Illinois Tech is an excellent choice for graduate study in physics as the department is small, collegial, and collaborative. Research is organized into small groups of faculty members, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, and undergraduate students working closely on related projects. Classes are generally small and informal, and thesis research is carried out in close collaboration with the faculty adviser.<br><br>Faculty provide personal attention and support. At the same time, Illinois Tech is a major research institution with connections to Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, and global physics experiments such as Daya Bay. Major areas of research include particle and accelerator physics, condensed matter physics, superconductivity, biophysics, and computational biophysics. Faculty have special expertise in such areas as XAFS and synchrotron.