How to Apply to the Physics Concentration at Brown: No Admission by Concentration, Declaring by the Middle of the Fourth Semester, Sc.B. or A.B. Degrees with Mathematical Physics, Biological Physics and Astrophysics Tracks, and Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Brown University calls its undergraduate majors concentrations, and physics is taught by the Department of Physics. At application you list an intended concentration and you declare after enrolling. Engineering, mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, computer science and other majors are not covered here, except for a one-line mention where they combine with physics. This guide follows the official websites and is organized for US domestic students, international students (including those from China) and transfer students.

1. Degrees and tracks

• Two degrees: the department awards a Bachelor of Science (Sc.B.) and a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) in physics. The Sc.B. tracks require a senior thesis; A.B. concentrators can also choose to write one. Sc.B. candidates have more recommended physics courses and may take more non-physics electives in closely related fields such as mathematics, applied mathematics and chemistry; A.B. concentrators may take the same advanced physics courses but fewer of them, with a wider range of electives.
• Standard A.B. requirements: introductory physics (0070 and 0160, or 0050 and 0060, or 0030 and 0040), Electricity and Magnetism 0470, Advanced Classical Mechanics 0500, Sophomore Laboratory 0560, Quantum Mechanics A (1410), Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics 1530, plus one more 1000-level physics course or one mathematics course beyond MATH 0170 or 0190.
• Standard Sc.B. requirements: introductory physics, 0470, 0500, 0560, 1410, Quantum Mechanics B (1420), Advanced Electromagnetic Theory 1510, 1530, Modern Physics Laboratory 1560 and Senior Conference 1990 (thesis); four mathematics courses beyond MATH 0170/0190 or 0090 and 0100 (which can include applied mathematics), one more 1000- or 2000-level physics course or an upper-level course in a related science agreed with the advisor, and at least one computational-methods course is recommended. The writing requirement can be met with PHYS 1560 and/or 0560 with a grade of B or higher, completed by semester 6.
• Three specialized tracks: Mathematical Physics (open to Sc.B. and A.B. candidates, with more mathematics courses); Biological Physics (biology and chemistry courses plus PHYS 1610, thesis required); Astrophysics (eighteen courses, thesis required).
• Interdepartmental concentrations: Physics and Engineering (Sc.B. only, with the School of Engineering; students can take the standard physics or engineering programs in the first two years and then switch, a thesis is required, and four humanities and social science courses are added); Physics and Philosophy (A.B. only, with the Department of Philosophy); Biophysics (A.B. or Sc.B., administered by the Division of Biology and Medicine); Chemical Physics (Sc.B. only, administered by Chemistry); Geology-Physics/Mathematics (A.B. or Sc.B., administered by Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences). See the department page and the bulletin for details; this guide only lists the names.
• Other paths: a five-year combined Sc.B./A.B. program (a standard or independent concentration in the humanities or social sciences alongside the physics Sc.B.) and a fifth-year master’s degree program.
• Size: the department says it has 31 faculty and about 100 graduate students and enrolls about 15 to 20 new physics concentrators a year; all courses are taught by professors; enrollments beyond the first two years range from 12 to 20.

2. How admission works and when you declare

• At application: the “Brown Questions” section of the Common Application asks for your top concentration choices as far as you know. Admissions says there are no quotas among concentrations and Brown does not admit students by academic interest; the information is used only to understand your preferences. The department pages do not give a separate admission standard for physics.
• When to declare: the College’s page says you must declare no later than the middle of the fourth semester, before pre-registering for semester five (usually spring of sophomore year); check the academic calendar for the date. Transfers who enter with fourth- or fifth-semester standing declare in their first term. Declaring involves reviewing the requirements, listing taken and planned courses, talking to a concentration advisor, and submitting the plan in the university system for advisor approval.
• Conditions to declare: the College and department pages read do not state course grades or a GPA needed to enter physics or any cap on places; this is not published, so ask the Physics Concentration Advisor.
• Changing in: the College page says the declaration is a blueprint that can be revised with the advisor’s approval; specific conditions for moving into physics are not published.

