familiar with before the exam and a general description of the exam.
• 1st-3rd year AMO students have a bi-weekly study group for students to practice giving presentations on AMO topics to their peers. Contact Alyssa Rudelis at [email protected] to be added to the mailing list for this study group.
• Study guide currently posted on the PhysREFS website

Condensed matter experiment

• Students give a presentation about a topic they are assigned 1 month before the exam
• The rest of the exam consists of questions from the committee
• Expected to know the material in Introduction to Solid State Physics by Kittel
• Graduate students in the division keep an archive of past oral exam questions, study materials, and guides - ask students who have completed their oral exam for more information

Condensed matter theory

• General information on oral exams webpage
• Your research advisor gives you one problem in advance and the rest are from the committee
• Expected to know the material in textbooks:  Solid State Physics by Ashcroft and Mermin, Introduction to Solid State Physics by Kittel, and Intro to Stat Mec h by Kerson Huang

Nuclear/particle experiment

• According to the  department website  as of fall 2019:
• "The NUPAX oral exam consists of three parts: (a) a question prepared in advance based on a relevant topic in nuclear and particle physics, (b) a portion focusing on the student’s current research program, and (c) a broad set of questions in nuclear and particle physics.  Passing of the exam will depend on the student’s performance in the assigned question, as well as their proficiency in  nuclear physics ,  particle physic s,  and   detectors and experimental techniques .   The topics and questions are drawn primarily from material covered in the NUPAX required graduate classes (8.701, 8.711, and 8.811). The exam is a total of 90 minutes in duration and results are communicated to the student at the completion of the exam."

Nuclear/particle theory

• Students give a short presentation about a topic they are assigned a few weeks before the exam
• The rest of the exam is questions from three professors
• "The topics and questions are drawn primarily from material covered in NUPAT graduate classes, with emphasis on 8.325 and Field Theory of the Standard Model." - from 2019 CTP graduate student handbook
• The graduate students in the division keep an archive of old oral exam questions, study materials, and guides in a shared Dropbox folder. Ask a friend or officemate for access!

Plasma physics

• Students give a ~30-minute presentation on a topic (often a paper) assigned a few weeks before the exam by the student's official (senior) supervisor
• The committee often asks questions about the presentation for ~30 minutes, then general questions (total time of the exam is ~2 hours)
• Expected to know the material in  Introduction to Plasma Physics  by F. Chen; additional material from Hutchinson's Principles of Plasma Diagnonstics , Friedberg's Ideal MHD or Fusion Energy may be requested depending on the breadth of courses the student has taken
• Senior graduate students in the division can share notes and tips from past oral exams - get in touch with one of them to rehearse your presentation and answer some practice questions on the blackboard!

Quantum information

• Students give a short presentation on a topic assigned 2+ weeks before the exam
• According to the 2019 CTP graduate student handbook , "The topics and questions are drawn primarily from material covered in the textbook by Nielsen and Chuang."

MEMP PhD Program

Hst’s memp phd program, is this program a good fit for me.

HST’s Medical Engineering and Medical Physics (MEMP) PhD program offers a unique curriculum for engineers and scientists who want to impact patient care by developing innovations to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. We're committed to welcoming applicants from a wide range of communities, backgrounds, and experiences.

How is HST’s MEMP PhD program different from other PhD programs?

As a MEMP student, you’ll choose one of 11 technical concentrations and design an individualized curriculum to ground yourself in the foundations of that discipline. You’ll study medical sciences alongside MD students and become fluent in the language and culture of medicine through structured clinical experiences. You’ll select a research project from among laboratories at MIT, Harvard, affiliated hospitals and research institutes , then tackle important questions through the multiple lenses of your technical discipline and your medical training. As a result, you will learn how to ask better questions, identify promising research areas, and translate research findings into real-world medical practice.

What degree will I earn?

You’ll earn a PhD awarded by MIT or by the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

What can I do with this degree?

Lead pioneering efforts that translate technical work into innovations that improve human health and shape the future of medicine.

