Since its inception, the Physics Department at UC San Diego has been counted among the leading departments in the country. The faculty includes 9 members of the National Academy of Science, 13 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and 2 fellows of the Royal Society of London. Faculty members have received many prestigious prizes including the National Medal of Science, Fermi Prize, E. O. Lawrence Prize, Compton Prize, Maxwell Prize, Heinemann Prize, Buckley Prize, Warner Prize, APS Biophysics Prize, and London Prize. Research activity occurs in an unusually broad range of areas. Substantial groups work in:
The wide range of research interests represented in the department is reflected in its association with a number of campus research institutes and centers: the Center for Astrophysics and Space Science (CASS), the Center for Magnetic Recording Research (CMRR), the Institute for Nonlinear Science (INLS), and the Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences (IPAPS), among others. Interdisciplinary collaborations with colleagues in other natural science and engineering departments, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the School of Medicine, are common. Weekly colloquia and seminars promote social interaction while introducing participants to a wide range of forefront research.
Departmental facilities include excellent electronics and machine shops, a liquid He facility, and extensive computing facilities. Additional computing support is available from the campus-based San Diego Supercomputing Center (SDSC). The campus libraries maintain a superb collection of books and journals in physics and related fields.
A flexible program, consisting of coursework, research apprenticeships, teaching experience, and thesis research, permits students to emphasize their special interests while simultaneously providing a broad, advanced education. Graduate students are typically supported by a combination of research fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships.
Applications for graduate study are due by February 2nd for the following Fall Quarter.