PhD in Department of Physics

The tuition fee is 10,344,000 KRW per year.

The Department of Physics at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), located in Nam-gu, South Korea, offers a combined master's and doctorate program taught in English for students conducting independent research into the fundamental behavior of matter and energy. Depending on the laboratory a student joins, research can focus on condensed matter physics, particle and nuclear physics, optics and photonics, quantum information, or astrophysics, typically combining theoretical modeling with experimental or computational work. Because the master's and doctorate stages are combined, students progress through a single extended sequence of coursework and research rather than applying separately for each degree, moving gradually from foundational study toward independent dissertation work. Candidates are trained to formulate research questions, design experiments or simulations, and interpret results in a way that contributes new understanding to the field, culminating in a dissertation defended before faculty. Because physics research often depends on specialized equipment and computing resources, students typically spend substantial time in laboratory or computational facilities alongside coursework that strengthens their theoretical foundation. The coursework phase of this combined program runs four years, with entry offered in the middle of February or the beginning of September, giving international applicants flexibility in scheduling their start. Graduates commonly move into research careers at universities, national laboratories, or technology companies working on semiconductors, photonics, or materials science, while others pursue university teaching positions. POSTECH's research profile, closely tied to South Korea's electronics and materials industries, gives doctoral physics students access to instrumentation and collaborators throughout their extended program of study.