Graduate Education
These publications and reports cover issues concerning graduate physics and astronomy education, and degree production at US universities.
They provide current data and historic trends for enrollments and degree production, including student demographics, educational experiences and
post degree plans. Included are the results of a survey of physics and astronomy graduate students and an evaluation of the impact of visa
regulations in the post-9/11 era. There is also a report describing the characteristics that distinguish a professional master's degree program
from a more traditional, academic master's degree program.
How to cite and extract our data
US Physics Degrees Reach an All-Time High
2011 Roster of Physics Departments (August 2012)
The most current enrollment and degree data for each degree-granting physics department in the US.
Academic year 2010-11 produced more physics bachelor's and more physics PhDs than in any other year in US history.
Current Report
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Archive of Rosters
2011 Roster of Astronomy Departments (August 2012)
The most current enrollment and degree data for each degree-granting astronomy department in the US.
The academic year 2010-11 also produced more astronomy bachelor's than in any other time in US history.
Current Report
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Archive of Rosters
focus on First Year Physics Graduate Students: Characteristics and Background (August 2012)
This focus on presents findings from the 2008 and 2010 surveys of First-Year Graduate Students. This focus on is part of a series
that also covers astronomy graduate enrollments.
focus on Astronomy Enrollments and Degrees (December 2011)
The trend data in this report includes astronomy enrollments from both fall 2009 and 2010 fall and astronomy degrees at the bachelor's, master's and
doctorate levels from the classes of 2009 and 2010. In addition to presenting enrollments and degrees trends, it also examines issues of gender and
citizenship.
focus on Physics Graduate Degrees (July 2011)
This report presents findings from the annual survey of Enrollments and Degrees and the Degree Recipient Follow-up Survey. The trend data detailed
in this focus on include PhDs and master's degrees from the class of 2008. In addition to degree trends we also examine issues of gender,
citizenship and race. This focus on is part of a series that covers astronomy enrollments and degrees, physics enrollments, and physics
undergraduate degrees.
focus on Physics & Astronomy Master’s Initial Employment (April 2011)
This report presents the characteristics and initial outcomes of exiting master’s degree recipients in physics and astronomy. The report covers
the degree classes of 2006, 2007 and 2008. The status of exiting physics master’s varied greatly by the citizenship of the degree recipient.
The majority of US citizens entered or remained in the workforce after receiving their degrees, where the majority of non-US citizens continued
with graduate study in physics or another field. Of the physics master’s in the workforce, about half were employed in the private sector, with
a vast majority working in a STEM field.
focus on Physics Enrollments (February 2011)
This focus on presents findings from the annual survey of Enrollments and Degrees. The trend data in this report include undergraduate and
graduate level enrollments from the fall of 2008. It also includes breakdowns by both gender and citizenship for the graduate level enrollments.
focus on Graduate Physics Enrollments and
Degrees (January 2010)
Physics graduate students up 33% in 8 years. This focus on presents findings from the annual survey of Enrollments and Degrees. The trend
data detailed in this focus on include graduate enrollments from the fall of 2007 and graduate degrees from the class of 2007. In addition
to presenting enrollments and degrees trends, it also examines issues of gender and citizenship. This focus on is part of a series that
also covers astronomy and undergraduate-level physics enrollments and degrees.
Core and Breadth in Physics Doctoral Education
This report presents the results of a survey conducted for the APS/AAPT Task Force on Graduate Education. Physics departments that grant PhDs
report on core requirements in their curriculum and the steps they take to ensure breadth of knowledge in physics. Other topics include the
extent to which departments use a comprehensive exam and the topics covered by such an exam, requirements about training in ethics, and the
effect of interdisciplinary programs on traditional core requirements.
Full Report
Physics Students From Abroad: Monitoring the Continuing Impact of Visa Problems
This 12 page report documents the impact of visa regulations on international students in US physics graduate programs during the Fall of 2004.
It quantifies the number of first-year international students who enrolled and the proportion who were denied entrance or substantially delayed
due to visa difficulties. The report describes changes in visa denial rates and international student enrollment patterns compared to two years
earlier. It also discusses the visa problems experienced by non-US citizen faculty, postdocs and previously enrolled students when they tried
to return from travel abroad.
Highlights (HTML) |
Highlights
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Full report
Physics Students From Abroad in the Post-9/11 Era
A look at the impact of new visa regulations in the post-9/11 era on students from other countries.
Highlights (HTML) |
Highlights
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Full Report
Programs that match every interest- MS degrees in physics (2005)
This report updates the discussion about differences between professional masters programs and traditional academic masters programs. The
report identifies and describes the features of Sloan-Funded Professional Sciences Masters in physics, the strongest Professional Masters
Programs in physics, new and small Professional Masters Programs, and accredited programs in Medical Physics.
Full Report (HTML)
Additional websites of interest
Professional Masters programs
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