How long will it take me to earn a PhD in HST’s MEMP program?

Similar to other PhD programs in MIT's School of Engineering, the average time-to-degree for MEMP PhD students is less than six years.

What are the degree requirements?

Science / engineering.

Choose one of the established concentration areas and select four courses from the approved list for the chosen area. Current MEMP concentration areas are:

• Aeronautics & Astronautics
• Biological Engineering
• Brain & Cognitive Sciences
• Chemical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science & Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Nuclear Engineering

Harvard MEMPs fulfill Basic Science/Engineering Concentration and Qualifying Exam through their collaborating department (SEAS or Biophysics).

Biomedical Sciences and Clinical Requirements

Biomedical sciences core.

• HST030 or HST034: Human Pathology
• HST160: Genetics in Modern Medicine
• HST090: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology

Restricted Electives - two full courses required*

• HST010: Human Anatomy
• HST020: Musculoskeletal Pathophysiology*
• HST100: Respiratory Pathophysiology**
• HST110: Renal Pathophysiology**
• HST130: Introduction to Neuroscience
• HST162: Molecular Diagnostics and Bioinformatics*
•  HST164: Principles of Biomedical Imaging*
• HST175: Cellular & Molecular Immunology

*  May combine two half-courses to count as one full course **Must choose at least one of HST100, HST110

Clinical Core

• HST201: Intro. to Clinical Medicine I and HST202: Intro. to Clinical Medicine II
• HST207: Intro. to Clinical Medicine

PhD Thesis Guide

Letter of intent #1:.

Research advisor and topic. Due by April 30 of 2nd year.

Letter of Intent #2:

Tentative thesis committee. Due by April 30 of 3rd year.

Thesis proposal:

Defended before thesis committee. Due by April 30 of 4th year.

Final Thesis:

Public defense and submission of final thesis document.

Harvard MEMPs must an electronic copy of the final thesis including the signed cover sheet. Harvard MEMPs should not register for HST.ThG.

Qualifying Exam

TQE: Technical qualification based on performance in four concentration area courses and Pathology

OQE: Oral examination to evaluate ability to integrate information from diverse sources into a coherent research proposal and to defend that proposal

Professional Skills

Hst500: frontiers in (bio)medical engineering and physics.

Required spring of first year

HST590: Biomedical Engineering Seminar

Required fall semester of first year. Minimum of four semesters required; one on responsible conduct of research and three electives. Topics rotate.

Required for all MEMP students. (Biophysics students may substitute MedSci 300 for HST590 term on responsible conduct of research.)

Professional Perspectives 

Required once during PhD enrollment 

What can I expect?

You’ll begin by choosing a concentration in a classical discipline of engineering or physical science. During your first two years in HST, you’ll complete a series of courses to learn the fundamentals of your chosen area.

In parallel, you’ll become conversant in the biomedical sciences through preclinical coursework in pathology and pathophysiology, learning side-by-side with HST MD students.

With that foundation, you’ll engage in truly immersive clinical experiences, gaining a hands-on understanding of clinical care, medical decision-making, and the role of technology in medical practice. These experiences will help you become fluent in the language and culture of medicine and gain a first-hand understanding of the opportunities for — and constraints on — applying scientific and technological innovations in health care.

You’ll also take part in two seminar classes that help you to integrate science and engineering with medicine, while developing your professional skills. Then you’ll design an individualized professional perspectives experience that allows you to explore career paths in an area of your choice:  academia, medicine, industry, entrepreneurship, or the public sector.

A two-stage qualifying examination tests your proficiency in your concentration area, your skill at integrating information from diverse sources into a coherent research proposal, and your ability to defend that research proposal in an oral presentation.

Finally, as the culmination of your training, you’ll investigate an important problem at the intersection of science, technology, and medicine through an individualized thesis research project, with opportunities to be mentored by faculty in laboratories at MIT, Harvard, and affiliated teaching hospitals.

Interested in applying? Learn about the application process here.

