Academic Careers

Career Path

Most physics research positions require a physics PhD. Most job opportunities for doing physics research are as professors at universities or research scientists at the national labs. Below is the standard path most people take to get one of these jobs. If you choose this path, though, please be aware that there is a shortage of academic jobs compared to the number of people getting PhD's...

  • Bachelor's degree (typically 4 years)
  • PhD program (typically 5-7 years)
    • First two years, you do coursework and join a lab
    • The final few years, you do research and write up a dissertation (lengthy report) about your results
    • In the United States, you usually go directly from the bachelor's to a PhD program. Most PhD programs will grant a master's degree ~2 years into the program, after you have finished your required courses
    • You do not pay tuition for a PhD (but you do for a pure master's program)
    • You get paid a salary to do a PhD (for MIT Physics in the 2020-2021 school year, this stipend is $41,501 per year plus full health insurance)
  • Postdoctoral researcher (typically 3-6 years)
    • A series of full-time research positions lasting 2-3 years
    • Gives you the chance to gain further experience working in a research area close to that of your PhD studies, supervising students, becoming an independent researcher
  • University professor or research scientist at national lab
    • Job at a teaching college, research university, or national lab

Expectations at Each Stage in Your Career

Some brief notes from department chair Peter Fisher:

  • Successful undergraduate
    • Able to carry out small and medium sized projects with close supervision
    • Formulates clear questions when needed
    • Able to complete undergraduate courses successfully
  • Successful early graduate student
    • Able to carry out projects with weekly supervision
    • Builds a network of colleagues to rely on to learn how to do things, but asks advisor when the network cannot help
    • Completes courses and exams in a timely fashion
    • Able to balance work and life well, getting outside help when needed
  • Successful late graduate student
    • Able to design and execute projects with some guidance from supervisor
    • Has a robust network of peers for help and guidance
    • Guides and supervises younger graduate students and undergraduates
    • Progresses towards thesis with guidance from supervisor
    • Attends to work-life balance; gets help when needed
  • Successful postdoc 
    • Able to design and execute projects with some guidance from supervisor, enlisting students when needed
    • Provides daily guidance to students and takes an interest in their career development
    • With network, develops ideas for new experimental directions
    • Is attentive to their own work-life balance and that of those around them
    • Does stuff without being asked
  • Successful junior faculty
    • Fully independent scholar
    • Able to develop their own research prgram, attract funds, and recruit students and postdocs to execute new ideas
    • Takes an active interest in their students/postdocs' careers, advancement, and work-life balance
    • Able to assess students and postdocs
    • Develops and teaches courses and participates in University governance in a modest way

Graduate School Applications

General advice from MIT websites

Sometimes you can find very interesting things by trawling through the MIT websites. Here are some links compiled by students of the more interesting ones. Please send more links on the feedback form if you find anything of use!

Scholarships, Fellowships, Honors, and Awards

Undergraduate

Current and Future Graduate Students