Interested in Applying?  Visit the MSU Graduate Application Portal!

 

Our research groups are small (just the right size!) so that students receive time and attention from the faculty. Yet we have all the resources of a major R1 research university. This enables a broad range of services and facilities so that our graduate students can excel in their research.

Graduate student in front of equipment

Your first year of graduate study is designed so you can engage in research early, and we partner with university housing – the most affordable option in our town. We are also known for our abundant outdoor recreation – our graduate students (and faculty) often have their best ideas while hiking, skiing, or fishing in Montana’s beautiful landscape.

Our students embark on a wide range of careers after they finish their degree. Including teaching at a college or university, product development in industry, research at a national lab, or starting up their own company.

  • Degrees Offered: M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics
  • Faculty & Students: Over 30 faculty members maintain close engagement with 60+ graduate students and postdoc researchers.
  • Research & Facilities: The department boasts state-of-the-art labs, a research-grade machine shop, and high-performance computing (including quantum computers).

Research Areas & Collaborative Programs

  • Key Focus Areas: Research spans astrophysics, extreme gravity, solar and space physics, condensed matter, optics & lasers, quantum systems, and physics education.
  • Notable Institutes: Students engage with facilities such as the eXtreme Gravity Institute, Spectrum Lab, Optical Technology Center, Space Science & Engineering Lab, the Montana Quantum Foundry, and QCORE

Course Offerings

Courses in advanced topics such as General Relativity, Non-Linear Optics, Magnetohydrodynamics, Black Hole Theory, Quantum Field Theory, Condensed Matter, and Astrophysics are offered in addition to the core graduate physics curriculum. A complete list of courses being offered can be found on our course offerings page.

 

Here are some useful links: 

Interested in Applying?  Visit our Online Application Portal!