3. Prerequisites, placement and credit

• High school courses: the admission and department pages read do not list high school courses required for physics; this is not published. The checklist only says the two teacher recommendations should come from teachers in major academic subjects (science, social studies, mathematics, a world language or English).
• Introductory physics and calculus: the department’s requirements offer three introductory routes (0070+0160, 0050+0060, 0030+0040) and the mathematics requirement reads “four courses beyond MATH 0170/0190 or 0090 and 0100” for the Sc.B. and “one mathematics course beyond MATH 0170 or 0190” for the A.B. (so those calculus courses are assumed). The pages do not state required high school physics or calculus or give mathematics placement advice. Students thinking of skipping Physics 30, 50 or 70 should consult their first-year advisor or the Physics Placement Coordinator.
• AP physics: the department says AP credit in physics requires one of: a 5 on Physics C Mechanics; a 4 on Physics C Mechanics plus a 5 on Physics C Electricity and Magnetism; or a 5 on both Physics 1 and Physics 2. Students with these scores who then complete Physics 40, 60, 160, 470, 500 or a 1000-level course may receive retroactive credit for Physics 30. The page stresses these are the requirements for earning credit and are not necessarily required for placement.
• IB and A-levels: an IB HL physics score of at least 5 can earn retroactive credit for Physics 30 (after completing one of the courses above); A-levels follow the same policy with a minimum grade of C. Students with other international certificates should consult a Physics Concentration Advisor about placement.
• Calculus credit: I did not read the mathematics department’s pages, and the physics pages do not say how AP or IB calculus counts toward the mathematics requirements; not published there.
• Labs and thesis: the Sc.B. requires a senior thesis (PHYS 1990). The thesis is due 10 days before the start of reading period in the final semester and the final version by midnight on the last day of reading period; students seeking honors give a presentation, typically a 20-minute talk and 10-minute discussion. Both degrees require the Sophomore Laboratory (0560) and the Sc.B. adds Modern Physics Laboratory (1560).
• Honors: all Sc.B. candidates are eligible without applying. In the eighth semester the concentration and honors advisors review grades in the mathematics and physics courses required (with the highest-graded electives counted if you take extra); if at least one third have grades of A or S with distinction, the remaining requirement is the senior thesis with an oral presentation, judged by the thesis advisor and the two advisors. Candidates typically earn the Sc.B., though in special circumstances an A.B. is acceptable.
• Undergraduate research: the department welcomes and encourages research, which can begin as early as the first year. Early volunteer work can lead to summer or academic-year employment. The university’s UTRA program supports collaborative work with faculty, positions can also be arranged with faculty outside UTRA, and there are national programs such as the NSF REU. The page says such work often leads to presentations at American Physical Society meetings or co-authorship of published papers.
• Competitions: the pages read do not say how physics olympiads such as USAPhO are viewed in admission; not published.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027 entry; most admission pages print no year)

• Early Decision (binding): due November 1, 11:59 p.m. local time, with a decision by mid-December. You may not apply to another institution under another early decision, single-choice early action or restrictive early action plan, and if admitted you must withdraw other applications. The site says the Board of Admission makes the same decisions under Early Decision as under Regular Decision and that you should not assume early applying improves your chances; if denied you may not reapply Regular Decision that year. Outcomes are accepted, deferred to the Regular pool, or denied. Regular Decision: due January 5, 11:59 p.m. local time, decision by early April, with a May 1 reply date.
• Materials: the Common Application and Brown’s supplemental essays; the nonrefundable USD 80 fee (or a fee waiver); the high school transcript and School Report from a school official; a counselor recommendation; two teacher recommendations; Early Decision applicants add the agreement and first-quarter grades; everyone submits midyear grades (due February 27 or as soon as possible); enrolling students submit a final transcript by June 30.
• Science teacher recommendation: the checklist says if you are considering a Bachelor of Science degree or the Program in Liberal Medical Education, at least one recommendation should come from a math or science teacher. The physics Sc.B. falls in this group.
• Standardized tests: beginning with the 2024-25 cycle Brown requires the SAT or ACT (superscored, SAT or ACT or both); there are no minimum scores and scores are read in context; the SAT and ACT writing sections are optional. Scores may be self-reported and official ones are required after admission if you enroll. Testing must be finished by the last October date for Early Decision and the last December date for Regular Decision.

