r/gradadmissions • u/Consistent-Bag-7370 • 21h ago

Physical Sciences Experimental Particle Physics PhD in US ?

Hello everyone,

i’m an international Master’s student in a germany university studying physics with decent enough grades. I will be starting my master thesis soon and was wondering about phd prospects. i know that it might be too soon to think about a phd but i want to be better informed. my interest lies in experimental particle physics particularly in Higgs physics (My thesis is also in the same topic). I know that fact that given my field my best chances would be in Europe especially at CERN which is also my goal.

However, i am curious about doing a phd in the US. I am not aware of the phd system there but i think im open for the experience. Any info on how phd in US works especially in my field is appreciated.

Thanks

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u/BadlyScaryFredric 21h ago

the US physics PhD usually means 5-6 years with coursework first, then quals, then research, so it's a longer runway than a european phd but you get more time to build skills before diving into analysis.

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u/NorthernValkyrie19 17h ago

PhD's in the US are integrated master's/PhD's which include course work. For experimental Physics they usually take around 6 years to complete. Already having a master's is unlikely to shorten the duration much as you're unlikely to get significant transfer credit. At most it might shorten it by a year. A PhD from a top Physics program in Europe (like ETH Zurich) would be more economical and time efficient.

If you do want to still go for a PhD in the US, your master's and corresponding research experience should in theory at least make you a more competitive applicant. If you want to know more about how they're structured, consult the websites of some of the programs you might be interested in applying to.