The Colorado School of Mines is a unique university dedicated to the sciences, engineering, and high technologies, with modern facilities and innovative research centers.

Members of the faculty in the Department of Physics are engaged in research that is supported by external grants in excess of $6 million annually, with strong efforts in Condensed Matter Physics, Subatomic Physics, Applied Optics, Renewable Energy, and Theoretical Physics.

The Department benefits from strong ties to internationally prominent facilities such as the nearby National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In addition, faculty use facilities at other national labs, such as Oak Ridge and Los Alamos National Laboratories.

Numerous projects involve cooperative relationships with local companies, national and international collaborations with other universities and government labs, and active partnerships with members of the Mines faculty in other departments on campus.

The Department offers the MS and the PhD in Applied Physics. The Department is also a member of the interdisciplinary Materials Science Program and the interdisciplinary Nuclear Science and Engineering Program. Applicants who are interested in working with members of the physics faculty can apply to either the Physics program or the interdisciplinary programs. Financial aid is available to qualified applicants in all three programs through teaching or research assistantships and fellowships.

Graduate students in Applied Physics are given a solid background in the fundamentals of classical and modern physics at an advanced level. A wide range of upper-level elective courses aimed at departmental focus areas in condensed matter physics, subatomic physics, and applied optics are also taught.