PhD Program Description
The central element in our Ph.D. program is research conducted by students under the close supervision of a faculty research advisor. To prepare for this key stage of their graduate career, students take a full year of course work in basic areas of physics, classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics, as well as at least three one-quarter courses in advanced topics. Typically these courses are closely related to the student's research interest, but at least one must be in a different area.
Upon enrollment in the program, students are matched with a faculty mentor who serves as their advisor until the time a research advisor is selected. Faculty mentors provide guidance on course selection, progress to degree, preparing for advancement to candidacy, selecting a research advisor, and any issues that influence the student's academic progress. Students meet with their faculty mentor on a quarterly basis until the time they advance to candidacy.
Students desiring to change faculty mentors should contact the faculty graduate advisor.
We try to be sure that all students have a research advisor by no later than the beginning of their third year, and preferably earlier. At the beginning of the third year, each student must pass the advancement to candidacy examination, after which the primary focus is research and work on a dissertation is completed.
Course Requirements: First year students will be required to pass the following graduate physics classes with a grade of B or better: [205] Classical Mechanics, [210A-B] Electromagnetic Theory, [215A-B-C] Quantum Mechanics, and [219] Statistical Mechanics (course descriptions). A student must maintain an over-all B average in graduate courses. Upon petition, a student may be exempted from a normally required course on the basis of equivalent courses taken at another institution. In addition to the core courses, theoretical students must complete a minimum of five advanced graduate courses and experimental students must complete a minimum of three advanced graduate courses. These courses must be passed with a grade of B or better. At least one of these courses must be in an area clearly distinct from the student's field of specialization.
In appropriate cases, a course in a different department or a different institution may be substituted. The appropriateness of the latter or the suitability of a proposed course as being in a “clearly distinct area” will be determined by the Faculty Graduate Advisor. For examples of the wide range of non-physics courses that have been approved in the past, please download electives.pdf [PDF]. Students who are interested in taking a non-physics course to satisfy part of their elective requirement must consult with the Faculty Graduate Advisor, even if the course appears on the electives.pdf list. Approval depends on the student's overall program, and thus is on a case-by-case basis.
