About Master’s Program,
The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers Master’s and PhD degrees in Physics, and all students admitted to our graduate program receive full financial support—including a tuition waiver and generous living stipend. We offer exciting research opportunities in atmospheric physics, condensed matter physics, gravity, high energy physics, and physical acoustics. The University of Mississippi carries the R1 Carnegie designation reserved for doctoral universities with the highest level of research activity.
Admission to the graduate program is based on standardized tests (GRE and, for students from non-English-speaking countries, English proficiency tests), undergraduate academic performance (GPA), and recommendation letters, but we also try to make sure that there is a good fit between the students’ interests and our research groups based on the applicants’ personal statements. The goal of the admissions committee is to identify students who we believe have the skills and temperament to succeed in a research-oriented environment. The department offers guaranteed financial support for all graduate students who are admitted and maintain a good academic standing, through a combination of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and non-service Honor Fellowships. This support is provided for the nine-month academic year, and additional sources of funding are usually available for the summer months.
Master’s Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Applicants for graduate admission should have at least a GPA equivalent to a B (3.0 on the US university GPA 4-point scale) in previous university/college studies. Visit the Graduate School application web page here.
English proficiency tests are required required for non-native English speakers. Several English proficiency tests are accepted; please see the Office of International Programs’ web page for the most up to date requirements here.
Applicants who apply for admission as degree-seeking freshmen and who have completed two years minimum of high school education at, and graduated from, an accredited high school in the U.S.
Master’s Funding Coverage,
Graduate students can support themselves during degree studies through a combination of the following programs: teaching assistantships (offered by the department), research assistantships (offered by individual professors with research contracts), and other fellowships offered by university units.
Virtually all admitted students are offered graduate assistantships. Students typically start with teaching assistantships (TAs) and either remain on TAs or switch to research assistantships (RAs) if research advisor funds are available. For students admitted to the program in Fall 2025, stipends for TAs are $25,000 for PhD students (a 9-month stipend of $23,000 plus $2,000 in the summer) for the first 5 years and $22,000 thereafter (a 9-month stipend of $20,000 plus $2,000 in the summer). For master’s students, the stipend is $18,000 (a 9-month stipend of $16,000 plus $2,000 in the summer). To receive the summer stipend, students must perform satisfactorily as TAs, make reasonable progress toward the degree and remain on campus to work for at least one summer month. Assistantships come with a 100% tuition scholarship (both in-state and out-of-state) and health insurance is partially subsidized.
The university provides estimates of the cost of living and studying at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS. Estimates for international students, can be found here. Estimates for domestic students can be found here.
If you have any questions then please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator: Cecille Labuda
Application Requirement,
GRE General Test scores.
Official undergraduate transcripts.
Statement of purpose (no more than one page).
Academic CV.
Two letters of recommendation.
For international applicants: English proficiency test scores (TOEFL/IELTS)
Applicants for graduate admission should have at least a GPA equivalent to a B (3.0 on the US university GPA 4-point scale) in previous university/college studies. Visit the Graduate School application web page here.
Application Deadline,
Jan 15, 2026
Application Fee,
$60 nonrefundable application fee