How to Apply
Application deadline, degree offerings and Physics graduate program requirements.
Degree Offerings
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Physics
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Physics with an Astrophysics Emphasis
Requirements
- Complete Online Application
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Complete the UCSB Graduate Division online application.
- Required Documents
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- Statement of Purpose
- Personal History and Diversity Statement (Your Personal History and Diversity Statement must be written in narrative (essay) form without duplicating content from your Statement of Purpose. A minimum word count of 250 words is required. There is no maximum length requirement. Most statements are typically 1-2 pages.)
- Resume or CV
All three documents are required for a complete application. All three documents are submitted online.
For more information, see the Graduate Division website. - Letters of Recommendation
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Three letters of recommendation must be submitted online.
- Official Transcripts
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You are required to upload an official transcript created by your university. This transcript will be used to review and evaluate your application.
Scan and upload all pages of your official transcript from this institution (including the grading scale, which may be on the backside of the transcript). The uploaded transcript must be produced by the university with all appropriate seals/stamps. Remove your Social Security Number by crossing/blacking out numbers before uploading (if applicable). If you have questions about whether or not a transcript is acceptable, contact your department/program directly.
Final / Official transcripts will be required for all applicants who are admitted and have indicated their intent to enroll at UC Santa Barbara by submitting a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). UC Santa Barbara reserves the right to require official transcripts at any time during the admissions process, and rescind any offer of admission made if discrepancies between uploaded and official transcript(s) are found.
- TOEFL / IELTS / Duolingo Admissions Requirements
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TOEFL 550 Paper-Based Test (PBT), 80 Internet-Based Test (iBT) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Overall Band score of 7 or higher (if applicable), or the Duolingo English Test (DET) score of 120.
Application Deadline
Our application deadline is December 15th by 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST).
Please Note
- Applications accepted for Fall quarter only.
- 2025 Applicants: GRE scores are not required and will not be accepted.
Contact
Primary Areas of Interest
Applicants are encouraged to review the research interests in the department. It is very important to indicate in your Statement of Purpose which faculty member(s) you are interested in working with and to be specific about which research areas you are interested in.
Review Faculty Profiles and Research
Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact individual faculty members whose research interests align with their own early in the application process and to list potential advisors on their applications. It is very important to indicate in your Statement of Purpose which faculty member(s) you are interested in working with and to be specific about which research areas you are interested in.
