The Michigan State University (MSU) nuclear physics graduate program retained its No. 1 ranking, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking for best graduate schools.
The 2023 America’s Best Graduate Schools ranking recognizes the nuclear physics graduate program as best in the nation for the 13th year in a row. Bolstering MSU’s reputation in the field is FRIB, a new U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC) user facility for nuclear science. Nuclear physics students have access to world-class facilities on campus at FRIB, and students have opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary work. The faculty for the top-ranked program have joint appointments with FRIB and the MSU Department of Physics and Astronomy.
“Congratulations to the excellent faculty, staff and students who are pushing the boundaries of nuclear science and technology for this well-deserved top ranking,” said Phil Duxbury, dean of the College of Natural Science. “The MSU nuclear physics graduate program in our Department of Physics and Astronomy continues to strengthen and broaden with the ribbon-cutting for the new-state-of-the-art Facility for Rare Isotope Beams in May 2022. Researchers from across the world will be attracted to MSU to use this facility, providing even more unique experiences for the many students in the program.”
MSU operates FRIB as a user facility for the DOE-SC, supporting the mission of the DOE-SC Office of Nuclear Physics to discover, explore, and understand all forms of nuclear matter. FRIB was technically completed in January 2022, on budget and ahead of the planned project completion (Critical Decision 4) in June 2022. User experiments are anticipated to begin 9 May.
FRIB is a premier training ground for graduate students through its graduate program. 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 FRIB are prepared for outstanding careers in research, education, and industry.
For more information about MSU’s rankings, read the article on the MSU Today website.
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 (DOE-SC), supporting the mission of the DOE-SC Office of Nuclear Physics. Hosting the most powerful heavy-ion accelerator, FRIB will enable scientists to make discoveries about the properties of rare isotopes in order to better understand the physics of nuclei, nuclear astrophysics, fundamental interactions, and applications for society, including in medicine, homeland security, and industry.
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of today’s most pressing challenges. For more information, visit energy.gov/science.