5. US domestic students

• Tuition: Brown is private and the cost page shows one tuition figure with no in-state/out-of-state split. Any preference or guarantee for state residents is not published on the pages read.
• Cost: the cost page (no year stated) lists tuition USD 74,568, fees 3,084, housing 10,710 and food 8,754 for direct charges of 97,116, plus miscellaneous personal expenses of 2,878, for a total of USD 99,994. Most students eligible for university scholarship are in the Book/Course Materials Support program, which covers books and required materials; students outside it have a standard USD 1,300 allowance for books.
• Financial aid: submit both the CSS Profile (code 3189) and the FAFSA. The page lists Early Decision on November 2, 2026 and Regular Decision on February 1, 2027. The CSS Profile opens October 1; Brown does not provide CSS fee waivers and relies on the College Board to waive fees automatically; IDOC documents such as tax returns may be requested.
• Scholarships: the pages read do not describe merit awards for US students; not published. A physics department scholarship is also not published; for research support see UTRA above.
• Tests: see section 4; the SAT or ACT is required.

6. International students

• Admission criteria: Brown says international applicants should feel confident that their accomplishments would allow them to be admitted to a leading university in their own country; first-year students will have completed 12 to 13 years of primary and secondary schooling; there is no preference for or advantage given to any system or country, and applications are read in context.
• National and international examinations: you should plan to sit national and international examinations such as GCE A-levels, the German Abitur, the French Baccalauréat and the IB and submit predicted or actual scores, with actual scores before matriculation. If you are in a national curriculum but do not plan to take the external examinations, you and your school should submit a written request at the time of application.
• English: English proficiency must be achieved before admission; Brown offers no ESL courses for undergraduates and does not admit students provisionally on English. For applicants whose first language, primary home language and secondary language of instruction are not English, Brown “highly recommends” a test: TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, Pearson Test of English or Cambridge English. Minimum scores expected in most cases: TOEFL iBT taken before January 2026, 105; TOEFL iBT taken January 2026 and later, 5.5 (as written on the page); IELTS 8.0; Duolingo 130; PTE 75; Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 191. Those who self-report must send official scores in May 2027 for fall 2027 entry; Brown does not accept MyBest scores, and a result that expires before May 2027 must be sent before expiry. The standardized test requirement still applies.
• Financial aid: international students may apply for university aid; the international aid page says to apply at the same time as for admission, and Brown meets full demonstrated need for those admitted. The admission site says Brown will be need-blind for international students “beginning with the Class of 2029”, while the financial aid office page says it is need-blind for first-year international applicants “applying to enter in the fall of 2025”; the two phrasings differ, so confirm. Students admitted earlier stay under the policy in force when they applied. Aid is need-based and Brown does not offer any merit awards.
• Applying for aid: submit the CSS Profile (code 3189, no fee waivers); the ISFAA form and paper CSS are not accepted. The page lists November 2, 2026 for Early Decision and February 1, 2027 for Regular Decision. The College Board may then request documents through IDOC, such as a 2025 tax return (or non-filer statement) for custodial parents and a statement from parents’ employers documenting 2025 annual earnings if no return is filed in your country.
• Proof of funds: because of limits on off-campus summer work, Brown advises knowing exactly where funds will come from (family resources, government grants or savings) and suggests local educational advisers.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say whether Gaokao results are considered or how; not published, so ask the Office of College Admission. The international criteria page only says to submit predicted or actual results from your own system’s national examinations and gives A-levels, Abitur, the Baccalauréat and the IB as examples; it does not name the Gaokao.
• Transcripts and credentials: the pages do not list specific requirements for Chinese high school transcripts, huikao records or credential evaluation, and give no China-specific notes; not published, so ask admissions.
• English and tests: Chinese high schools usually do not teach in English, so see the English section above; the SAT or ACT is required.
• Aid: the same CSS Profile process as other international students applies; the site says IDOC may request parents’ tax returns or employer earnings statements (its example is a country where returns are not filed), with no China-specific note; other details are not published.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see section 5. The cost page is one table with no separate international figures and no stated year; figures for 2027 entry are not published on the pages read.
• Department scholarships and research programs: department scholarships are not published. The research page lists UTRA and national programs such as the NSF REU; it also links to lists of past summer research and projects, which I did not read item by item.
• Outcomes (the site’s own words): “About two-thirds of our seniors go on to graduate study in physics or related fields at leading graduate schools, and the rest are employed by industry, consulting or financial firms, start-ups, NGOs and government.” The site prints no placement-rate or salary figures.
• Study away: the department says there are multiple study abroad options for physics concentrators and advises planning them with the concentration advisor so progress is not delayed.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: for fall 2027 entry you must have completed 2 or 4 semesters (or 3, 4 or 6 quarters) of full-time college study before September 2027; those with exactly 3 semesters or 5 quarters are only eligible for spring entry. Holders of a bachelor’s degree cannot apply; college credit earned in high school (including dual-degree and early college programs) does not count and those students apply as first-years; you may submit one transfer application per calendar year of entry; transfers must be enrolled full time at Brown for at least four semesters, so applicants with more than four semesters of college work are not considered. Spring entry is for US citizens and permanent residents only; fall entry is open to international students.
• Dates: the fall 2027 transfer application is due March 1, 2027 (the Transfer Common Application and Brown Supplement), the mid-term report April 1, decisions by mid-May, replies in late May and the final transcript by June 15. The spring 2027 deadline is October 1, 2026.
• Tests: the SAT/ACT is optional for transfer applicants; if self-reported, admitted students who enroll submit official scores by June 15 for fall entry. The English requirement matches first-year applicants, with the scores above.
• Credit: Brown does not award transfer credit for AP scores, or for dual-enrollment or high school courses, courses of four weeks or less, summer program courses, or correspondence and self-paced courses. Whether a course counts toward the physics concentration is decided by the department after you arrive, and Brown advises against assuming a course will count. The physics page adds that an outside course offered for the equivalent of PHYS 30 or 40 must have a lab component, and that preapproval goes through the university’s transfer-credit system and then a physics faculty member. Specific GPA or calculus and physics sequence requirements for transferring into physics are not published on the pages read.
• Aid: transfer applicants submit both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile (by March 1, 2027 for fall entry). The transfer application fee is not stated on the pages read.

