Degree Requirements

Full details are presented in the Department of Physics and Astronomy Graduate Student Handbook

Contact the Graduate Registrar for further details.

Graduate Advising Guidelines & Expectations

Entering PhD students are expected to enroll in Physics 256 (Instruction in Teaching for Graduate Students) fall and winter term, which is taken in addition to three regular course credits.

A student will be admitted to PhD candidacy upon:

Physics Students:

1. Receiving credit for six out of the following nine prescribed core physics courses: Physics 76, 90, 100, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 109.
2. Satisfy the core competency requirement.
3. Presenting a thesis proposal and successfully defending it before an appointed PhD thesis committee, for certification.
4. Passing a departmental review of the student's course record and preliminary research progress.
5. Receiving credit for at least two terms of Supervised Undergraduate Teaching (Physics 257) and Physics 256.

The core competency requirement is satisfied by earning a grade of HP or P in the following courses: P90 Intermediate Quantum Mechanics; P101 Classical Mechanics; P104 Statistical Mechanics; and P105 Electromagnetic Theory I.

Students must achieve thesis proposal certification by the end of the fall term of their fourth year, in order to remain in good standing. The Department will admit students who successfully complete these requirements to PhD candidacy.

Astronomy students:

1. Receiving credit for Astronomy 115, Astronomy 116, Astronomy 117, Astronomy 118, Astronomy 174, and any one Physics course numbered 61 or above, and any other courses required by the student's advisory committee. Receiving credit for at least six terms of graduate research.
2. Passing a research exam at the end of their first and second years.
3. Presenting a thesis proposal and successfully defending it before an appointed PhD committee for certification.
4. Passing a departmental review of the student's course record and preliminary research progress.
5. Receiving credit for at least two terms of Supervised Undergraduate Teaching (Physics 257) and Physics 256.

Students must achieve thesis proposal certification by the end of the fall term of their fourth year, in order to remain in good standing. The department will admit students who successfully complete these requirements to PhD candidacy.

The candidate will receive the PhD degree upon:

1. Receiving degree credit for at least twelve graduate courses, exclusive of teaching courses. Physics students: Two of the twelve courses may be Graduate Research, and at least two terms of Graduate Research must be completed no later than the second summer in residence. Astronomy students: Six of the twelve courses may be Graduate Research, and at least six terms of Graduate Research must be completed no later than the second summer in residence.
2. Receiving credit for at least two terms of Supervised Undergraduate Teaching (Physics 257) and Physics 256.
3. Completing a dissertation of substantial significance and publishable quality.
4. Successfully defending the dissertation before the PhD Thesis Committee in a public forum.

It is expected that most students will receive the PhD degree by the end of the fifth year of graduate study.