Admissions

The application deadline for students wishing to matriculate in September is the preceding December 15. All applications must be submitted online through the Graduate Admissions portal.

A complete application will include:

  • Statement of purpose. We look for a thoughtful, well-written statement that shows the ability to overcome challenges, dedication to attain chosen goals, a capacity for creativity, an understanding of physics and/or astronomy, and any other indication of potential for research.
  • Three letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters should help us evaluate your capacity for research, the most important criterion for admission.
  • Transcripts of all previous work. Transcripts submitted with the application may be unofficial transcripts. Successful applicants who accept the offer of admission must supply an official transcript before they can begin the PhD program at JHU. In the case of students in the final year of their bachelors program, the official transcript must show completion of all coursework required for the degree.
  • TOEFL or IELTS for international students. A reproduction is acceptable. Johns Hopkins prefers a minimum score of 600 (paper-based) or 250 (computer-based) or 100 (Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
  • $75 non-refundable application fee. The application fee may be waived.

Note: submission of General GRE and Physics GRE scores is optional.

Other useful information

  • For reference, we provide an analysis of our admissions data for 2016-2020. This analysis includes a breakdown by gender and by race/ethnicity: JHU P&A Admissions Summary: 2016-2020
  • The University maintains an interactive JHU PhD program statistics explorer.  To find our program, first select “School of Arts & Sciences — Natural Sciences” under the “Choose Division” drop-down menu, and then choose “Physics and Astronomy” under the “Choose Program” drop-down menu.
  • As part of the program of study, all graduate students are appointed as teaching or research assistants, positions which provide tuition, living stipend, and benefits (health coverage, etc).
  • Applicants are admitted only as full-time candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). There is no separate Masters Degree program and no provision for part-time students. However, a Masters degree is awarded as a stage of the PhD program.
  • List of Graduate Alumni and Advisors
  • Applicants from HBCUs and other Minority Serving Institutions are encouraged to consider JHU’s Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative. Applications must be submitted by Dec. 1 to be considered.
  • Offers of admission are made by early February with a decision deadline of April 15.
  • Students who are accepted to Ph.D. programs at JHU can apply to receive a $1500 need-based grant to offset the costs of relocating to JHU.

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Additional information

For additional information, please contact our Academic Program Administrator Kelley Key:
Email: pha-admissions@jhu.edu
Telephone: 410-516-7344
Fax: 410-516-7239