Field Studied: Planetary Dynamics

York University

Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering; Physics and Astronomy
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Asteroids, Astrobiology, Atmospheres, Auroras, Climate, Dust, Exoplanets, Instrumentation, Mars, Moon, Planetary Dynamics, Planetary Science, Remote Sensing
URL: https://lassonde.yorku.ca/esse/
State/Province: Ontario
Country: Canada
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: No
Recommendations:
Faculty: 21
Planetary Researchers: 3
Students: ~100
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS)
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: All accepted students are funded through TA and RA with the balance between the two depending on the supervisor.
Fall Application Deadline: 13 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: None
Admissions URL: https://lassonde.yorku.ca/esse/academics/graduate/how-to-apply/
Notes: Contact admissions for spring application; see also https://www.physics.yorku.ca/overview-of-graduate-program/ for more information

University of Leicester

Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Physics & Astronomy
Display Category: International
Field Studied: Atmospheres, Auroras, Brown Dwarfs, Climate, Exoplanets, Geochemistry, Infrared Astronomy, Instrumentation, Ionospheres, Jupiter, Magnetospheres, Mars, Neptune, Planet Formation, Planetary Dynamics, Planetary Science, Remote Sensing, Saturn, Space Plasma Physics, Uranus, UV Astronomy, X-Ray Astronomy
URL: https://le.ac.uk/physics
State/Province:
Country: United Kingdom
Degrees Offered: MPhil, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.3
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 2
Faculty: 43
Planetary Researchers: 17
Students: ~90
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: University of Nottingham, University of Birmingham, University of Warwick, University of Loughborough, University of Coventry
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: Funding available for UK/EU students
Fall Application Deadline: 20 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://le.ac.uk/physics/study/research-degrees
Notes: Although students can apply at any time, funded positions starting in October are typically decided upon in mid-March.

University of Idaho

Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Physics
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Exoplanets, Mars, Moon, Ocean Worlds (Titan, Enceladus, Europa), Planetary Dynamics, Rings
URL: http://www.uidaho.edu/sci/physics
State/Province: ID
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: No
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 11
Planetary Researchers: 3
Students: 23
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: Washington State University
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: TA/RA available
Fall Application Deadline: 1 Feb
Spring Application Deadline: 1 Sep
Admissions URL: http://www.uidaho.edu/admissions/graduate/graduate-programs/physics
Notes: Admission deadlines are for priority consideration

Western University

Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Earth Science; Physics & Astronomy; Engineering; Health Sciences; Law
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Astrobiology, Atmospheres, Cosmochemistry, Exoplanets, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Instrumentation, Interiors, Planetary Dynamics, Space Health, Space Policy & Law, Surfaces
URL: https://space.uwo.ca/
State/Province: Ontario
Country: Canada
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 47
Planetary Researchers: 47
Students: 32
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: The Institute for Earth and Space Exploration (Formerly CPSX)
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: All accepted students to the regular MSc and PhD are funded through TA's and RA's
Fall Application Deadline: 24 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://space.uwo.ca/training/graduate_students/index.html
Notes: Students admitted to program through host department (Physics & Astronomy, Earth Sciences) then may declare Planetary Science specialization. Engineering/geography students contact [email protected] for admission info. Contact potential supervisor(s) early to discuss projects and availability of funds.

University of Maryland, College Park

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
Contact Email: [email protected]
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:

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 Chicago

Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Geophysical Sciences
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Climate, Cosmochemistry, Exoplanets, Meteorites, Planet Formation, Planetary Dynamics
URL: http://geosci.uchicago.edu/
State/Province: IL
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA: None noted
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: Optional
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 43
Planetary Researchers: 6
Students: 56
Admission Percentage: ~10%
Nearby Research Institutions: Argonne National Laboratory
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: Full-tuition scholarship, coverage of Fees and individual insurance premiums; also receive primary funding via a RA, TA, or fellowship
Fall Application Deadline: 19 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://geosci.uchicago.edu/prospective_students/
Notes:

University of Cambridge

Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Institute for Astronomy
Display Category: International
Field Studied: Exoplanets, Planet Formation, Planetary Dynamics
URL: http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/
State/Province:
Country: United Kingdom
Degrees Offered: MPhil, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.5
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 2
Faculty: 19
Planetary Researchers: 6
Students: 51
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Contact Email: [email protected]
Funding: You can apply for funding to help cover your postgraduate study costs; see https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/funding
Fall Application Deadline: 03 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply
Notes: Contact for MPhil: [email protected] or

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.

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: