Fully Funded Master’s Programs in Physics

Jun 20, 2023
A view of Church Street Marketplace lit up by street lights at night. Burlington, Vermont, USA.
A view of Church Street Marketplace in Burlington, Vermont. The University of Vermont, based in Burlington, offers a fully funded Master’s program in Physics.

As part of our series How to Fully Fund Your Master’s Degree, here is a list of universities that offer fully funded Master’s programs in Physics. A Master’s degree in Physics can lead to exciting, well-paying careers ranging from technical engineering positions to educational research and teaching positions.

Fully funded Master’s programs in Physics are those that offer full funding to admitted students at acceptance. “Full funding” is a financial aid package for full-time students that includes full tuition remission as well as an annual stipend or salary during the entire program, which for Master’s degrees is usually 1-2 years. Funding usually comes with the expectation that students will teach or complete research in their field of study.

Not all universities provide full funding for their master’s students, which is why we recommend researching the financial aid packages of all potential Master’s in Physics (M.S.) programs, including smaller and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad. To assist with this search, you can find more than 1,000 fully funded Master’s and Ph.D. programs in the free ProFellow Database, which also includes external fellowships for graduate and doctoral study, as well as dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, and summer work experience.

Would you like to receive the full list of more than 1000+ fully funded programs in 60 disciplines? Download the FREE Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards!

Ohio University Fully Funded Master’s in Physics

Ohio University offers a fully funded Master’s program in Physics. This comprehensive program combines research and coursework, allowing students to delve into astrophysics, biophysics, condensed matter, nuclear and particle physics, and cosmology. The Department of Physics & Astronomy provides financial support to nearly all admitted students, with teaching assistantships (TA) in the initial years and research assistantships (RA) after. No separate financial aid applications are required.

University of Alabama at Birmingham Fully Funded Master’s in Physics

The University of Alabama at Birmingham offers a fully funded Master’s program in Physics. Students in the M.S. and Ph.D. programs may specialize in areas of interest to the faculty, including experimental, theoretical, and computational physics. Most admitted students receive a stipend of $26,000 through assistantships and fellowships. In addition, tuition and the cost of health insurance for graduate students are usually paid for by the department or by research grants and fellowships.

University of Alaska Fairbanks Fully Funded Master’s in Physics

The University of Alaska Fairbanks offers a fully funded Master’s in Physics. The program’s Master of Science in Physics combines approximately two years of coursework with a research project or thesis. Research and teaching assistantship positions are available to incoming and enrolled graduate students. Most graduate students work as teaching assistants (TA) for at least their first year in the program. After their first year, students can expect to be supported by a research assistantship typically funded from research grants held by individual faculty members.

University of Alberta Fully Funded Master’s in Physics

The University of Alberta in Canada offers a fully funded Master’s in Physics. This thesis-based program typically accepts students with an equivalent Bachelor’s degree. Students in good standing can transfer directly into a Ph.D. program without completing the MSc. M.S. students in Physics who request and receive funding receive approximately $29,030 through Graduate Teaching Assistantships (TA) or Graduate Research Assistant Fellowships are granted over four terms each year.

University of Georgia Fully Funded Master’s in Physics

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) offers a fully funded Master’s in Physics. Faculty members currently conduct research and direct doctoral candidates in experimental and theoretical topics in atomic, biological, condensed matter, materials, high-energy, nuclear, laser, and molecular physics. Almost all incoming graduate students receive a tuition waiver and a Teaching Assistantship. All Physics graduate students at UIC hold 9-month academic year appointments as a Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, or some combination throughout their graduate work. Over the summers, graduate students are typically on a Research Assistantship.

University of Illinois Chicago Fully Funded Master’s in Physics

The University of Illinois Chicago offers a fully funded Master’s in Physics. Faculty members are currently conducting research and directing doctoral candidates in both experimental and theoretical topics in the major research areas of atomic, biological, condensed matter, materials, high-energy, nuclear, laser, and molecular physics. Almost all of their incoming graduate students will be offered a tuition waiver and a Teaching Assistantship. All Physics graduate students at UIC hold 9-month academic year appointments as a Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, or some combination throughout the duration of their graduate work. Over the summers, graduate students are typically on a Research Assistantship.

University of Kansas Fully Funded Master’s in Physics

The University of Kansas offers a fully funded Master’s in Physics. The Master of Science program provides an in-depth look at the foundational areas of modern Physics. Most full-time students receive support from teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or fellowships from other sources. The Physics department tries to ensure that all students, who remain in good standing with the department and the university, receive financial support for the entirety of their studies.

University of Mississippi Fully Funded Master’s in Physics

The University of Mississippi offers a fully funded Master’s in Physics. This program offers exciting research opportunities in atmospheric physics, condensed matter physics, gravity, high energy physics, and physical acoustics. The Department of Physics and Astronomy provides guaranteed financial support for all graduate students through teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and non-service honor fellowships. This support is for the nine-month academic year. Additional sources of funding are available for the summer months.

University of New Hampshire Fully Funded Master’s in Physics

The University of New Hampshire offers a fully funded Master’s in Physics. The Department of Physics offers excellent research opportunities for graduate students in applied optics, condensed matter, nuclear and particle physics, education, and high energy theory and cosmology. Department of Physics graduate students are typically fully funded by teaching or research assistantships for the academic year. Summer funding is also typically awarded, but the amount varies by research group.

University of Vermont Fully Funded Master’s in Physics

The University of Vermont offers a fully funded Master’s in Physics. Almost all Department of Physics graduate students receive Graduate Teaching Fellowships (GTF), which provide a stipend for nine months (the academic year) and a tuition scholarship covering up to 10 credits per semester. Beginning graduate students teach laboratory classes and later teach laboratory classes or recitations and conduct research for their thesis with the support of research grants. The Department of Physics’ research focuses on Theoretical and Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Astrophysics, and Biological Physics.

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