The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Physics will prepare students for research-oriented careers in government, industry, and academia. Students in this program develop strong analytical, quantitative, and problem solving skills, including a deep appreciation for connections between physics and scientific computing, physics and engineering, or physics and mathematics, that serve to expand their career options in computer hardware/software companies, large semiconductor industries, including many non-STEM job sectors such as finance, business and health care.
The PhD is typically a five-year degree program available to qualified individuals possessing a bachelor's degree in Physics from an accredited college or university. Students with a bachelor's degree in other related subjects–e.g. Mathematics, Chemistry and Engineering–also will be considered.
The first two years of the program are very similar to the non-thesis MS program. Under normal circumstances, PhD students will meet the requirements for the MS degree after two years of study. The remaining three years will be dedicated primarily to research leading to the required dissertation.

