Admission to the Graduate Studies in Physics program at Duke University is based on a number of factors. These include grades, especially those in key physics courses, school quality, letters of recommendation, GRE general and subject scores, TOEFL scores (if applicable), personal essays and areas of interest. A Physics Department Committee considers each application and in conjunction with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), makes a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School.
Applicants for admission are normally expected to possess, or be in the process of completing, an undergraduate degree with a major in physics, or in a related field with a strong concentration in physics. Undergraduate courses in general physics, mechanics (at the level of Marion), electromagnetism (at the level of Griffiths), optics (e.g., Hecht/Zajac), modern physics (e.g., Bernstein, Fishbane, and Gasiorowicz), quantum mechanics (at the level of Liboff), and thermodynamics (at the level of Reif) are assumed, in addition to appropriate mathematical training (i.e., linear algebra plus tools at the level of Hildebrand). It is expected that the applicant's grade average in physics and mathematics will be at least "B". Students lacking one or more of the important undergraduate courses will be asked to remedy this deficiency by self-study or by enrolling in the corresponding courses at Duke. If you have any questions about the background expected of an incoming graduate student, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies.
Applicants should submit scores on all four parts of the Graduate Record Examination (including physics achievement) as part of the application. Students from non-English speaking countries are required to demonstrate proficiency in English via the TOEFL exam; the minimum acceptable score is 550 (paper test), 213 (CBT - computer-based test), or 83 (internet-based test), or a minimum IELTS score of 7.0. Information about these examinations can be obtained from Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey 08540.
Last year, 36 students were accepted from 151 applicants. Average GRE scores for admitted students (10) were as follows: Verbal - 523, Quantitative - 789, W - 4.3, Subject - 833. The average GPA for this same group of students was 3.6 on a 4.0=A scale. (2007/08)
Duke University seeks diversity in its student body. The Physics Department accepts students solely on the basis of merit; there are no quotas based on race, gender, or any other factor. However, the department actively recruits graduate students from a wide variety of backgrounds. There are currently 69 graduate students enrolled in the Physics Department, including 10 newly admitted students, who entered for the Fall of 2007. The most popular undergraduate major other than Physics is Electrical Engineering, although other majors range from Computer Science to Music. About 20% of the current students worked for at least a year after completing their Bachelor's degrees before coming to Duke for their graduate studies. Students are from 20 states, and several countries, including Belarus, Brazil, Canada, China, Croatia, Eritrea, Germany, India, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan, and Turkey.