- Department of Physics
- Academics
- Graduate
- Admission Information
Admission Information
Thank you for your interest in pursuing graduate studies in Physics at Northern Illinois University (NIU).
Submit your admission application online.
If you have any further questions regarding our program, contact the director of graduate studies at dgs-physics@niu.edu. If you have questions regarding the application process, contact the graduate school via e-mail at gradsch@niu.edu.
We look forward to receiving your application!
Application Materials
All application materials must be submitted to the Graduate School. Do not send any documents directly to the Department of Physics
The universitywide general requirements for a Ph.D. degree can be found in the online graduate catalog.
See the graduate manual for supplemental information on requirements for graduate degrees in Physics.
Deadline Information
The deadline for fall and spring admission application is respectively May 1 and Oct. 1 (international students). A limited number of teaching assistantships (TA) is generally available. You should complete your application before Feb. 1st (fall applicants) or Aug. 15 (spring applicants), if you wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship.
To receive a TA position, a speaking subset score of 24 on the TOEFL, 7 on the IELTS or 50 on the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) administered at NIU is required for all international students for whom these tests are required by the university. View the list of exempt countries.
Students interested in an RA position should contact potential faculty mentors directly upon admission.
Payment Exemptions
Per graduate school guidelines, the following individuals are exempt from payment of the application fee: individuals who received a GRE fee waiver, McNair Scholars, and qualified veterans under the Illinois Veterans' Grant (IVG) Program. If you believe you qualify, you should directly contact the Graduate School to learn how to receive a fee-waiver code at gradsch@niu.edu.
