Will you be applying to Ph.D. programs in the physical sciences for enrollment in fall 2011? Wondering whether Stanford Applied Physics is worth the application fee? A special welcome to you! Believe it or not, our brand new Department web site was designed largely with you in mind.
Applied Physics is a graduate department in the Stanford University School of Humanities and Sciences. Our Ph.D. students pursue research and coursework in the physical, information, life, and energy sciences. Many work on engineering-oriented projects and on practical applications. They find dissertation research advisors in a wide range of academic departments on campus and at SLAC. After graduating they go on to careers in academia and in industry, in public service and in the non-profit sector. Here at Stanford we have a world-class hospital, we have the world’s first x-ray laser, and we are steeped in the culture of Silicon Valley. All of our basic science departments are at the tops of their fields, and we have a special set of “independent laboratories” that foster cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in areas ranging from the development of advanced materials to preserving the environment.
The Department of Applied Physics sits at the center of all this, and our Ph.D. program is structured to ensure that you receive a solid grounding in basic and applied physics, to give you the opportunity to explore research projects with our excellent core faculty, and to allow you the freedom to reach beyond our own Department in search of the best thesis project for you.
In order to help guide your exploration of Stanford research in applied physics and related areas, we have created a suite of four theme pages that provide overviews of Stanford/SLAC faculty, facilities, and courses in Nanoscience & Quantum Engineering, Lasers & Accelerators, Condensed Matter Physics, and Experimental & Theoretical Biophysics. Although some prominent content on these pages comes from outside our Department proper, we like to think of these as Applied Physics themes, and we like to think of the people involved as members of the greater Applied Physics community. None of this is meant to be exclusionary—many other Stanford departments and programs stake their claims in these areas, and there are certainly some important activities in Applied Physics that don’t fall neatly within any of the four presentation themes. But we hope you’ll find these pages a good place to start as you get to know more about the general shape and structure of applied physics at Stanford.
Want to see a complete listing of our faculty, and our faculty only? Want to filter the site content with categories other than the four major themes? Have a look at the alternative browsing links that can be accessed through the “Navigate” pop-up menu; click on the “Faculty” link if that’s what you’re after, or try the “Browse all topic tags” option. Or use the search box. Our goal for the new site is to help you find the things here that really interest you.
Finally convinced? Use the “Apply” pop-up menu to read about the requirements and then click through to Stanford University’s online application site! Deadline is January 4, 2011…
Hideo Mabuchi, Professor and Chair