Physics

Whether you want to work toward earning a Master of Science (M.S.) in Physics or a doctorate (Ph.D.), our physics graduate program allows you to focus your studies to suit your interests and to propel you into a successful physics-related career.

The University of Idaho Department of Physics faculty is internationally recognized for its outstanding educational, research and outreach efforts. Our department works collaboratively with many allied departments such as biology, chemistry and computer science by sharing ideas and engaging in sophisticated multi-disciplinary research projects. Our team of professors is unique in that they genuinely enjoy guiding and working with graduate students in research efforts centered on nuclear physics, condensed matter physics, biophysics, atomic physics, and physics education.

With a M.S. or Ph.D. degree in physics, you’ll be prepared to work in prominent research and development departments for high-tech companies or in government labs. Or, with a teaching certificate, you’ll be equipped to secure teaching positions at the high school, junior college or university level (Ph.D. required). Graduates from our program have built careers as astronomers, educators, senior software engineers, health physics specialists, medical physicists and much more.

You’ll also gain invaluable experience through time in the lab, where you will use high-tech instrumentation equipment in the exploration of the many sub areas of physics, such as mechanics, electronics, atomic and nuclear physics, and quantum mechanics. Depending on your research interest area, you will be assigned a faculty member to act as your adviser. This faculty member will help you formulate a study plan designed specifically to meet your goals and to guide you through the program, including the development of your own research initiative.

Our department works closely with neighboring laboratories and universities, including Washington State University, which is eight miles away.

Prepare for Success

If you are interested in pursuing a physics-related career in applied research, development, computer science or engineering, or you’d like to teach physics, an advanced degree will put you in high demand. Our most successful students not only posses sharp minds and extensive problem-solving skills, they also thrive in team environments, and they have the ability to effectively communicate and decode complex problems.

Application for admission into our program is open to those with a bachelor's degree in one of the science-related fields, including engineering, computer science, electronics or a similar area. Those who did not major in physics may be required to take some of the advanced undergraduate courses to prepare themselves for the graduate classes.

Your First Year

We continuously review applications for admission to graduate work in the University of Idaho Department of Physics. You can apply directly to our program online through University of Idaho Graduate Admissions.

What You Can Do

With an advanced degree in physics, you may become a:

• Core technology scientist
• Electro-optic engineer
• Applications engineer
• Manufacturing tools project leader
• Reactor coolant system engineer
• Project engineer
• Senior noise engineer
• Associate medical physicist
• Senior scientist
• Highway designer
• Teacher, or professor and researcher

Opportunities

With a master's or doctorate in physics you’ll be in demand by today’s top employers, specifically in the areas of research and development. The federal government, software companies, engineering firms and science laboratories are always looking for graduates with the extensive science background that physics offers. They are particularly interested in students who can apply fundamental properties of the natural world in the development and design of new technologies and discoveries.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual earnings of physicists was $94,240 in May 2006. Idaho employers  that have recently hired graduates with an advanced physics degree include:

• Bechtel Corporation
• BestBuy Corporation
• Dell Computers
• Micron Technology

Current Research

Some of our most significant research efforts are happening in the areas of:

• Condensed Matter Physics: Idaho physicists are involved in various experimental studies of nanoscience and nanotechnology, magnetic materials and optical science. Magnetic devices for microwave and information technology are also being investigated.
• Biological Physics: Biophysics research is the application of the basic theories and methods of physics to questions in biology. Working with biology and chemistry faculty, our department is working in the areas of computational biophysics to understand how proteins function and interact with other molecules, which provides exciting applications for the field of drug design.
• Nuclear Physics: Idaho physicists are involved in theoretical studies of nuclear matter, including: nucleon-nucleon interaction; meson theory of nuclear forces; chiral symmetry; relativistic potentials; and nucleon-nucleon scattering.
• Astronomy and Astrophysics/Planetary Science: Astronomy and planetary science explore the nature of our universe on the grand scale. In this area, a specialty of our faculty is the study of other worlds similar to our own like the moons of Jupiter and extra-solar planets.

Activities

Graduate students are encouraged to join one of the many professional organizations (American Physical Society, Materials Research Society), which have highly discounted student membership rates.

Graduate students are required to attend the Department of Physics Colloquia, which organizes a variety of lectures given by visiting researchers and faculty.

