I’m currently doing two bachelors in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
In the future, I would like to apply for doctorates at top US universities such as Harvard, Stanford, NYU etc.
Although my current university has produced several nobel prize winners (including one last year) and is in the top 100 universities, I don’t think it has the prestige necessary to really make an application to Harvard stand out. Therefore, I think I should to my masters degree somewhere else in the meantime. It’s worth noting that I wish to specialise either in Exoplanetary Astrophysics or String Theory/Quantum Gravity.
Ok so the current places I’m considering doing a masters are:
Heidelberg (Germany)
LMU Munich (Germany)
TU Munich (Germany)
Osaka Uni (Japan)
Kyoto Uni (Japan)
Leiden (Netherlands)*
Utrecht (Netherlands)*
*As a last resort.
Are there any universities or countries on this list where the education style for theoretical physics is considered to be weak or are there any where it is considered to be particularly strong? Almost all of these unis are in the Top 100 so the rankings are pretty irrelevant.
The reason I’m asking this is that I recently got in a conversation with a post-doc researcher in a bus in Tbilisi. He did his PhD at NYU and told me that studying in Germany is not the best preparation for a career in theoretical physics. That’s the advice of a single person. Is there anyone here who would agree or disagree?
Most that I know that have pursued a science Ph.D in the U.S. apply directly to a Ph.D. program and picked up the master’s degree along the way. That allows you to establish some relationships with the faculty and identify potential doctoral advisers. I would not put too much stock in the opinion of one person…if you hear it from multiple then maybe there is something to consider.
@jmk518 is correct that in the US most undergrads go straight into PhD programs, whereas in Europe Master’s are more commonly done with the undergrad degree and the PhD elsewhere.
However, undergraduate research experience is much more common in the US, and is an important part of applying to PhD programs. So, @KingAnon, do you have any good research experience? any publications or presentations at conferences? Also, most of the name-brand Physics PhD programs require the physics GRE (in addition to the regular GRE).
I’m surprised that Switzerland isn’t on your list of possible Master’s programs.
Not yet- I’m only in my second year. I’m just thinking ahead.
I have considered Switzerland but I’m wavering due to higher living costs and entry requirements. Obviously, top US schools are even more difficult to get into but I don’t plan to apply for at least another 4 years. I’m treating the masters degree as a stepping stone so I can build a strong research profile, figure out exactly which field I want to go into and perhaps even do some work inbetween.
I know it’s common for people to go straight from undergrad to PhD but that’s not really the path I want to take. I’m not in a hurry.
You don’t need to go to a prestigious undergrad to get into a top PhD program, particularly in the sciences. What you need is some research experience. Find a professor at your current university with which you can do some research as a lab assistant - second year is a good time to start that. If you have enough research experience - and maybe have presented at conferences or even got a publication - you won’t really need the master’s degree in U.S. universities.
If you want to wait before getting a doctoral degree, it may make more sense to work as a research associate in a physics/astronomy lab of some sort rather than getting an MS. If you do decide to do a master’s, try to make it a funded one.
If you do choose to do a master’s, you should choose somewhere that has some research in which you are interested. Do all of the places on your list have the kind of research you’re interested in? Have you talked to your current physics professors about which of these physics departments is internationally well-regarded?
The Aachen program was for North American students, but you could look for similar opportunities in Europe or the U.S. Your university should be able to help you identify opportunities.
My son did not begin focusing on getting a PhD until his junior year, so he had to make up for lost time to get the necessary research experience. It is good that you can focus early on getting research experience.
I agree with what everyone has said about a master’s degree. If your goal is a PhD, why spend $50,000 to $100,000 to get a degree that’s not needed, especially when your PhD program should be fully funded - tuition plus living expenses? Get your research experience, good grades, and strong recommendations and you should be a top candidate.
@KingAnon - As others have said, a Masters is not necessary in physics/astrophysics, nor does it necessarily shorten the time to the PhD degree in many highly selective programs, which will insist on students taking all the courses even if they are repeated from the Masters program. As a physics professor myself, I would recommend that you do a few things as you plan for a Ph.D.
Think about how to get real research experience during your undergraduate program. This would remove the need for a Masters degree which is truly not necessary in physics if you are interested in a Ph.D. Getting into a graduate program in the US is highly influenced by your research experience and your letters of reference. Of course you need to do well on your General and Physics GRE exams if you want to be considered for those highly selective graduate programs which only admit a small fraction of applicants and thus may not even look thoroughly at an application which does not meet minimum standards of GRE scores and GPA. If you really have no option for getting research experience before a Masters, then don't take extra time in getting 2 Bachelors degrees but finish the first one and then move right on to the Masters. You can take a physics degree and get into an astrophysics graduate program with no difficulty.
You look carefully at the individual programs that you apply to in order to determine which program is best for your career goals. It is not necessarily true that the universities that you first think of are the best for physics graduate programs. There are excellent programs outside the East and West coasts and one of those might be a better fit for you. Also try to identify the faculty you might like to work with from journal articles and see where they are located. You might find that you change the list of schools you apply to. Ultimately, your thesis advisor is the most important person in your finding a job after you finish the Ph.D. and there are outstanding faculty in may universities that do not come immediately to mind.