An adequate undergraduate background in Classical Mechanics, Electrostatics, and Statistical and Thermal Physics is assumed. Each student's curriculum, research, and thesis topics receive individual consideration by the Applied Physics Committee and must be approved by that committee. Normally students defend a research-based master's thesis in order to become candidates for the Ph.D. Research Facilities Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the program, the student can access virtually any of the research facilities in either the natural sciences or engineering schools of Rice University. The Applied Physics Committee urges prospective students to contact individual departments or RQI for detailed descriptions of research facilities and ongoing research projects. Within RQI alone, there are approximately 80 separate projects, and there are numerous other research opportunities.
Most students receive financial aid in the form of a stipend.
Currently, all students in the Applied Physics Program receive tuition scholarships. Application Application for the Applied Physics program can be done online . A PDF version of the general application form for Graduate Studies at Rice can be downloaded .