Michael Hoff
Job Title
Assistant Professor
Employer
University of Washington
Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
Canadian Immigration Updates
Review details about the recently announced changes to study and work permits that apply to master’s and doctoral degree students. Read more
Overview
The Department of Physics and Astronomy is a broad-based department with a wide range of research interests covering many key topics in contemporary physics, astronomy, and applied physics. We are a vibrant community that engages in a wide range of research directions, from probing the origin of the universe to exploring emergent phenomena in complex systems, that provide deep insights into the nature of the universe and practical solutions that will help define the world of tomorrow. Departmental research activities are supported by several computing and experimental facilities, and excellent electronics and machine shops.
Our graduate programs include approximately 200 graduate students, working on experiments and theory in research fields that include: Applied Physics, Astronomy/Astrophysics, Atomic/Molecular/Optics, Biophysics, Condensed Matter, Cosmology, Gravity, Medical Physics, Nuclear Physics, Particle Physics, and String Theory.
What makes the program unique?
The Department of Physics & Astronomy at UBC is noted for the excellence of its research and its high academic standards and integrity. It is one of the largest and most diverse physics and astronomy departments in Canada. We are constantly rated as one of the top Physics & Astronomy programs in the world. Much of the Department's research is enhanced by local facilities such as the TRIUMF National Laboratory, the Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory (AMPEL), and the BC Cancer Agency, UBC, and associated teaching hospitals, in addition to many specialized research laboratories housed within the Department. There is a great deal of collaboration and overlap of interests among the various groups.
Each year, our faculty bring over $20 million in research grants. This enables us to maintain world-class research laboratories and computational facilities, attract distinguished post-doctorate researchers, and support highly skilled engineers and technicians whose expertise is critical to our research.
Quick Facts
Program Components
Dissertation
Program Enquiries
Still have questions after reviewing this page thoroughly?
Contact the program
Contact the program
Admission Information & Requirements
1) Check Eligibility
Minimum Academic Requirements
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
English Language Test
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based
Overall score requirement: 90
Reading
22
Writing
21
Speaking
21
Listening
22
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Overall score requirement: 6.5
Reading
6.0
Writing
6.0
Speaking
6.0
Listening
6.0
Other Test Scores
Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:
The GRE is not required.
2) Meet Deadlines
Application open dates and deadlines for an upcoming intake have not yet been configured in the admissions system. Please check back later.
3) Prepare Application
Transcripts
All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.
Letters of Reference
A minimum of two references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. Each graduate program determines the type of reference (e.g. academic, professional) and number of references they require which can range from 2 to 4. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your qualifications for the program.
Statement of Interest
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.
Citizenship Verification
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
4) Apply Online
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $116.25 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,875.34 | $3,294.66 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,626.02 | $9,883.98 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,144.10 (approx.) | |
| Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. | |
* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.
Program Funding Packages
From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.
Funding Statistics
Based on the criteria outlined below, 77 students within this program were included in this study because they received funding through UBC in the form of teaching, research, academic assistantships or internal or external awards with a mean of $37,513 and a median of $40,494.
This results in a net balance (any funding provided to the student minus tuition and fees) mean of $29,398 and median of $31,788.
- 51 students received Teaching Assistantships. Median TA funding based on 51 students was $9,093.
- 56 students received Research Assistantships. Median RA funding based on 56 students was $21,550.
- 2 students received Academic Assistantships. Median AA funding based on 2 students was $3,154.
- 77 students received internal awards. Median internal award funding based on 77 students was $7,799.
- 11 students received external awards. Median external award funding based on 11 students was $35,000.
Study Period: Sep 2023 to Aug 2024 - funding for full-time PhD students enrolled in three terms per academic year in this program across years 1-4, the period covered by UBC's Minimum Funding Guarantee. Mean and median values might mask variability in sources and amounts of funding received by individual students. Beyond year 4, funding packages become even more individualized.
Review methodology
Review methodology
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)
Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.
Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)
Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 24 hours a week during academic sessions.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Career Outcomes
108 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 2 graduates are seeking employment; for 11 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 95 graduates:
RI (Research-Intensive) Faculty: typically tenure-track faculty positions (equivalent of the North American Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions) in PhD-granting institutions
TI (Teaching-Intensive) Faculty: typically full-time faculty positions in colleges or in institutions not granting PhDs, and teaching faculty at PhD-granting institutions
Term Faculty: faculty in term appointments (e.g. sessional lecturers, visiting assistant professors, etc.)
