A Passion for Physics
Where do the highest-energy cosmic rays come from? Can nanotubes of boron nitride be used to make new electronic devices? Why do some clouds rain while others don’t? These are just some of the questions that motivate faculty and students alike in the physics department at Michigan Technological University. Our department is a close-knit and vibrant community of scholars working together to find answers to these and many other fundamental questions. We invite you to explore our website, or, even better, visit us in person and let us show you who we are and what we do.

What’s Special About Physics at Michigan Tech?
We are a research-intensive department that believes in the importance of discovery within education. Research is not only an important part of our graduate student experience, but also an integral part of our undergraduate student experience. We have strong collaborations with other departments and institutes on campus, further strengthening our programs. Materials science and engineering; electrical and computer engineering; mechanical engineering–engineering mechanics; the Multi-Scale Technologies Institute; and the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute all have strong interdisciplinary connections with our department.

We are also committed to excellence in teaching and learning. We offer small class sizes, including special honors-level sections for our majors, working to advance active learning opportunities for all students in research and the classroom.

Our dedicated faculty and staff love what they do and work hard to help our students succeed. They have been awarded numerous awards for research, teaching, and service.

Student Opportunities
As a Michigan Tech physics student, you have many opportunities for employment. The department hires students as Physics Learning Center coaches, affording students the opportunity to assist their peers with difficult topics. Physics also hires students as laboratory instructors, laboratory and lecture demonstration crew members, and as student researchers.