Graduate Schools for Planetary Science
Planetary science is a dynamic and diverse discipline. Typically, research scientists earn a PhD in a field such as geology, chemistry, astronomy, physics, etc. while focusing their research in that area to planetary or solar system oriented topics. Because of the great diversity in represented fields, we have attempted to compile a list of the graduate programs which can lead to a PhD with a planetary science focus. The data are divided into groups based on location, either in the USA/Canada or International. The USA/Canada group is further subdivided by size as defined by the number of planetary science researchers at the institution based on DPS membership. The individual program entries include information on the major fields of study/research, degrees offered, and information related to applying for the particular graduate program. The information here is meant as a starting point, a first-stop to see a summary of such information all at once. Of course, if you plan to apply to any of these programs, be sure to contact them directly in order to get the most up-to-date details. In general, application deadlines are in December for admission to the program in the following Fall semester and will typically require GRE scores at the time of the application, so plan ahead!
While the list is extensive, it is most likely not comprehensive and we are always happy to add programs as we find out about them. If you have any additions, corrections, or additional information, please email us! — David Klassen, Sanlyn Buxner
If you would like information about obtaining career advice, see the DPS MentorNet program.
This spreadsheet lists open MS/PhD positions in planetary science starting in the Fall of the next academic year. If you are faculty and would like to be added to this list, please fill out the form here.
| Institution | Department | Size | ||||||
| Aberystwyth University | Physics | International | ||||||
| Arizona State University | School of Earth and Space Exploration | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| Boston University | Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Brigham Young University, Provo | Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Brown University | Planetary Geosciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| California Institute of Technology | Geological and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| Catholic University of America | Institute for Astrophysics and Computational Science | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Clemson University | Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Colorado School of Mines | Geophysics | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Cornell University | Astronomy | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| Curtin University | School of Earth & Planetary Sciences (Space Science & Technology Centre) | International | ||||||
| Florida Institute of Technology | Physics and Space Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| George Mason University | Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Georgia Institute of Technology | School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Hampton University | Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Harvard University | Earth and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Howard University | Atmospheric Science | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Howard University | Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Institutet För Rymdfysik | Swedish Institute of Space Physics | International | ||||||
| Johns Hopkins University | Earth and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Kansas University | Physics | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Keele University | Astrophysics Group | International | ||||||
| Kyung Hee University | Astronomy and Space Science | International | ||||||
| Leiden University | Leiden Observatory | International | ||||||
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| Michigan State University | Earth and Environmental Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| New Mexico State University | Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| New Mexico Tech | Physics | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Northern Arizona University | Astronomy & Planetary Science | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Northwestern University | Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Princeton University | Astrophysical Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Purdue University | Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Rice University | Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Stanford University | Planetary Science Program | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| SUNY Stony Brook | Geosciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| SUNY Stony Brook | Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Texas Tech University | Geosciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| The Australian National University | Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics | International | ||||||
| Universidad de Chile | Astronomia | International | ||||||
| University College London | Astrophysics Group | International | ||||||
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | Geophysical Institute | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Arizona | Lunar and Planetary Laboratory | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of Arkansas | Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of British Columbia | Institute of Planetary Science | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of California Berkeley | Astronomy | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of California Berkeley | Earth and Planetary Science | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of California Davis | Earth and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of California Los Angeles | Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of California Los Angeles | Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of California Los Angeles | Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of California Riverside | Earth and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of California Santa Cruz | Earth and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of California Santa Cruz | Astronomy and Astrophysics | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Cambridge | Institute for Astronomy | International | ||||||
| University of Canterbury | Physics and Astronomy | International | ||||||
| University of Central Florida | Planetary Sciences Group | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of Chicago | Astronomy and Astrophysics | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Chicago | Geophysical Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Colorado | Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences; Physics; Geological Sciences; Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Aerospace Engineering; Chemistry | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of Florida, Gainesville | Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Göttingen | Solar System School | International | ||||||
| University of Hawaii | Institute for Astronomy | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of Hawaii | Institute of Geophysics and Planetology | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of Idaho | Physics | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Earth Science & Environmental Change | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Iowa | Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Leicester | Physics & Astronomy | International | ||||||
| University of Manchester | Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics | International | ||||||
| University of Manitoba | Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Maryland, College Park | Astronomy | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Michigan | Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of Minnesota | School of Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of New Hampshire | Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Oxford | Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics | International | ||||||
| University of Pittsburgh | Geology and Environmental Science | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of St. Andrews | School of Physics and Astronomy | International | ||||||
| University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Texas, Arlington | Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Texas, Austin | Astronomy Program | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of Texas, Austin | Geological Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Texas, San Antonio/Southwest Research Institute | Physics & Astronomy | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of Tokyo | Earth and Planetary Science | International | ||||||
| University of Toledo | Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Toronto | Astronomy and Astrophysics | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Virginia | Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| University of Washington | Astronomy | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| University of Washington | Earth and Space Sciences | USA-Canada Large | ||||||
| Vanderbilt University | Physics & Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Washington University in St Louis | Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Wesleyan University | Planetary Sciences Group | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Western University | Earth Science; Physics & Astronomy; Engineering; Health Sciences; Law | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Yale University | Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| Yale University | Earth and Planetary Sciences | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
| York University | Earth and Space Science and Engineering; Physics and Astronomy | USA-Canada Medium | ||||||
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