Sample Employers in Higher Education
University of British Columbia (7)Simon Fraser University (2)
Goethe University Frankfurt
Stanford University
Queen Mary University of London
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Duke University
Washington University in St Louis
Beijing Normal University
Harvard University
Sample Employers Outside Higher Education
BC Cancer Agency (8)United States Department of Energy (3)
1QB Information Technologies (1QBit) (2)
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) (2)
MTT Innovation Inc. (2)
Google (2)
Coanda Research and Development Corporation (2)
FINCAD (2)
Bayer (2)
Ottawa Hospital
Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education
Medical Physicist (10)Data Scientist (2)
Research Scientist (2)
Engineer (2)
Director (2)
Software Engineer (2)
Staff Scientist (2)
Senior Strategy Consultant
Product Engineer
Chief Executive Officer
PhD Career Outcome Survey
You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.Disclaimer
These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.Alumni on Success
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 102 | 90 | 103 | 94 | 86 |
| Offers | 25 | 16 | 19 | 13 | 19 |
| New Enrolment | 14 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 16 |
| Total Enrolment | 111 | 114 | 112 | 111 | 116 |
Completion Rates & Times
This program has a graduation rate of 88% based on 91 students admitted between 2011 - 2014. Based on 50 graduations between 2020 - 2023 the minimum time to completion is 2.73 years and the maximum time is 10.47 years with an average of 5.43 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.
Disclaimer
Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new enrolment for each registration year, May to April, e.g. data for 2022 refers to programs starting in 2022 Summer and 2022 Winter session, i.e. May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Data on total enrolment reflects enrolment in Winter Session Term 1 and are based on snapshots taken on November 1 of each registration year. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Graduation rates exclude students who transfer out of their programs. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs.
Upcoming Doctoral Exams
Friday, 18 July 2025 - 12:30pm - Room 200
Edward Thoeng
Depth-resolved Studies of SRF Materials Using High Parallel-Field beta-NMR Spectrometer
Tuesday, 22 July 2025 - 1:00pm - Room 200
Shovon Biswas
Zero-Energy Modes in Quantum Field Theories
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (PhD)
Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
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Marziali, Andre (Teaching methods, pedagogy, Robotics in education, Nanotechnology, Engineering Physics, Genomics, Biophysics, Genomics Technologies)
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Mattison, Thomas (Subatomic physics, Particle & Nuclear Physics, Applied Physics)
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McIver, Jess (General relativity and gravitational waves in astronomical and space sciences; Gravitational wave astrophysics; Multi-messenger astronomy; Characterization of large-scale physics instrumentation; data science)
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McKenna, Janis (Physical sciences)
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Michal, Carl (Soft condensed matter; Development and applications of spectroscopic and structural techniques; Solid-state NMR; NMR and MRI of brain tissue; NMR methods and instrumentation; Biological and functional materials)
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Milner, Valery (Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics; Ultrafast Quantum Coherent Control; Ultrafast Spectroscopy )
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Oser, Scott (Physical sciences; dark matter; Elementary Particles; neutrinos; particle physics; statistical methods for physics; gravitational wave astronomy; LISA)
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Plotkin, Steven (Biophysics theory and computation )
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Potter, Andrew (Condensed matter theory, Atomic, molecular, and optical theory, Quantum information science and quantum computing, Topological phases of matter, Strongly correlated quantum materials, Quantum dynamics, thermalization, and localization, Quantum criticality)
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Rahmim, Arman (Clinical oncology; Medical physics; Physical sciences; Image Reconstruction; Machine learning and radiomics; medical physics; Molecular imaging; Quantitative Imaging; Theranostics)
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Rauscher, Alexander (Other physical sciences; Medical and biomedical engineering; magnetic resonance imaging; physics; quantitative susceptibility mapping; myelin water imaging; brain; maschine learning)
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Reinsberg, Stefan (Medical physics, MRIs )
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Rottler, Joerg (Physical sciences; Condensed Matter and Materials Physics; Nanomaterials; Polymers; Soft Matter; Solids)
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Rozali, Moshe (String theory, high energy physics, quantum field theory, cosmology and classical gravitational physics)
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Schleich, Kristin (Theoretical physics, general relativity )
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Scott, Douglas (Astronomical and space sciences; Physical sciences; Cosmology; Science and Knowledge)
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Semenoff, Gordon Walter (Particle physics theory (including aspects of field theory and string theory); Physical sciences; Moedal experiment, Large Hadron Collider, CERN; String theory, quantum field theory, statistical mechanics; Theoretical and mathematical physics, the physics of elementary particles, condensed matter physics)
