The application process and many admissions requirements are set by the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies. The Physics and Astronomy program reviews all applications and makes recommendations on admissions and support packages.

To obtain the necessary application forms for admission to the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies and Physics and Astronomy program, please go to the Rutgers School of Graduate Studies web page (https://grad.rutgers.edu/admissions) to access the on-line applications and admissions information.

If you cannot access the application materials on-line, you can request them from:

Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
56 College Ave
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, U.S.A.
848-932-7711

If the above methods fail, or if you have questions, you can contact us at:

Graduate Director
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Rutgers University
136 Frelinghuysen Road
Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8019 USA
Telephone: (848) 445-8765
Fax: (732) 445-4343
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (don’t forget to include your return email address!)

The application process is described at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/apply/application-guidelines. Your application fee and materials must be submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions.

Application fees are not generally waived by SGS or by the department - we have no budget for this. But there are various fee waiver programs, e.g., FreeApp, for "for students who possess qualities and experiences that enhance the diversity of the intellectual, cultural, and social environments at Big Ten Academic Alliance universities." See https://www.btaa.org/resources-for/students/freeapp/introduction for information. There is further information on the program and how to ask for a waiver from SGS at https://grad.rutgers.edu/diversity-and-outreach/prospective-graduate-students in the section "Fee Waivers". SGS also allows fee deferrals. If these options are insufficient for your needs, contact us at the email above.

Supplementary materials (letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.) should also be sent to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. Please be sure to ask that supplementary material indicates that you are applying to the Physics and Astronomy program. Most materials, including letters of recommendation, can now be submitted on-line.

Starting with admissions for fall 2022, the Physics and Astronomy GRE requirements are:

  • The Physics and General GREs are optional for astronomy applicants.
  • The Physics and General GREs are preferred for physics applicants.

For those students who wish to take the GREs and submit scores with their applications, to ensure that the GRE scores are promptly reported to our Admissions Committee, we recommend that applicants for September admissions should take the GRE tests in the previous October. Scores from the previous December tests can also be considered. For January admissions, we recommend that applicants take the August GRE tests.

International applicants should review the School of Graduate Studies admissions information webpage at https://grad.rutgers.edu/admissions/international-students. The webpage includes information on many topics, including the requirement for either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the  International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests - international students whose undergraduate or M.S. instruction was in English are exempt from the TOEFL. About half of the students in the graduate program are international students. We strongly recommend, if you decide to come to Rutgers, that you take advantage of their experience and advice as you prepare to come to Rutgers.

An undergraduate degree with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better in undergraduate courses is normally required for admission. There is no requirement on the time it took to earn the undergraduate degree. Admissions decisions are based on the undergraduate record, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and possibly GRE examination scores. The review process generally starts by mid January with the first admissions offers being made about the end of January. Generally final decisions are made before April 15 on all completed applications received by January. While late applications may be considered, admission and financial support depend on availability of positions. In order to receive full consideration for financial aid, applicants should submit all materials (application, transcripts, and letters of recommendation) before January 1 for fall admission and before November 1 for spring admission.