Department of Physics Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Wake Forest University

Research Opportunities Abound in Wake Forest University's Department of Physics, Which Has State-of-the-Art Facilities

Graduate students at Wake Forest take advantage of several research opportunities on campus when not in class or conducting experiments related to a specific course. Choices in fields of research within the Department of Physics include: biophysics; condensed matter; nanotechnology and nanophysics; organic electronics, gravitation, field theory, and particle physics; optical and laser physics; computational physics; and physics of medicine. Many campus researchers are featured in peer-reviewed journals and other respected publications in the field of physics.

All graduate students in the Department of Physics, regardless of whether they are pursuing a Ph.D. or M.S. degree, conduct their own research pertinent to their field of study, in accord with their thesis and dissertation.

Physics professionals the world over are repeatedly impressed by the facilities utilized on the campus of Wake Forest, which also offers state-of-the-art equipment for graduate students to further their studies. The Olin Physical Laboratory is used for both teaching and research in the graduate program, and provides several areas ideal for individual study times. The Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials is the newest addition to the campus's research facilities, and features over 6,000 square feet of space used by students, the local community, and industrial partners.

The program in Structural and Computational Biology offers physics students many benefits, such as a range of first rate imaging and microscopy instruments (atomic force, confocal fluorescence and electron microscopes), X-ray diffraction laboratory, biomolecular computing and graphics facility, biomolecular resource facility, and protein NMR and mass spectrometry equipment. Any student requiring vast amounts of computation for their research will become familiar with the DEAC Linux cluster computer network that is also used for teaching purposes. Irradiation equipment, and several spectrophotometers are all found within the department.

Admission to the Graduate Program Offers Students Several Financial Aid, Scholarship, and Fellowship Opportunities

In order to apply for WFU's graduate program in physics, a student must use the online portal to submit both the application and associated fee. Every application must include three letters of reference, official transcripts, GRE scores, and TOEFL results for international students.

When graduate students are admitted, they are automatically considered for financial aid opportunities. Typically, all admitted students receive tuition waivers, research or teaching fellowships ($ 20,000 in 2010/11), health insurance and a fully loaded Lenovo laptop computer. Scholarships such as the Dean's fellowship, the Hearst minority fellowship, and external fellowships further enhance the fellowships.

Interdisciplinary Research, Close Relationships with Faculty and Special Graduate Degree Programs Invite Students to WFU

WFU has been ranked highly by various reviewers for high graduation rates, notable achievements by alumni, interdisciplinary research opportunities and accomplishments, and the ability of students to work closely with the faculty. Several special programs within the Department of Physics allow PhD and MS candidates the opportunity to take advantage of these impressive characteristics.

A degree in structural and computational biophysics is made available to both PhD and MS students looking for a more specialized study area. A program in medical physics allows students to collaborate with and work under faculty members from the School of Medicine.

Finally, the fastest-growing area of physics, computational physics, offers students a unique opportunity to pursue a joint degree with a Master of Science in Computer Science (MS) and a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD). This option is available to students whose research involves extensive computational tasks, so they can earn credit for this expertise learned during their studies.

Wake Forest University Offers a Premium Liberal Arts Education with an Emphasis on Research in the Town of Winston-Salem

Wake Forest University is a small liberal arts college located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and is known for small faculty-student ratios combined with stellar research programs. Wake Forest is ranked among the top 25 (top 5%) of tier-1 national doctoral universities (US News & World Report). Student life on campus frequently centers on the NCAA Division I varsity sports teams with the mascot known as the Demon Deacons.

When not cheering their teams on, students will frequently take advantage of the evening shuttle service from campus to downtown Winston-Salem. Here, it's quite easy to see a movie, catch a play or live music performance, go shopping, or enjoy a meal at one of the many area restaurants.

Outside of town, the many natural wonders of North Carolina abound. A two-hour drive brings students to the Blue Ridge Mountain range, where ski resorts cater to weekend guests all winter long. Summer months present a unique opportunity to explore the mountains or the beaches of both South and North Carolina, located only four hours away from WFU.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
  Master of Science (MS)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees Not reported
• Doctoral Degrees 4
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? Yes
• Evening/weekend programs available? No
• Distance learning programs available? No
• Terminal master's degree available? No

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Required
• Doctoral Degrees Required and Required
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied46
• Accepted15
• Acceptance Rate32%
• Enrolled10
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $60
• Application Fee - International $60
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Not Reported
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline January 15th January 15th Not Reported
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's DegreesGRE General Test
• Doctoral's DegreesGRE General Test
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required, TOEFL iBT

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *Not Reported
• Out-of-state tuition *Not Reported
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year feesNot Reported
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsJanuary 15
• Types of financial support availableFellowships, Research Assitantships, Teaching Assistantships, Tuition Waivers, Financial Support for Part-time Students, Scholarship and/or loans, Graduate Assistantships

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students27
• Female Percentage15%
• Male Percentage85%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students27
• Part-time Percentage4%
• Full-time Percentage96%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino0%
• Black / African American0%
• White / Caucasian100%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native0%
• Asian0%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races0%
• Unknown0%

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty24
• Full-time Percentage88%
• Part-time Percentage12%
• Female Percentage12%
• Male Percentage88%