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Sigurdson, Kris (The Universe, Cosmology, Dark Matter, Dark Energy, Particle Physics, Astrophysics, Cosmic Microwave Background, Cosmic 21-cm Fluctuations, Radio Astronomy, CHIME )
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Sossi, Vesna (Medical Imaging, Brain imaging )
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Stairs, Ingrid (pulsars, gravity, general relativity, radio astronomy, radio pulsars, pulsar searches and long-term timing, Radio astronomy)
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Stamp, Philip C (Theoretical physics, strongly-correlated condensed matter systems, quantum magnetism, decoherence, quantum information, gravity)
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Unruh, William (black holes; cosmology; quantum computers; theory of gravity )
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Van Raamsdonk, Mark (elementary particle theory, high energy theory. , String theory, quantum field theory, quantum gravity)
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Van Waerbeke, Ludovic (astrophysics, cosmology, dark energy, universe, gravitational lensing, galaxy, galaxies, Cosmology, dark matter, galaxy formation, structure formation)
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Waltham, Christopher (Physical sciences; Musical Acoustics)
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Doctoral Citations
A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Dr. Simidzija developed and investigated a theoretical model of the Universe that is based on a theory of quantum gravity. It is hoped that one day such a model will be able to explain the origin of the Universe itself. |
| 2024 | Dr. Miller investigated dual-isotope applications for radiopharmaceutical therapies that treat various types of cancer. Her research demonstrated that dual-isotope SPECT imaging can improve the calculation of radiation doses during therapy which can enable personalized treatment and hopefully improve patient outcomes. |
| 2024 | Dr. Belley developed first-principles quantum many-body methods to further our theoretical understanding of neutrinoless double beta decay: a hypothetical process that sheds light on many properties of the neutrino. He also developed machine learning algorithms to greatly accelerate calculations for its first reliable uncertainty quantification. |
| 2024 | Dr. Yang investigated a series of emergent phenomena in atomically thin quantum materials with rhombohedral stacking. Dr. Yang's research offers new insights into the intertwined relationship between excitons, two-dimensional ferroelectricity and correlated physics. |
| 2024 | Dr. Zurel invented new hidden variable models and classical simulation algorithms for quantum computation to investigate the link between quantum computational advantage and physical notions of nonclassical physics such as quantum contextuality and negative quasiprobabilities. |
| 2024 | Dr. Kraft studied how students experienced a lab in the first-year physics lab sequence. He found that students struggled to correctly interpret statistics and implemented an intervention to address this. These results, along with his other investigations in this lab, provide valuable feedback for designing open-ended physics labs. |
| 2024 | Dr. Korchinski developed theories explaining the statistical properties of the cascading rearrangements observed in disordered solids and crumpled sheets. |
| 2024 | Dr. MacPhail-Bartley used laser fields to control the speed and direction of molecular rotation of molecules embedded in superfluid helium. By controlling this rotational energy, we are able to investigate how this energy is dissipated by the liquid helium. This moves us forward towards developing a microscopic understanding of the nature of superfluidity. |
| 2024 | Nearly 85% of the universe's matter is dark matter of unknown composition. Dr. Pradeep led the characterization of ultra-sensitive dark matter detectors and developed tools based on machine learning to enhance their resolution. Her work will empower the search for a rare phenomenon - the scattering of dark matter particles from atomic targets. |
| 2024 | Dr. Frieling used laser cooled atoms to create ultra-cold molecules and study chemical reactions at 1 millionth of a degree above absolute zero and to characterize the performance of a new quantum atomic sensor for vacuum metrology relevant for applications in aerospace and semi-conducting fabrication industries. |
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Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Information
Specialization
Physics provides research opportunities in many subfields of physics, including
- applied physics: this effort has spawned a number of spin-off companies.
- medical physics: be involved in a broad range of medical physics research in the areas of radiation therapy, medical imaging, biomedical optics and radiation biophysics.
- biophysics: the application of quantitative principles and methods to biological systems.
- nuclear and particle physics: the aim of subatomic physics is to understand matter and the fundamental forces in the universe and ultimately form a Theory of Everything.
- astronomy and astrophysics: study stars, galaxies, the material in between, and the Universe as a whole.
- atomic, molecular, and optical physics: this field is rapidly expanding and serves as the basis for many modern technological innovations.
- condensed matter physics is concerned with understanding and exploiting the properties of solids and liquids and the large area that this covers makes it the largest field of contemporary physics.
- theoretical physics: Gravity and Relativity, String Theory, High Energy Physics, and Condensed Matter Theory, to Quantum Information and Biophysics
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
VGDPHD-T5
Classification
Program Enquiries
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Contact the program
Contact the program
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
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