Field Studied: Atmospheres

University of Colorado

Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences; Physics; Geological Sciences; Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Aerospace Engineering; Chemistry
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Astrobiology, Atmospheres, Dust, Exoplanets, Instrumentation, Interiors, Ionospheres, Magnetospheres, Mars, Planetary Dynamics, Rings, Surfaces
URL: https://lasp.colorado.edu/our-expertise/science/planetary-lunar/
State/Province: CO
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA:
General GRE Required: Yes
Subject GRE Required: Physics required for some departments
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 20  (7 APS, 3 Phys, 3 Geo, 1 AaOS, 5 AE, 1 Chem) 
Planetary Researchers: 20
Students: ~50 across all departments
Admission Percentage: ~20%
Nearby Research Institutions: SWRI, SSI, UCAR
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: Yes, varies with department
Fall Application Deadline: 15 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: http://lasp.colorado.edu/planetary/departments.html
Notes: 21 Jan deadline for international admission; for further information, see also http://www.colorado.edu/aps/ and http://www.colorado.edu/aps/prospective-students

University of Central Florida

Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Planetary Sciences Group
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Asteroids, Astrobiology, Atmospheres, Brown Dwarfs, Comets, Dust, Exoplanets, In-Situ Resource Utilization, Infrared Astronomy, Kuiper Belt Objects, Mars, Meteorites, Moon, Optical Astronomy, Planet Formation, Planetary Evolution, Planetary Science, Remote Sensing, Rings, Small Bodies, Space Plasma Physics, Space Science, Spacecraft Development, Surfaces
URL: http://planets.ucf.edu/
State/Province: FL
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 13
Planetary Researchers: 13
Students: 33
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: UCF Florida Space Institute, UCF CREOL, NASA Kennedy Space Center
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loan
Fall Application Deadline: 01 Dec (domestic priority and all international), 01 Jul (domestic)
Spring Application Deadline: 01 Jul (international), 01 Dec (domestic)
Admissions URL: https://graduate.ucf.edu/admissions/
Notes:

University of Canterbury

Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Display Category: International
Field Studied: Atmospheres, Exoplanets, Ionospheres
URL: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/study/academic-study/science/science-schools-and-departments/school-of-physical-and-chemical-sciences/study-in-the-school-of-physical-and-chemical-sciences/study-astronomy
State/Province:
Country: New Zealand
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.3
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations:
Faculty: 4
Planetary Researchers: 1
Students:
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: Via scholarships with independent application https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/study/getting-started/scholarships/postgraduate-scholarships
Fall Application Deadline: 01 May
Spring Application Deadline: 01 Dec
Admissions URL: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/communities/postgraduates
Notes: Must have masters to apply for PhD; Semester 1 is "spring"

University of California Santa Cruz

Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Atmospheres, Interiors, Magnetospheres, Planet Formation, Surfaces
URL: http://eps.ucsc.edu/
State/Province: CA
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: Yes
Subject GRE Required: No
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 21
Planetary Researchers: 4
Students: 36
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: NASA Ames, SETI, USGS Menlo Park
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: Yes (In general, our admitted students are fully funded through fellowships, teaching assistantships, and/or research assitantships.) 
Fall Application Deadline: 05 Jan
Spring Application Deadline:
Admissions URL: https://eps.ucsc.edu/graduate/appl-adm.html
Notes:

University of California Berkeley

Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Earth and Planetary Science
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Astrobiology, Atmospheres, Exoplanets, Geochemistry, Geology, Geophysics, Planet Formation
URL: http://eps.berkeley.edu/
State/Province: CA
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: No
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 32
Planetary Researchers: 9
Students: 65
Admission Percentage: ~5%
Nearby Research Institutions: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Lawrence Livermore National Lab
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: In general, admitted students are fully funded, through fellowships and grants, teaching assistant, or research assistant opportunities
Fall Application Deadline: 4 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: http://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/apply/
Notes:

University of Arkansas

Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Astrobiology, Atmospheres, Instrumentation, Spacecraft Development, Surfaces
URL: http://spacecenter.uark.edu/
State/Province: AR
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: Recommended
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 2
Faculty: 17
Planetary Researchers: 17
Students: 18
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: GA awarded by department
Fall Application Deadline: 15 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: 30 Sep
Admissions URL: https://graduate-students.uark.edu/admissions/index.php
Notes:

University of Arizona

Last modified: April 1, 2025
Department: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Asteroids, Astrobiology, Atmospheres, Comets, Cosmochemistry, Exoplanets, Geochemistry, Interiors, Mars, Meteorites, Moon, Optical Astronomy, Planet Formation, Planetary Dynamics, Planetary Evolution, Planetary Science, Small Bodies, Space Plasma Physics, Surfaces, Volcanology
URL: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu
State/Province: AZ
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA: N/A
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: N/A
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 35
Planetary Researchers: 35
Students: 48
Admission Percentage: 12%
Nearby Research Institutions: Planetary Science Institute; National Optical Astronomy Observatory; University of Arizona Depts. of Astronomy/Steward Observatory, Atmospheric Sciences, Geosciences; College of Optical Sciences; College of Engineering; Biosphere 2
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: Up to five (5) years of financial support towards completion of the Ph.D. (GRA or GTA)
Fall Application Deadline: 13 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/admissions
Notes: Applicants should have completed an undergraduate major in a physical science such as astronomy, atmospheric sciences, chemistry, geology, mathematics, or physics. However, admission is based on the overall demonstrated capability and preparation of the applicant.

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Geophysical Institute
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Atmospheres, Geophysics, Volcanology
URL: http://www.gi.alaska.edu/
State/Province: AK
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: Yes
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 69
Planetary Researchers: 1
Students: 21
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: RAs and TAs are awarded to qualified graduate students by each department or program; contact the department or program directly for information
Fall Application Deadline: 01 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: 15 Oct
Admissions URL: https://www.uaf.edu/admissions/apply/
Notes:

University College London

Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Astrophysics Group
Display Category: International
Field Studied: Atmospheres, Exoplanets, Geology
URL: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/star/
State/Province:
Country: United Kingdom
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.3
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 2
Faculty: 22
Planetary Researchers: 10
Students: 46
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: Several ~3.5-year departmental studentships available for UK candidates; overseas candidates may apply for centralised UCL funding scholarships
Fall Application Deadline: 01 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/astrophysics/postgraduate-study/admissions
Notes: Must have MSc to apply for PhD; MSc in Planetary Science info at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/taught/degrees/planetary-science-msc

Purdue University

Last modified: April 1, 2025
Department: Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Asteroids, Astrobiology, Atmospheres, Exoplanets, Geology, Icy Satellites, Instrumentation, Mars, Mercury, Moon, Planet Formation, Planetary Dynamics, Remote Sensing, Surfaces
URL: http://www.eaps.purdue.edu/research/planetary-science/index.html
State/Province: IN
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 15
Planetary Researchers: 15
Students: 34
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Indiana University Bloomington, Albion College, Notre Dame University
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: TA or RA typically offered to all admitted students
Fall Application Deadline: 2 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: 1 Sep
Admissions URL: https://www.purdue.edu/academics/ogsps/prospective/gradrequirements/westlafayette/eas.html
Notes: