Resources
Courses
If you are receiving a prerequisite error or otherwise need to special permission to register for a course, please submit a request for permission to enroll.
Introduction to Studio Physics at Alabama
Research and Other Opportunities
Learning Assistant Application (PDF)
Undergraduate research opportunities
Career and Grad School Resources
Professional Societies
American Physical Society (APS): Find physics job listings, education and career advice (e.g.,Why Study Physics?), upcoming workshops and meetings, and career and job-related resources.
American Astronomical Society (AAS): A professional society for astronomers offering a variety of academic and professional resources including career advice, a list of Universities offering astronomy degrees, internship opportunities, and other resources.
American Institute of Physics (AIP): Find employment data for physicists and astronomers, hiring trends, career options (PDF), and other career resources.
Society of Physics Students (SPS): A professional society for physics students offering a variety of academic and professional resources. UA has a local SPS chapter.
Women in Physics and Astronomy at UA : A society focused on recruitment, retention and mentoring of women and URM students in Physics and Astronomy.
Applying to Graduate Schools
The AIP Grad School Shopper website provides summaries of most (but not all) Physics and/or Astronomy departments in the United States including application deadlines and funding resources. Some Universities have separate departments for Physics and Astronomy so make sure to check.
Most PhD programs in Physics and Astronomy provide financial support to students via either teaching assistantships (TAs), research assistantships (RAs), or fellowships. Funding for Masters programs are not as common. Check each department website for details.
Every department will have a website that lists what you need to submit as part of your application to graduate school. At minimum, you will be asked for your undergraduate transcripts, statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendations. Some departments may require scores for tests like the GRE.
GRE and Physics GRE
Many schools require the GRE and/or the subject GRE for admission into graduate school. Both tests are administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
You can find dates and locations of tests at: Physics GRE dates
Not all universities require the Physics GRE. Here is a document which provides information on Physics GRE requirements for US/Canadian Astronomy and Physics Programs. While this list is curated by physicists and astronomers, the PGRE requirements can change so please refer to individual departments’ grad school webpages to confirm this information.
Fellowships and Scholarships for Graduate School
There are a number of federal fellowships you can apply for in your final year of undergraduate studies or during graduate school. For information on US Federal Fellowships for Graduate School, please refer to this page.
For information on private or non-profit fellowships and scholarships for Graduate School, please refer to this page.
Other Career Resources
Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC): A partnership between the American Physics Society and American Association of Physics Teachers offering support to those interested in teaching physics. See also the UA PhysTEC Program.
NASA One Stop Shopping Initiative: NASA-wide system for the recruitment, application, selection and career development of high school, undergraduate, and graduate students primarily in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.
Physics Today: Find job listings and career development tools specifically for physics majors.
Astrobetter wiki: Find information on careers, grad school, and internships/REUs. Here is a specific collection of resources on applying for graduate school. While the information is aimed at those interested in astronomy and astrophysics, it can be applied to other areas of physics.
Astrobites wiki: Astrobites is a daily astrophysical literature journal written by graduate students in astronomy since 2010. In addition to providing summaries of recent papers, many articles with resources related to academia and careers are discussed on the site. There are also other related sites like particlebites (high energy physics), softbites (on soft matter science), chembites (chemistry) and many more (links on astrobites).
- Crimson Careers: online recruiting system
- Career Guide: Information on CVs, Resumes, Statement of purpose, etc