If you would like some direct information about our Department, please send inquiry to physics@uic.edu .
Application forms may be directly requested from the Department of Physics (see More Information below). It is the policy for admission to comply fully with all federal and state nondiscrimination and equal opportunity laws, orders, and regulations. Applicants seeking admission and financial aid are urged to send the completed application fee of $30 for a US. citizen and $40 for a foreign applicant. The department has established a policy of admitting new students only in the fall semester. Applications for the fall semester requesting financial aid must be mailed by January 15. If no financial aid is requested applications must be submitted before March 15.
Requirements
Applicants are considered on an individual basis. They must have a baccalaureate from an accredited college or university, a grade point average of at least 3.75 (A=5.00) for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study, and at least 20 semester hours of courses in physics, including Physics 401 (Electricity and Magneticism 1), 421 (Quantum Mechanics 1), and 441 (Theoretical Mechanics 1), or their equivalents. Students who have majored in fields other than physics may be admitted if they can show substantial evidence of ability to complete the program successfully. Such students will be required to take the necessary undergraduate courses without credit in order to prepare themselves for successful participation in the program. Complete transcripts of undergraduate (and any graduate) work must be submitted. The department will accept applications for nondegree status. Applicants may have to show adequate preparation to enroll in desired courses. Therefore, beyond the Graduate College minimum requirements for nondegree admission (see Admission), applicants are urged to speak with the director of graduate studies. After taking a placement exam, each student is assigned a department adviser who assists in selecting an appropriate program of course work and ensuring that all degree requirements are met.
Foreign Applicants
If a person who has completed studies outside the United States must present all postsecondary‑school credentials. Such credentials must include a record of all studies completed to date, grades or examination results received (including failing as well as passing grades), maximum and minimum grades obtainable, rank in class, degrees, diplomas and certificates earned, and length of the school year. Documents must be authentic, and those not written in English must be accompanied by certified English translations.
An applicant whose native language is not English is required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) within two years prior to admission. A minimum score of 580 is required for admission. Information on testing dates, locations, and the testing fee may be obtained at American embassies and consulate offices of the United States.
Foreign students must be able to finance themselves fully, including room and board, tuition, books, other expenses, and travel to and from the United States. Graduate foreign students may apply for fellowships, assistantships, and tuition waivers.
Foreign students granted admission receive from the Graduate Admissions Office all appropriate documents including the certification forms that are required when applying for visas to enter the United States.
Financial Aid
Graduate students, in general, receive a full waiver of tuition and fees and are eligible for financial support in the form of teaching or research assistantships. The stipends for teaching assistantships are competitive with other major universities. The duties of a teaching assistant usually involve such activities as classroom instruction, supervision of laboratory sections and grading homework and examinations. Research assistants participate in research activities under the supervision of faculty members. The official title for assistants is given as a percentage of full-time employment, with the usual offer for an entering student ranging from 33 percent to 50 percent. The 50 percent appointment for academic year 1994/95 will carry a stipend of approximately $10,000 for the nine-month academic year. Most tuition and service fees are waived for our assistants. Various other types of financial assistance such as fellowships are available each year to promising students. They are described in the Graduate Catalog.