Application Fee (Required)
$65 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
$80 for international students.
English Proficiency Test (Required)
This program uses the Graduate School's English Language Proficiency Score Requirements and Minimum Scores for Regular Admission.
Minimum Scores for Regular Admission
TOEFL iBT: 4.5 (no sub score less than 4) (or 79 for students who took the test prior to January 2026)
IELTS: 6.5 (no sub score less than 6)
Duolingo English Test: 120 (no sub score less than 110)
PTE: 59
More information is available at https://graduate.ua.edu/applicants/international-students/.
Letter of Recommendation (3 Required)
Three letters of recommendation
Resume (Required)
Statement of Purpose (Required)
We will evaluate your statement of purpose (SOP) very carefully. Your statement of purpose should clearly describe how an advanced degree in physics or astronomy relates to your career goals. Your SOP should clearly summarize your undergraduate and, if relevant, previous graduate career including any research you conducted. If you were involved in research projects, please include details on the science goals of the project, what your responsibilities were, skills learned, and the outcomes of your research including any presentations or research papers. (Please note that we have admitted students without previous research experience but who display a clear understanding of the research areas they would like to pursue at UA.) Please state if you have a clear preference for a particular area of graduate research and whether your inclinations are more theoretical, experimental, or observational. If you are considering a range of possible research areas, please describe them. You should show awareness of the research being conducted in our department by our active faculty to make sure your interest matches. If you are interested in working with one or more specific faculty in our dept., please mention them in your SOP. Our Research Overview page summarizes departmental research projects and collaborations; individual faculty members’ research interests are described on their webpages, which you can find via our department directory. (Please note that emeritus, retired, and teaching faculty do not supervise MS or PhD students.) Your SOP should also address any weaknesses in your application package.
Transcript (Required)
Please upload an unofficial transcript for any institution of higher education at which you have completed 15 or more credit hours. Official transcripts must be received prior to registering for classes. International applicants: please make sure that your transcript includes a grading scheme. All others: please include a grading scheme if your university does not use a letter-based (e.g. A, A-, B) grading scheme. The minimum GPA to be considered for regular admission is a 3.0 on a 4-point scale. Students who do not meet these requirements, but who excel in other areas, may be considered for Admission with Permission to Continue.