Hands-On Experience

Laboratory work and research assistant opportunities with faculty and with local laboratories, agencies and businesses will allow you to apply your knowledge in and outside of the classroom.

An integral part of a graduate student’s education will be performing research alongside our professors. Research is required to receive both the master's with a thesis option and the Ph.D. To receive a master's with a non-thesis option, research is not required, but highly recommended. Many of our faculty employ multiple master's candidates in addition to their Ph.D. candidates.

Facilities

The University of Idaho has extensive research facilities and tools, including:

• Physical Characterization
• Electrical Characterization
• Novel Materials Fabrication/Synthesis
• Theory/Modeling
• Machine Shop
• Observatory
• Micro- and Nanotechnology Clean Room

Faculty Involvement

Regardless of what emphasis area you choose, you’ll benefit from direct interaction with faculty and instructors who genuinely care about your success. As a graduate student you’ll also have significant opportunities to contribute to important research activities happening on campus. You will be assigned one of our faculty to be your adviser, and because our department is not too big, you are ensured of getting to know many of the faculty quite well before you graduate.

Gwen Barnes, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Specialty: Planetary Science
» gbarnes@uidaho.edu

Jason W. Barnes, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Specialty: Astronomy and Planetary Science
» Email Jason Barnes

Leah Bergman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Optical and phonon dynamics of semiconductors and their nanostructures, Wide-bandgap novel-nanomaterials, UV-photoluminescence and Raman micro-spectroscopy, Optical and structural properties of nanomaterilas under extreme conditions of pressure and temperature
» lbergman@uidaho.edu

Christine Berven, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Prof. Berven has over a decade of experience performing electronic transport characterization measurements on reduced-dimensional submicron-scale devices. Prof. Berven's research has been primarily on systems that because of their extremely small size, the physics at play spans the Classical/Quantum Divide.
» berven@uidaho.edu

David Jeffery, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer
Speciality: Experimental Nanoscale Condensed Matter and Device Physics
» jeffery@nhn.ou.edu

Ruprecht Machleidt, Ph.D.
Professor
One of my main research interests is the theory of nuclear forces. I have performed research at both stages of the history of nuclear forces: the meson theory stage and, in recent years, in the framework of chiral effective field theory.
» machleid@uidaho.edu

David N. McIlroy, Ph.D.
Professor
Research Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
» dmcilroy@uidaho.edu

John (Jack) McIver, Ph.D.
Professor & Vice President of Research
Specialty: Non-Linear Systems/Laser Physics Dr. Jack McIver was appointed the Vice President for Research at the University of Idaho in 2008 and in this role he oversees, coordinates, and facilitates all UI research activities, including sponsored and internally funded research, center and institute research, interdisciplinary research programs, and research related to the university's land grant mission.
» jmciver@uidaho.edu

Liudmila Pozhar, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Specialty: Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
» lpozhar@uidaho.edu

You Qiang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
My research interests mainly include two areas: (1) Nanomagnetism of clusters and cluster-assembled materials for biomedical and environmental applications, and (2) Magneto-optical properties of ZnO based spintronic nanoclusters.
» youqiang@uidaho.edu

Francesca Sammarruca, Ph.D.
Professor
Research Interests: Theoretical nuclear physics, Nuclear forces in the nuclear medium, Nuclear structure and nuclear reactions, Computational physics
» fsammarr@deepthought.phys.uidaho.edu

Bernhard J. Stumpf, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Research Interests: Experimental Atomic Physics
» bjstumpf@uidaho.edu

Wei Jiang Yeh, Ph.D.
Department Chair & Professor
Research Interests: Synthesis and chararacterization of uniform nano-dots and uniform nano-wire. Study ferromagnetic tunneling junctions (spintronics) and its fabrication as magnetic sensor. Growth of ferromagnetic materials, magnetic oxides, metallic thin films, and high temperature superconductors, by sputtering and other vacuum techniques. Study electrical and magnetic properties, and phase transitions of these materials by resistivity, electrical, ac susceptibility, magnetization measurements.
» wyeh@uidaho.edu

F. Marty Ytreberg, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Applying the principles of computational and theoretical physics to problems in biology, chemistry and physics; Extending the timescale for simulations; RNA fluctuations; Binding affinity computation
» ytreberg@uidaho.edu