How to Find Undergraduate and Graduate Program Information on the UCI Physics and Astronomy Site

Updated

The UCI Physics and Astronomy website (physics.uci.edu) organizes program information under two separate top-level menus: Undergraduate and Graduate. Prospective undergraduates should start in the Undergraduate menu, where the first item is "Prospective Undergraduates"; prospective PhD students should start in the Graduate menu, which leads to the PhD Program and Astronomy & Astrophysics pages. Both menus are reachable from the main navigation bar on any page of the site.

Undergraduate Program Information

The Undergraduate menu is structured for students at different stages, from those still deciding whether to apply to those already enrolled and looking for courses or honors options.

What each entry covers

Menu item What you'll find
Prospective Undergraduates Entry point for students considering the major
Research Opportunities Ways for undergraduates to get involved in department research
Community & Events Departmental community and event information
Courses and More Course-related information for undergraduates
Honors Program Details on the undergraduate honors track

If you are exploring the major before applying, begin with Prospective Undergraduates and then look at Research Opportunities to understand what hands-on work is available. If you are already enrolled and planning your schedule or considering graduating with honors, go directly to Courses and More and Honors Program.

How to get there

  1. Open physics.uci.edu.
  2. Locate the main navigation bar (a "Jump to navigation" link appears at the top of the page for keyboard and screen-reader users).
  3. Select Undergraduate.
  4. Choose the entry that matches your situation using the table above.

Expected result: you land on a page within the Undergraduate section rather than a general department page, which confirms you are in the right part of the site.

Graduate Program Information

The Graduate menu covers the department's PhD offerings and its astronomy-specific program.

What each entry covers

Menu item What you'll find
PhD Program The department's doctoral program information
Astronomy & Astrophysics The astronomy and astrophysics graduate program
New Astrophysics Courses Recently added astrophysics course information
Astronomy & Astrophysics Qualifying Exam Qualifying exam information for the astrophysics program
Physics Grad Caucus The graduate student organization

Prospective doctoral applicants should read PhD Program first, then check Astronomy & Astrophysics if their interest is in that subfield. Current students preparing for milestones will want the Astronomy & Astrophysics Qualifying Exam page, while those interested in student life can look at Physics Grad Caucus.

How to get there

  1. From any page on physics.uci.edu, select Graduate in the main navigation.
  2. Choose PhD Program for general doctoral information, or Astronomy & Astrophysics for the astronomy track.
  3. Use the qualifying exam entry when you need exam-specific details.

Expected result: you reach program-specific pages rather than the department's general "About Us" content.

Checking Research Areas Before You Choose a Program

Program choice often depends on whether the department covers your intended research area. The site lists research areas under the Research menu, including Astrophysics, Biological Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Medical Physics, Particle Physics, and Plasma Physics, plus the Eddleman Quantum Institute. Reading these pages before committing to the undergraduate or graduate path helps you confirm the department actually works in your field of interest.

Common Sticking Points

  • Using the search box instead of the menus. The site has a search form, but the Undergraduate and Graduate menus are the reliable route to program pages; search results can mix news items with program pages.
  • Confusing news with program information. The homepage foregrounds News & Events, seminars, and lectures. These are not program pages—use the Undergraduate and Graduate menus for admissions and curriculum information.
  • Looking for admissions logistics on program pages. The menus lead to program descriptions; specific application deadlines and requirements are handled through UCI's admissions processes, so treat the department pages as program overviews rather than application portals.
  • Missing the astronomy track. Astronomy & Astrophysics sits inside the Graduate menu as its own entry, so PhD applicants interested in astronomy should check both the PhD Program and Astronomy & Astrophysics pages rather than assuming one covers the other.

Quick Reference

  • Undergraduate programs: Undergraduate menu → Prospective Undergraduates, Research Opportunities, Courses and More, Honors Program
  • Graduate programs: Graduate menu → PhD Program, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Qualifying Exam
  • Research areas: Research menu → Astrophysics through Plasma Physics, plus Eddleman Quantum Institute
  • Department contacts: Resources menu → Department Contacts