Message from the Dean

Welcome to the California Institute of Technology graduate school website!

Caltech grants doctoral degrees and a limited number of master's degrees in most fields of science and engineering. The graduate program is world renowned and offers superb research training along with a strong but flexible curriculum. Graduate programs in research-intensive institutions like Caltech provide some classroom education, but the majority of the experience is centered around learning through working on an open-ended problem, with the goal of developing the ability to independently formulate and carry out a research program. Graduate students spend the majority of their time in small research groups or individually working with faculty advisors. We have an outstanding faculty—including several Nobel Laureates—and state-of-the-art laboratories, computing, library, and astronomical research facilities. Graduate students at Caltech also have the opportunity to collaborate with scientists and engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and other research centers.

Admission to Caltech is highly competitive, but we especially welcome applications from groups that have historically been underrepresented in academia. There are currently about 1200 students enrolled in the twenty-three degree granting options, and almost all doctoral students are fully funded via fellowships and research and teaching assistantships.

The information on this website is intended to provide prospective students and current students with a broad overview of the graduate programs at Caltech, in addition to current news, announcements, special events, and research opportunities. I hope you will agree that Caltech is an ideal place to pursue a graduate education.

David C. Chan
Harold and Violet Alvarez Professor of Biology;
Dean of Graduate Studies