A degree in physics and astronomy

Physics is crucial to understanding the world around us, the world inside us, and the world beyond us. Advances in technology are providing above-average job growth in areas that require strong proficiency in science and mathematics, making the choice of a degree in physics and astronomy a wise one.

Zowada Observatory

Career outlook

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Areas of research

Seminars and colloquia

Meet Jake Miller: B.S. in Physics '18

I had always been interested in science as a kid. Once I started taking college-level science courses, I fell in love with it. It is one thing to be interested in the physical world around us, but once I started to understand the theory behind it, I knew I was in the right field.

Meet Anna Marlatt: B.S. Physics/B.A. Astronomy '16

Anna Marlatt talks about her experience majoring in the Physics and Astronomy Department and her career path after graduation. "I first fell in love with physics and astronomy in my ninth-grade Earth Science class. I was fortunate enough to have attended a high school with a planetarium that offered several physics and astronomy courses. Wayne State was the ideal choice for me because they offered both options."

Meet Brandon Boudreaux: Physics major

My favorite thing about the physics and astronomy department is the community and the atmosphere. The physics department feels present and close-knit. My involvement in the Society of Physics Students has blessed me with the opportunity to be a part of that community.

Meet Isaac Mooney: Ph.D. in Physics' 22

Isaac Mooney graduated from Wayne State with a Ph.D. in Physics in 2022. He worked in the relativistic heavy ion research group with Professor Joern Putschke. He is now a postdoctoral researcher at Yale University, Jet Working Group convener in the STAR collaboration and also received an honorable mention in the 2022-23 RHIC/AGS Thesis Award competition.

Meet Joseph Pakizer: B.S. in Physics '19

Through all the group study sessions my classmates and I organized during my undergraduate and graduate studies, I gained a deeper understanding of every course I took and gained new friendships. This culture, while talking to my peers, is what sets the Department of Physics and Astronomy at WSU apart from other departments and other universities.

Meet Rachael Merritt: B.S. Physics, B.A. Astronomy, B.A. Classics '15 and M.S. Physics '17

Rachael Merritt graduated from Wayne State as a triple major in 2015 with a B.S. in Physics, B.A. in Astronomy and B.A. in Classics. She was in the first graduating class of our Astronomy program. She continued with graduate studies at Wayne State, graduating with an M.S. in Physics in 2017, before heading to Georgia State University to get her Ph.D. in Astronomy (graduating in 2022). She was recently awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation Mathematical and Physical Sciences Ascending Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, which she holds at the University of Colorado Boulder.

More spotlights

News

Professor Brad Roth smiles, surrounded by family and friends, holding a plaque in recognition of his President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching.

Academic Recognition Ceremony celebrates faculty, staff excellence

Picture of the Breakthrough Prize trophy

Wayne State Physics professors honored with the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

Physics Ph.D. student earns top honor at Asian Triangle Heavy-Ion Conference

Wayne State University mourns longtime physics professor and champion for peace and conflict studies Al Saperstein

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Events

May

16

Public planetarium show on May 16, 2025 at 6 p.m. 6 p.m.
May

17

Young Astronomers Show on May 17, 2025 at 11 a.m. 11 a.m.
More events

Planetarium