Checklist

Domestic students:

• Common App by November 1 (Early Decision) or January 5 (Regular); USD 80 fee; SAT or ACT required
• Two teacher recommendations; for the Sc.B. at least one from a math or science teacher; you may list physics as intended, but there are no quotas by concentration
• CSS Profile and FAFSA by November 2, 2026 or February 1, 2027; declare physics no later than the middle of the fourth semester

International students (including those from China):

• The same application and deadlines; predicted or actual scores from your national examinations; an English test is highly recommended, with expected minimums above
• If you need aid, apply with the CSS Profile when you apply; the ISFAA is not accepted; Brown offers no merit awards
• Gaokao use is not published; ask admissions

Transfer students:

• Fall 2027 transfer deadline March 1, 2027; 2 or 4 semesters completed; whether outside courses count toward physics is decided by the department after enrolling; international students may apply for fall entry

Sources: Brown University, Early Decision; Regular Decision; First-year application checklist; Standardized tests; Selecting academic interests; International admission criteria; English proficiency; International financial aid; Applying for aid as an international first-year; Aid for US citizens and permanent residents; Transfer eligibility; Transfer credit; Transfer calendar; Transfer testing; Physics: undergraduate program; Physics: prospective concentrators; Physics: concentrations and degrees; Physics: specialized tracks; Physics: interdepartmental concentrations; Physics: AP, IB and transfer credit; Physics: honors; Physics: senior theses; Physics: undergraduate research; Declaring a concentration; Cost of attendance. Most admission pages print no year; the dates on the English and financial aid pages match fall 2027 entry, and the cost page does not state a year. Check Brown’s website for the latest and confirm the entry year.