Application Procedures

To apply to our Physics graduate program you must use CSU's web-based application. Please note that there are two parts. Graduate applicants must complete Part II, the Graduate Supplemental Application. You should include in the web-based application a Statement of Purpose containing your work experience, academic interests, career plans, and honors received. The Statement should include a description of relevant teaching, research, and other efforts that you have engaged in, that will assist the Department in evaluating your application.

If you have not already done so, please request that GRE scores be reported from ETS to Colorado State University. (The University code is 4075; Departmental code is 0808.) Foreign applicants should request that TOEFL examination scores be reported from ETS to Colorado State University as well (using the University code of 4075). IELTS scores should be mailed to Office of Admissions, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA.

The following materials should be sent directly to the Physics Department:

• Two copies of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. (However, Colorado State University transcripts are not required.) Foreign applicants must also submit a certified translation into English from each institution attended; such documents must show courses and final examinations taken, marks received for each year, and a degree statement for any degree awarded.
• Three letters of recommendation. There is no specific form for these letters, but please ask your recommendors to write on letterhead paper.

Graduate Admissions Committee
Department of Physics
1875 Campus Delivery
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523
U.S.A.

Applications should be received by February 1 in order to guarantee full consideration for the following Fall Semester. Applications received after February 1 will be considered until all positions are filled.

General Requirements for Admission

In order to be enrolled as a graduate student at CSU you must hold an "acceptable" undergraduate degree; for domestic students a bachelor's degree from any accredited institution will suffice, but foreign students should see below.

We do not require an undergraduate (or M.S.) degree in Physics for admission, but students holding other degrees should anticipate extra time in coursework.

The Physics Department requires either the General GRE or the Physics GRE examination.

Special Requirements for Foreign Students

The Graduate School, not our department, decides how degrees from other countries are treated for the purposes of graduate admissions. In most cases, foreign undergraduate degrees are treated as the equivalent of U.S. Bachelor's degrees, and likewise for Master's degrees.

However, there are a few exceptions, which are due to the fact that U.S. undergraduate programs are nominally four-year courses of study. In particular, three-year undergraduate degrees from India are presently not considered equivalent to U.S. Bachelor's degrees, and we cannot admit students holding such degrees into our graduate program: either a four-year Bachelor's or a five-year Master's degree from India is required. But some three-year undergraduate degrees (such as those from the U.K.) are treated as equivalent to U.S. Bachelor's; so if you have any questions please contact us for clarification before applying to our program.

Another consideration that applies only to foreign students is the need to demonstrate compentency in written and spoken English. Unless English is your native language or you have a degree from an institution in a country in which English is the national language, you will need to take the TOEFL or IELTS exam. The minimum TOEFL score acceptable to the University for admission is 80 (internet based)/215 (computer exam)/550 (paper exam). The minimum acceptable IELTS score is 6.0. We strongly prefer TOEFL scores of at least 100 (internet based)/250 (computer)/600 (paper), or an IELTS score of 7.0, particularly for students who will be serving as teaching assistants.

The University minimum scores can be waived, provisionally, with the requirement that the student enters the Intensive English Program upon matriculation; however, we usually would not offer support as a teaching assistant under those conditions.