Graduate Application

 Note about the GRE

A General GRE score with or without the Physics Subject Test may be submitted as part of the application, but is completely optional.

Graduate Students Christopher and Mel.

The Astrophysics Graduate Program only accepts applications for Fall admissions. We have limited amount of funding available to cover the application fee to the program. Priority will be given to applicants with backgrounds and experiences derived from e.g. different ethnicities, gender identities, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, veteran status, and/or disabilities. Please contact us mifa@umn.edu if you think you might qualify for these funds.

For more information on how to apply, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page, call the Institute office at (612) 624-4811, or email mifa@umn.edu.

Information on AAS microgrant program.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Physics Application

Application Process

The Astrophysics Graduate Program only accepts applications for Fall admissions.

Application to the graduate program in Astrophysics requires completion of the Graduate School application.

  • To be considered for scholarships/fellowships, applications must be completed and submitted by December 15, 2023.
  • To be considered for TA or RA support, applications must be completed and submitted by January 15, 2024.

We will have a presence at the winter AAS meeting. Contact us if you want to meet. All application materials are submitted electronically through the graduate admissions website. All correspondence regarding your application, including admission decisions, will be communicated to applicants using this system.

The following information is required:

  1. Complete the following statements. In the Material Uploads section please include:
    Description of Past Experience
    - Resumé or CV. This document should list your education, the activities you have pursued during your career until this point, your publications, and any additional credentials you may have.  Include a list of courses you have taught and at what level.
    - Research. A document describing your past experience and your future objectives. This document should be no more than two pages long. Please describe the research project(s) you have conducted in the past and your role in them.  Also, elaborate on your vision for your future as a researcher, and what your objectives are in graduate school.
    Diversity statement
    -Diversity Statement.  This document should be no more than one page in length. We want to hear anything related to issues of diversity that you think is relevant to your application. As an example, you may consider writing about how you are going to increase diversity in the department, and/or describe what you have done in the past or will do to increase diversity.
    Please remember to include research experience and any publications you may have in these statements. 
  2. TOEFL and IELTS score, if your native language is not English.
  3. Identification of three people who will write letters of recommendation.

Notes

The online application is not complete until the application fee has been paid. Your application will be reviewed upon receipt of all application materials. The School of Physics and Astronomy does not send acknowledgment upon receipt of application, nor does it send notification of missing documents. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the arrival of all necessary documents to their correct recipients.

GRE score

A General GRE score with or without the Physics Subject Test may be submitted as part of the application, but is completely optional.

Contact Information

For questions regarding your application, please contact:

Office of Admissions
The Graduate School
309 Johnston Hall
101 Pleasant Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Telephone (+1) 612-625-3014
Email: gsquest@umn.edu

Direct all other inquiries to:

Director of Graduate Studies in Astrophysics
School of Physics and Astronomy
Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics
116 Church Street SE
Minneapolis MN 55455
Telephone: (+1) 612-626-4811
Fax: (+1) 612-626-2029
Email: mifa@umn.edu