Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: School of Physics and Astronomy
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Comets,
Planetary Science,
Space Plasma Physics
URL: https://cse.umn.edu/physics
State/Province: MN
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: None noted
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: Physics optional
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 64
Planetary Researchers: 4
Students: 128
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Funding: RA and/or TA may be available
Fall Application Deadline: 15 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://cse.umn.edu/mifa/grad/apply
Notes:
Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Astronomy
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Comets,
Dust,
Exoplanets,
Infrared Astronomy,
Instrumentation,
Meteorites,
Moon,
Optical Astronomy,
Planet Formation,
Planetary Dynamics,
Planetary Evolution,
Pluto/KBOs,
Radio Astronomy,
Remote Sensing,
Rings,
Small Bodies,
Space Plasma Physics,
Surfaces,
X-Ray Astronomy
URL: http://www.astro.umd.edu/
State/Province: MD
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA: 3
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: Physics (optional)
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 19
Planetary Researchers: 3
Students: 37
Admission Percentage: ~5%
Nearby Research Institutions: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Institution, US Naval Observatory, Space Telescope Science Institute
Funding: The department provides full funding (with tuition waivers) for up to six years while students maintain adequate progress toward degree completion.
Fall Application Deadline: 15 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://www.astro.umd.edu/graduate/admissions.html
Notes:
Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Institute for Astronomy
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Astrobiology,
Brown Dwarfs,
Comets,
Exoplanets,
Infrared Astronomy,
Instrumentation,
Optical Astronomy,
Pluto/KBOs,
Small Bodies
URL: https://gradprog.ifa.hawaii.edu/
State/Province: HI
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: Optional
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 40
Planetary Researchers: 14
Students: 39
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: The Mauna Kea Observatories (IRTF, CFHT, Gemini, Keck, JCMT, Subaru, SMA, UH88, and UKIRT) are located on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Funding: Guaranteed through RAs and TAs
Fall Application Deadline: 1 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://gradprog.ifa.hawaii.edu/how-to-apply/
Notes: 2 recommendations are mandatory, 3 are preferred
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
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:
Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Institute of Planetary Science
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Comets,
Exoplanets,
Interiors,
Magnetospheres,
Planet Formation
URL: http://www.ipsubc.org
State/Province: British Columbia
Country: Canada
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.3
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 6
Planetary Researchers: 6
Students: 6
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: Hertaberg Institute (NRC), University of Victoria
Funding: Admitted students with a research advisor commitment are guaranteed 2 (MSc) or 4 (PhD) years of funding
Fall Application Deadline: 01 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://phas.ubc.ca/graduate-program-prospective-students
Notes: Honors undergraduate degree required for admission; secondary contact email of
[email protected]
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
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.
Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Institute for Astrophysics and Computational Science
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Comets,
Mars,
Moon,
Saturn
URL: http://iacs.cua.edu/
State/Province: MD
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: None noted
General GRE Required: Yes
Subject GRE Required:
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 20
Planetary Researchers: 1
Students: 56
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center
Funding: The University awards a limited number of fellowships and scholarships to qualified entering graduate students
Fall Application Deadline: 01 Feb
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://physics.catholic.edu/admission/graduate/index.html
Notes:
Last modified: April 1, 2025
Department: Geological and Planetary Sciences
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Astrobiology,
Atmospheres,
Climate,
Comets,
Cosmochemistry,
Dust,
Exoplanets,
Geobiology,
Geochemistry,
Geology,
Geophysics,
Hydrodynamics,
Infrared Astronomy,
Instrumentation,
Interiors,
Ionospheres,
Kuiper Belt Objects,
Magnetospheres,
Mars,
Meteorites,
Moon,
Optical Astronomy,
Planet Formation,
Planetary Dynamics,
Planetary Evolution,
Pluto/KBOs,
Radio Astronomy,
Remote Sensing,
Rings,
Saturn,
Small Bodies,
Space Plasma Physics,
Surfaces,
Venus,
Volcanology
URL: https://www.gps.caltech.edu/
State/Province: CA
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA: None noted
General GRE Required: Yes
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 41
Planetary Researchers: 11
Students: 135
Admission Percentage: 10%
Nearby Research Institutions: JPL
Funding: Guaranteed funding for first 5 terms
Fall Application Deadline: 15 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://www.gps.caltech.edu/academics/graduate-program/graduate-admissions-and-entrance-procedures
Notes: Exoplanet research can be pursued in Planetary Sciences or Astronomy
