• 20 March 2018

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Michigan State University's nuclear physics graduate program maintained its No. 1 ranking(link is external), according to the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking for best graduate schools(link is external).

Bolstering MSU’s reputation in the field is FRIB, a new scientific user facility for nuclear science, under construction now on campus. Nuclear physics students have access to world-class facilities on campus at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory(link is external) (NSCL) and FRIB, and students have opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary work.

"The continuing leadership of the MSU nuclear physics program is driven by a combination of the excellence of the faculty, staff and students of NSCL and FRIB and strong support from the National Science Foundation(link is external) and U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science(link is external)," said Phil Duxbury, Department of Physics and Astronomy chair. "The future looks very bright with growing expertise in fundamental nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics and accelerator physics, and with new collaborations in other areas of science and technology at MSU and across the nation."

There are many unique opportunities available to nuclear physics graduate students at MSU:

  • NSCL(link is external), the premier rare-isotope accelerator facility in the United States, is also a premier training ground for graduate students through its graduate program(link is external). By working with some of the world’s top faculty and staff in experimental and theoretical nuclear physics and astrophysics, as well as in accelerator physics and engineering, graduate students at NSCL are prepared for outstanding careers in research, education and industry.
  • The Accelerator Science and Engineering Traineeship (ASET) program at MSU leverages unique campus-based equipment, systems, and experts at FRIB and NSCL, extensive ASET faculty and research support in the MSU Department of Physics and Astronomy(link is external) and the College of Engineering(link is external), and resources at U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories. A component of the program is the MSU Cryogenic Initiative, a collaboration between FRIB and the MSU College of Engineering, which addresses a nationwide need to educate and train the next generation of cryogenic system innovators.
  • The FRIB Theory Alliance(link is external) (FRIB-TA) is a coalition of scientists from universities and national laboratories who seek to foster advancements in theory related to diverse areas of FRIB science; optimize the coupling between theory and experiment; and stimulate the field by creating permanent theory positions across the country, attracting young talent through the national FRIB Theory Fellow Program, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, and shepherding international initiatives.
  • The Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics - Center for the Evolution of the Elements(link is external) (JINA-CEE) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Physics Frontiers Center that links rare isotope science with the physics of stable isotopes, the physics of stars and stellar explosions, and modern multi-messenger astronomy that includes ground and space-based observatories, neutrino observatories, and gravitational wave detectors. The network brings together nuclear experimentalists, nuclear theorists, astronomers, theoretical astrophysicists, and computational physicists from 26 institutions in eight countries.

Best nuclear physics programs

Ten Michigan State University graduate programs are positioned in the nation's top 10, with five in the No. 1 position, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 rankings(link is external). For more information about MSU’s rankings, read the article on the MSU Today website(link is external).

 Join the #1 nuclear physics graduate program in the nation

Michigan State University (MSU) operates the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) as a user facility for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science(link is external) (DOE SC), with financial support from and furthering the mission of the DOE‑SC Office of Nuclear Physics. FRIB is registered to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, and ISO 45001.

Michigan State University U.S. Department of Energy