HST MEMP grad Carmen Martin Alonso looks ahead to a bright future as a medical researcher

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Question about physics PhD program

I was recently admitted to the physics PhD program at MIT. One of my professors got his PhD from MIT a long time ago, and he tells me that half of the physics PhD students flunk out due to the general exams. Is this still true?

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Current PhD Students

Students in the Accounting research group study topics such as accounting anomalies, alpha generation, arbitrage limits, empirical asset pricing, financial econometrics and options.

Accounting PhD Students

Fabio da Silva Soares

B.A. Economics and Mathematics

Chuck Downing

B.S. Accounting

Zoe Yuxin Han

B.B.A. Accountancy and ACMS

B.A. Business Administration and Economics; M.S. Business Administration

B.B.A Business Administration; M.S. Business Administration

B.S. Math, Economics & Statistics

Yuting Wang

B.A. Accounting

B.A. Management, Accounting

Cindy Zhang

B.S. Accountancy; B.S. Finance; M.S. Statistics

Economic Sociology

Our Economic Sociology students research topics such as organizational learning in the public sector, social network analysis and its intersection with contract theory, institutional analysis, organizational change, and financialization.

Economic Sociology PhD Students

Hajar El Fatihi

B.A. Applied Mathematics; M.A. Sociology

BMS Finance; MBA

Tatiana Labuzova

B.A. International Relations; M.A. Economics

B.A. Public Policy; M.A. Computational Social Science

Audrey Mang

B.S. Mathematics

B.S.E. Mechanical Engineering; MBA

Mikaela Springsteen

M.A. Sociology with Quantitative Methods

B.A. Social Studies; M.Sc. Social Science of the Internet

Bradley Turner

B.S. Economics; M.A. Social Science

Victoria Zhang

B.A. Political Science and French

Our Finance students research topics such as asset pricing, behavioral finance, corporate finance, empirical asset pricing, executive compensation, financial inclusion, financial econometrics, financial intermediation, financial macroeconomics, household finance, industrial organization, labor and finance, market microstructure, macro-finance, and macroeconomics.  

Finance PhD Students

Patrick Adams

B.A. Economics and Mathematics/Statistics

Enzo Bastos Profili

B.S. Industrial Engineering and Economics

Quentin Batista

B.A. Economics and Finance; M.A. Economics

Marta Bilghese

B.S. Finance; M.A. Economics

Monroe Gamble

B.S. Business Administration

Brice Green

B.A. Economics; M.A. Economics

Information Technology

Our Information Technology students research topics such as AI and the future of work, applied machine learning, causal inference, computational social science, economics of digitization, economics of information technology, econometrics and machine learning, intangible capital, networks, online marketplace design, productivity, and social networks.

Information Technology PhD Students

Mohammed Alsobay

B.Sc. Chemical Engineering; M.Sc. Applied Math and Computational Science

Michael Caosun

B.S. Mathematics; B.A. Economics

Justin Kaashoek

B.A. Applied Mathematics

Benjamin Manning

B.A. Applied Mathematics; M.P.P. Social Policy and Statistics

Hirotaka Miura

B.S. Mathematics/Economics; M.A. Mathematics of Finance

B.S. Physics; B.A. Knowledge Ecology

Peyman Shahidi

B.Sc. Electrical Engineering; M.A. Economics

Jaeyoon Song

B.B.A. Business Administration

Hong-Yi Tu Ye

B.A. Economics; M.Sc. Computational Statistics and Machine Learning

Institute for Work and Employment Research

Students in the Institute for Work and Employment Research group study topics such as behavioral science, comparative employment relations, labor economics,  labor standards in global value chains, political economy, subjective well-being, worker grievances and voice, and working time arrangements in organizations.

IWER PhD Students

Alexander Busch

B.A. Sociology, Heidelberg University; BSc Economics, Heidelberg

Soohyun Roh

B.A. Economics and Sociology; M.A. Sociology

K. MacKenzie Scott

B.A. Economics and French; M.P.A.

