Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Space Plasma Physics
URL: http://www.physics.uiowa.edu/
State/Province: IA
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: Subject tests not required but recommended
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 30
Planetary Researchers: 2
Students: 76
Admission Percentage: 19%
Nearby Research Institutions:
Funding: 95% of new graduate students receive financial support
Fall Application Deadline: 15 Jan (for full support consideration)
Spring Application Deadline: 15 Jan (for full support consideration)
Admissions URL: https://grad.admissions.uiowa.edu/
Notes: Physics subject GRE score of 630 or higher exempts student from taking the PhD Qualifying Exam
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 2, 2025
Department: Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Geochemistry,
Geology,
Geophysics,
Planetary Science,
Space Plasma Physics,
Space Science
URL: http://epss.ucla.edu/
State/Province: CA
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: Yes
Subject GRE Required: Physics (Optional)
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 28
Planetary Researchers: 21
Students: 63
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Funding: In general, our admitted students are fully funded through fellowships, teaching assistantships, and/or research assistantships.
Fall Application Deadline: 1 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://grad.ucla.edu/admissions/steps-to-apply/
Notes:
Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Climate,
Space Plasma Physics
URL: http://www.atmos.ucla.edu/
State/Province: CA
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 21
Planetary Researchers: 4
Students: 62
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Funding: In general, our admitted students are fully funded, through fellowships and grants, teaching assistant, or research assistant opportunities.
Fall Application Deadline: 10 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://atmos.ucla.edu/students/graduate/admissions/
Notes:
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 1, 2025
Department: Physics
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Astrobiology,
Space Plasma Physics
URL: http://www.physics.ku.edu/
State/Province: KS
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: None noted
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: Optional
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 31
Planetary Researchers: 3
Students: 73
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Funding: TA, RA, Fellowship cover most for duration of studies
Fall Application Deadline: 16 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: 01 Oct
Admissions URL: https://physics.ku.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions
Notes:
Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Swedish Institute of Space Physics
Display Category: International
Field Studied: Atmospheres,
Space Plasma Physics
URL: https://www.irf.se/en/om-irf/utbildning/
State/Province:
Country: Sweden
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: None noted
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: none (1 or 2 names)
Faculty: 14
Planetary Researchers: 5
Students: 12
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Funding: Funding included as part of hiring package into specific project
Fall Application Deadline:
Spring Application Deadline:
Admissions URL: https://www.irf.se/en/karriar/
Notes:
Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Physics and Space Sciences
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Astrobiology,
Atmospheres,
Exoplanets,
In-Situ Resource Utilization,
Instrumentation,
Jupiter,
Mars,
Meteorites,
Neptune,
Planetary Science,
Saturn,
Space Plasma Physics,
Uranus
URL: https://www.fit.edu/aerospace-physics-and-space-sciences/
State/Province: FL
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3
General GRE Required: Recommended
Subject GRE Required: Physics recommended but not required
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 17
Planetary Researchers: 8
Students: ~40
Admission Percentage: ~15%
Nearby Research Institutions: Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Funding: TA and RA available with separate application
Fall Application Deadline: 15 Jan
Spring Application Deadline:
Admissions URL: https://www.fit.edu/admission/applying/graduate/
Notes: 3.2 GPA is recommended for PhD students
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
Last modified: April 1, 2025
Department: Astronomy
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Atmospheres,
Space Plasma Physics
URL: https://www.bu.edu/astronomy/
State/Province: MA
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MA, PhD
Minimum GPA: None noted
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: Physics (Optional)
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 17
Planetary Researchers: 11
Students: 30
Admission Percentage: ~20%
Nearby Research Institutions: MIT, Harvard and the Center for Astrophysics
Funding: Guaranteed five years of funding for all students
Fall Application Deadline: 15 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://www.bu.edu/cas/admissions/phd-mfa/
Notes:
