Dr. Steven Kahn

Professor

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Biography

Prof. Kahn received his undergraduate degree in Physics from Columbia University in 1975 and completed his PhD in Physics at UC Berkeley in 1980. He held a Center Postdoctoral Fellow position at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics from 1980 to 1982, and served as Assistant Professor of Physics at Columbia from 1982 to 1984. He progressed through the academic ranks at Berkeley, becoming an Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor of Physics and Astronomy from 1984 to 1995. Kahn then became the I.I. Rabi Professor of Physics at Columbia from 1995 to 2003 and served as the Cassius Lamb Kirk Professor of Natural Sciences at Stanford SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory from 2003 until 2022. He returned to Berkeley in 2022, where he currently holds the position of Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences and Professor of Physics and Astronomy. Kahn is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Research Interests

Experience

Dean of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

2022-01-01 — Present

University of California, Berkeley • Berkeley, CA

Currently serving as Dean and Professor of Physics and Astronomy.

Cassius Lamb Kirk Professor of Natural Sciences

2003-01-01 — 2022-01-01

Stanford SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory • Stanford, CA

Held professorship focused on natural sciences.

I.I. Rabi Professor of Physics

1995-01-01 — 2003-01-01

Columbia University • New York, NY

Served as a full professor in the physics department.

Full Professor of Physics and Astronomy

1984-01-01 — 1995-01-01

University of California, Berkeley • Berkeley, CA

Held multiple positions in the physics and astronomy departments.

Awards

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Fellow

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Fellow

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Fellow

Requirements for University of California, Berkeley

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE Subject
Overall Score
Required:500
Overall
Required:500
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or recognized equivalent Preparation comparable to undergraduate major at Berkeley in Mathematics or Applied Mathematics 2 full years lower-division work (Calculus, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Multivariable Calculus) 8 one-semester upper-division courses (Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Abstract Algebra, Linear Algebra)
Application Checklist
  • Graduate Application
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Personal History Statement
  • Three Letters of Recommendation
  • Unofficial Transcripts
  • C.V./Resume
  • Course and Textbook List
Specialization Notes

The Mathematics Subject GRE is required for the Fall 2026 admissions cycle. General GRE is optional.