B.A. English Language and Literature; M.A. Computational Social Science

Our Marketing students research topics such as Applied Machine Learning, Computational Social Science, NLP, New Product Development, Online Marketplaces,  and Quantitative Marketing.

Marketing PhD Students

Cathy Xi Chen

B.S. Psychology, Economics, and Statistics; M.A. Computational Social Science

B.Mgmt.; M. Management Science

B.S. Information Management and Information Systems; B.A. Law; M. Econ

Zelin (James) Li

B.A. Applied Mathematics and Statistics; M.S. Statistics

Chengfeng Mao

B.S. Computer Engineering; M.S. Computer Science

Cameron Martel

B.S. Cognitive Science

Reed Orchinik

B.A. Economics

Hongshen Sun

B.Eng. Engineering Physics, M.S. Operations Research

Joshua White

LL.B. Law and BCom. Finance; LL.M. Law; Grad. Dip. Psych. and Advanced Psych.

Organization Studies

Our Organization Studies students research topics such as artificial intelligence, changing nature of work inside established firms in a digital context, crowdsourcing, decision making, future of work, groups and teams, future of work, teams, & visual technologies.

Organization Studies PhD Students

Laura Changlan Wang

B.A. Psychology and Statistics

B.A. Neuroscience and Healthcare Management; M.S. Customer Analytics

System Dynamics

Our System Dynamics students research topics such as autonomous and alternative fuel vehicles,  behavioral operations management, consumer product development, cost of product failure and product recall dynamics, energy industry management, government policy, & firm strategy.

System Dynamics PhD Students

Cathy DiGennaro

B.A. Neuroscience

Jason Friedman

M.S. Data Science; B.A. Mathematics

Alexander Kuptel

B.A. Economics and Philosophy

Arya Yadama

B.S. Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering

Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management

Students in the Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management group study topics such as Entrepreneurship, Human Capital, Incentives, Innovation, Innovation Economics, Intellectual Property, M&A, Strategic Management, Strategy.   

TIES PhD Students

Alexis Haughey

S.B. Mechanical Engineering

B.Econ. Economics and Business

Christina Nguyen

A.B. Sociology

Laura Shupp

B.S. Economics

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Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics

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Applying to the Biological Engineering PhD program

Thank you for your interest in MIT BE – we want to receive your application! This page explains the application process and provides information specific to our program that you may use to strengthen your application. Our evaluation process begins with your electronic application folder and proceeds through an on-site interview.

We believe that our diverse, welcoming, and collaborative community fosters the most effective environment for training students to conduct world-class research. To maintain and further strengthen our culture, we depend on continuing to receive applications representing a broad range of academic and personal backgrounds. From 2019-2022, we invited applicants from 64 different undergraduate institutions holding and expecting bachelors degrees in many different disciplines to interview for admission. Of applicants invited to interview from 2019-2022, about 52% self-identified as female, and more than 18% self-identified as underrepresented minorities (as defined by MIT). Many students join the program immediately after completing their undergraduate studies, while others have already received advanced degrees or acquired post-baccalaureate professional experience.

The guidance below is intended to help prospective students understand the aspects of academic preparation and experience that poise applicants for success in our program and how to present this information effectively in their application materials. This guidance is not intended to describe any “ideal” application profile or minimum standards for admission (no quantitative standards exist). Every complete application received is reviewed holistically by BE faculty.

Application to MIT BE is competitive, with fewer than 10% of applicants receiving an offer to interview each year (we offer admission to the majority of interviewees). Applicants holding international undergraduate degrees may apply, and such applicants received about 3% of the interview offers made from 2019-2022. Interview offers are communicated asynchronously to applicants in January and February each year.

