Here is a brainstormed document of some main things to remember when applying for a Physics Ph.D. program.
My search
I applied mainly to Canadian and German institutions (with a few exceptions). I was looking for more HEP-th positions, particularly in Astroparticle Theory or somewhere on the overlap of formal theory and particle physics. I was also open-minded to adjacent fields. Most of the information I am putting here is from my personal experience during the application period.
Things to keep in mind before you start the search
- The market seems heavily saturated since COVID hit. Many people have delayed graduation for various reasons — to attend conferences, to finish another experiment, to finish some collaboration, etc. The market seems to be slowly opening up now.
- Why is this relevant? For many places, especially in theory, Professors generally tend to have a finite number of graduate students.
- A straight-up fact: Some fields have more positions available than others. Experimental positions in any field tend to have more openings than their counterpart. Mainly, condensed matter seems to be doing very well and has many positions available. Astrophysics seems to have reasonably open positions too.
- If you are looking for a position in a field where openings are rare, your search will be much more exhausting. As an example: I had approximately a dozen professors I was very excited to apply to in Canada — I feel I was very, very lucky that I got one of my top 3 choices. Luck does play a very significant role.
Where do I look for open positions?
- inspire-hep — Even though it is inspire”HEP,” you can find job offers for literally most of the fields
- hyperspace — Particularly for Relativity and Gravitation
A lot of Ph.D. positions are not advertised very well — the portals above are just a starting point.
Ph.D. programs in Canada
Most well-known Canadian Universities have a Ph.D. program that requires a Masters before. There are two types of Ph.D. students accepted in Canada.
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Students who have already secured a Ph.D. advisor: Some departments require that you already have secured a Ph.D. advisor before applying.
- McGill, Queen’s, UVic, Carleton, McMaster, Manitoba, UOttawa, Guelph (double check — you need an advisor ready before you apply)
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Students who have not secured a Ph.D. advisor: There are places where a possibility exists to get in without having secured a supervisor. There exists a possibility does not mean you should apply without securing a supervisor.
- UofT, Waterloo, Alberta (still double check please)
Note: “What about the scenario that the Ph.D. advisor is interested in me but has not promised me a Ph.D. position?” Use your judgment. I would apply in most of these scenarios — I am sure my application would receive their attention. Applying to Ph.D. programs in Canada costs money; if there is financial strain, factor that in.
Ph.D. programs in Germany
In Germany, you also need an M.Sc. Physics before applying. Germany has two types of Ph.D. programs:
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Individual: You approach a professor of your liking and join their group from their funding. There is no formal application portal. How to find prospective supervisors:
- Google: Universities in Germany
- Google: Physics faculty at [insert university]
- Find the group(s) you are interested in
- Shortlist the professors you like
- Look at what they are currently doing — open their arXiv or inspire-hep
- Prepare your documents (CV and transcripts mainly)
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Structured: A formal program with an application portal (findable on InspireHEP). Funding comes from a grant, not necessarily your advisor’s.
Contacting prospective supervisors
Contact your prospective professors at least a year in advance. Use your institutional email address. Here is a template:
Dear Prof. Sommerfeld,
I am an M.Sc. Physics student in my last semester at Heidelberg University. I am working on my M.Sc. thesis under the supervision of [Prof. name] at [university]. I finished my master’s coursework in [courses]. My current grade is [grade]. I am also well versed in [coding language / software relevant to your field].
My current research has been on [two lines of research]. I am particularly interested in [2–3 topics that you and the prof share]. I have read [cite a paper or article]. Hence, I wanted to ask if you will be looking for prospective Ph.D. students for [semester/term/year]. I have attached my CV below.
Thank you for your time. Best regards, Werner Heisenberg
Keep it brief and to the point — this is first contact. Remove points that aren’t relevant yet.
Preparing documents
Start approximately one month before you begin contacting supervisors. Documents in descending order of importance:
Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
Your letters of recommendation hold much more value than ever imagined. Make sure you have at least two professors who are familiar with your work, and one with whom you took a class and were noticed — not necessarily by acing it, but by being attentive, asking good questions, attending office hours.
CV
Your CV will be crucial at both stages — contacting professors and the formal application. Keep it simple. A clean LaTeX CV goes a long way. Your CV will be read for approximately 30–45 seconds, so make sure everything important is visible. KISS: Keep It Simple Silly. Stick to two pages maximum.
Transcripts
Have the most updated transcripts before handing them out. One common mistake: “I will take XYZ course in two months — let me wait before I ace it to contact my advisor.” No. One course will not change their perspective. If you get a new grade, request updated transcripts ASAP.
Statement of Purpose
Start early. Very early. You will go through multiple drafts. I wish you luck if you expect a quality SOP in less than a week — it will be very daunting. A more detailed guide on writing an SOP for Physics Ph.D. is coming soon.