Physics & Astronomy

We encourage all who are seriously contemplating coming to BYU for graduate work to download and read the Guide for Applying to Graduate Study. This booklet is published by the BYU Office of Graduate Studies and contains the latest information. The information below summarizes the important point of this document but is not as complete.

Prospective students apply online as either U.S. citizens or international applicants. The application deadline is January 15 of each year. New students are normally accepted in March and begin their studies in the Fall Semester.

Requirements for admission are set by the university and by the Physics and Astronomy Department. These requirements are:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited university
• A GPA of 3.0 or greater in the last 60 credit hours of upper-level course work
• A GRE advanced physics score. A GRE general test score is strongly encouraged but not required.
• An agreement to live by the university honor code. This agreement, called the "ecclesiastical endorsement", must be signed by the applicant's bishop if they are LDS, his or her own denominational leader if they are non-LDS, or by the university chaplain. This must be done before the applicant can be officially admitted to the university

Both GRE scores are required of all applicants and will not be waived. However, no minimum score is required for acceptance into the graduate program.

All applicants, including international, must submit an ecclesiastical endorsement before being officially admitted to the university.

A checklist for application is available here and also at the end of the Guide for Applying to Graduate Study.

Teaching assistantships usually include assignments to tutor or mentor undergraduate students. Therefore the Department requires that students have good English verbal skills. To assess this a recorded telephone conversion may be required before any final admission decision is made on students whose native language is not English. The department will initiate these telephone calls (and therefore pay for them). In order to be able to arrange these telephone calls, applicants in foreign countries are required to provide an e-mail address where they can be contacted.

International students must meet additional requirements specified by the US government and by BYU. Specifically they must:

• Exceed the minimum score in either the TOEFL or IELTS exams
• Send all transcripts, diplomas, and other relevant information to one of the following for a credential evaluation: ECE, IERF, or WES.
• Provide proof of financial support.
• Satisfy all other requirements for an extended stay as a student in the United States.

A checklist for international applicants is available as a guide. See International Services for more information. Please note that all International students must check in at the international services office at 1351 WSC immediately after arriving on campus.

As stated above, all applicants, including international, must receive an ecclesiastical endorsement before being officially admitted to the university. Any applicant having a difficult time obtaining an ecclesiastical endorsement in their home country should email the graduate program international staff, Meg or Sarah, at INTL@byu.edu to arrange a personal or telephone interview with the university chaplain.

Upon admission, a faculty member is assigned to each student as their academic sponsor. This sponsor often does not continue as their Advisory Committee Chair, but rather is appointed to be a useful resource in the first weeks of a student's graduate life. This sponsor will orient the student to the Department, advise regarding registration details, introduce them to faculty members, and help in identifying possible faculty advisors in their area of interest.

Brigham Young University exists to provide a university education in an atmosphere consistent with the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This atmosphere is preserved through commitment to conduct that reflects those ideals and principles.

Students, staff, and faculty of Brigham Young University are expected to demonstrate in daily living on and off campus their commitment to the BYU Honor Code and all moral virtues encompassed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and will:

• Be honest
• Adhere to the BYU Residential Living Standards
• Respect others
• Obey the law and university policy
• Support others in their commitment to comply with the BYU Honor Code
• Use clean language
• Live a chaste and virtuous life
• Adhere to the BYU Dress and Grooming Standards
• Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse.

We welcome students of all faiths. Many non-LDS students credit the honor code for creating an environment that was more conducive to intellectual and spiritual growth than would have been possible otherwise.