Evaluation of applications for PhD study in BE particularly focuses on:

• Evidence of strong academic preparation and demonstrated interest in both a quantitative discipline and a biological discipline
• Evidence of aptitude for and experience/accomplishment in scientific or engineering research
• Explanation of interest in pursuing a career that leverages PhD-level training in Biological Engineering under the guidance of MIT BE faculty advisors

Academic preparation. Success in the challenging coursework and research components of the MIT BE PhD program requires a strong academic background in both biology and quantitative engineering or science. While many successful applicants hold undergraduate engineering degrees and have completed substantial coursework in biology, there are many different ways to demonstrate the academic preparation needed. Applicants whose principal degree is quantitative, computational, engineering, or in the physical sciences can bolster their training in biology by taking core biology courses like biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology. Applicants whose principal degree is in a life science field can acquire quantitative training in courses beyond calculus, biostatistics, and programming/informatics such as differential equations, linear algebra, and advanced courses in probability, statistics, analysis, and computer science.

Understanding that every applicant’s personal and college experience is unique and that grading practices differ, BE has no minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement. We strongly consider the factors other than GPA described on this page in our admissions process. However, most applicants receiving an interview offer have a GPA in the A range (>3.6 on an A = 4.0 scale), and from 2019-2022 the median GPA of interviewees was 3.94. Many applicants with high GPAs do not receive interview invitations, and applicants with GPAs below the A range may be competitive for admission in our holistic evaluation process given other extraordinary aspects of their academic record, experiences, and achievements detailed in their application materials.

Applicant statement. This application component is a free-form opportunity to introduce yourself in writing to the admissions committee, explain your interest in Biological Engineering at MIT, and contextualize other application components including your academic record, research experience, and letters of recommendation. The admissions committee wants to hear why PhD-level training in Biological Engineering under the mentorship of MIT BE faculty is right for you, which research groups you may be interested in joining, how you have prepared to receive PhD training, and how this training may power your aspirations for the future. The MIT BE Communications Lab CommKit has additional content on writing statements of purpose . While not a particular focus of our evaluation, the statement is an opportunity to directly demonstrate your writing skills and attention to detail.

Letters of recommendation provide crucial evidence of research aptitude in successful applications. The most impactful support letters come from your faculty research supervisor(s) who know you well and have substantial experience advising PhD students. Support letters from other research supervisors, academic advisors, or course instructors may also be included. You can find general guidance (not specific to applications to study in the BE PhD program) on requesting letters of recommendation and on support letter content from the Biological Engineering Communication Lab.

To apply , go to the online application and create a user id and password. You do not need to complete the entire application in one sitting. You may begin the application, save it, and return to it at a later time using your user ID and password.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications ahead of the deadline and are responsible for ensuring that all admissions credentials are submitted on time. Your application will not be reviewed until all materials have been received. There is no separate application for financial support; all admitted applicants are offered a full support package.

The BE Department does not require the standardized Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test as part of our application process, but will consider scores if provided by the applicant.

To apply follow these steps.

1. Fill out the online application by 23:59, EST, December 15.

You will be providing the following information:

• Field(s) of interest
• Personal information/addresses
• International student data
• Three or more names and email addresses of letter writers
• Scanned copies of your College Transcripts
• For international students, scanned copies of your IELTS scores
• Academic preparation and research/work experience
• Applicant statement
• Credit card payment of $90 (Information on requesting a fee waiver is here )

2. Arrange for submission of the following (official reports only):

Scanned PDF transcripts and IELTS scores are considered unofficial documents but are sufficient for review purposes. Official documents are required before an admissions decision can be made. Please have any test scores electronically transmitted to MIT Admissions and mail official copies of your transcript(s) to:

MIT Department of Biological Engineering

77 Massachusetts Avenue, Bldg. 16-267

Cambridge, MA 02139

For international students:

IELTS scores should also be electronically sent directly to MIT.

• To register for a test, visit the IETLS website.
• IELTS does not require a code. Please write “Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology”. No address is required as scores are reported electronically.
• If you are an international student, you should take the IELTS test by November 15. The Department of Biological Engineering does not waive this requirement.

The IELTS is waived for applicants who are citizens of Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, or the United Kingdom, or for applicants who have or will earn a BS degree at a US university.