Graduate Program

News:

Warncke group in the lab Welcome to the Department of Physics Graduate Program web page! The Graduate Program offers students a comprehensive graduate education in physics and the opportunity to engage in research with internationally-recognized groups. We offer the Ph.D. in Physics, M.S. in Physics, and a combined Physics Ph.D./Computational Science M.S. degree. The size of our program engenders collegial interactions among students, faculty and staff. We are located in the Mathematics & Science Center (built in 2002), where state-of-the-art research, teaching, and support facilities augment our strong commitment to graduate education.

Research. The research in the Department is focused in three principal areas, which are currently among the most active in the
basic and applied sciences.

  • Biophysics investigates problems at the interface of physical and life sciences. Experimental molecular biophysics addresses the contributions of molecular structure and dynamics to biological function. Spectroscopic investigations of catalysis in metalloenzymes use steady-state and time-resolved techniques of electron paramagnetic resonance, Mössbauer and transient optical absorption spectroscopies. Experimental approaches to elucidating cellular and biomolecular processes use high-sensitivity fluorescence methods, including fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer and single molecule particle tracking and magnetic tweezers techniques are used to study nucleic acid structure and protein-DNA interactions. In theoretical biophysics, statistical physics is used to understand how biological systems, from molecular circuits and single neurons, to brains and populations learn from their surrounding environments and respond to it.

  • Experimental Condensed Matter Physics is conducted on soft matter as well as solid state systems. For the solid state, nanoscale systems, surfaces and interfaces are investigated. Studies include nanoscale magnetic (spintronic) devices, strongly correlated electronic materials, and surfaces of topological insulators, by using a combination of electronic and optical techniques. Research on soft matter addresses the properties of materials that display both fluid and solid behavior (“complex fluids”). It examines the connection between microscopic and macroscopic properties. Microscopy techniques are used to study phase transitions in colloidal systems. Light scattering, rheology, thermal imaging and microfluidics are used to investigate fluid dynamics and multi-phase flow. Experiments on polymers concern the glass transition, structural relaxation, and nanoscale interactions in polymers that affect dynamics at and near interfaces.

  • Theoretical And Computational Statistical Physics addresses equilibrium and nonequilibrium properties of condensed matter. Theoretical and computational work investigates the emergence of complex collective behavior, pattern formation under far from equilibrium conditions, the glass transition, fracture propagation, dynamical synchronization in complex networks, self-organized criticality, optimization, nonequilibrium growth phenomena, fractals, and kinetic roughening of surfaces and interfaces. Theoretical and computational methods are also being applied to problems in biological physics, including vascularization, dynamics of molecular motors, morphogenesis, and intracellular active transport and jamming.

Physics researchers benefit from close interdisciplinary interactions and collaborative opportunities with other graduate programs and research centers at the University. The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science is also located in the Math and Science Center Building, and the Department of Chemistry and the Emerson Center for Scientific Computation are located across the street. Researchers that are part of Emory's renowned School of Medicine are a short walk away.

Weeks group in the lab Teaching. Participation in Emory's Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunity (TATTO) Program for three semesters introduces students to current pedagogical techniques and practices. Students gain first-hand experience by being instructors for one of our undergraduate laboratory courses, and by working closely with a faculty member as a co-teacher for one semester in a Physics lecture course. Other teaching opportunities are available on a competitive basis (PRISM and ORDER).

Students. Our students are drawn from around the world. The graduate student offices and work spaces in the Math & Science Center are exceptional, and each student receives a computer for their desk. The Physics graduate-student-run Young Emory Physicists Club organizes Department get-togethers, as well as student events on campus and around the Atlanta area. In addition to the research opportunities in Physics, and Emory's outstanding academic reputation, students are attracted by the multitude of cultural and recreational activities offered by Atlanta, a progressive, cosmopolitan city that is described aptly as the "Jewel of the South". The area around Emory is easily accessible with free Emory shuttles and excellent public transportation, and it features affordable housing near Atlanta's prestigious Druid Hills neighborhood.

Tuition, Stipend and Merit Awards. Graduate students receive comprehensive funding, including a competitive stipend ($22,500 for 12 months) plus full tuition coverage, Emory's student health insurance, and conference travel support. These awards are renewed each year, contingent upon satisfactory academic performance. Eligible applicants are nominated for the George W. Woodruff Fellowship or the Emory Graduate Diversity Fellowship, two school-wide fellowships that recognize outstanding candidates for admission. Exceptionally qualified physics graduate students with research interests related to population dynamics and human health may be considered for admission with a fellowship under the interdisciplinary Molecules to Mankind (M2M) program at Emory, supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Only a few additional admission requirements apply.

Applying to the Program.

  • The online application form is available through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
  • The application deadline for Fall 2013 entry is January 3, 2013.
  • The Graduate School application requires the GRE General Test Scores for all students and the TOEFL test score for international students.
  • The Physics GRE Subject Test is optional.

More Details. Detailed information about the Graduate Program is available through the links at the top of this page. If you desire more information about the Program, please contact us by email (asc@physics.emory.edu), and if you are in the Atlanta area, let us know. We will be happy to introduce you to faculty, students, staff and facilities.

Stefan Boettcher
Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies

Physics Theoretical Statistical and Computational Physics groupCorrespondence and Information

Calvin Jackson
Program Development Coordinator
Department of Physics
Emory University
N201 Mathematics and Science Center
400 Dowman Drive
Atlanta, GA 30322-2430

(404) 727-8037 Voice
(404) 727-0873 FAX

asc@physics.emory.edu