|
|
|
In
the Department of Physics and Astronomy we offer two degrees:
DOCTOR
OF PHILOSOPHY - MASTER OF SCIENCE.
The Department of Physics
and Astronomy works closely with the graduate students on theoretical and
experimental research in the following areas:
|
DEGREE
REQUIREMENTS
|
DOCTOR
OF PHILOSOPHY
|
|
(71 hours beyond the baccalaureate degree)
|
| 1. |
Students must either complete or exempt Phys 6510, 6520, 6810
and 7600. Exemption from these courses may be granted on the basis of testing
or of having successfully completed similar courses elsewhere. Students not
exempting at least two courses must take more than the 71 minimum hours
required for the degree. |
| 2. |
Students must have competence in the following areas of
mathematics: matrix algebra, vector and tensor analysis, partial differential
equations, Fourier series and boundary value problems, and complex variables. |
| 3 |
Students seeking a Ph.D. degree in Physics must
complete at least 22 hours of core courses (biophysics or applied physics
options may replace some of the core courses with other relevant courses)
including: |
|
| Phys 8010 |
Advanced Classical Mechanics (4) |
| Phys 8100 |
Advanced Electromagnetic
Theory I (3) |
| Phys 8110 |
Advanced Electromagnetic
Theory II (3) |
| Phys 8210 |
Quantum Mechanics I (3) |
| Phys 8310 |
Statistical Mechanics II (3) |
And two of the following courses with a minimum of six credits. Course
choices should be selected after discussion with your research adviser, and
approval of the graduate director. Other options may be possible. (Applied
Physics options may replace some of the above core courses with other relevant
courses). See graduate director for details.
| Astr 6000 |
Fundamentals of Astrophysics (3) |
| Astr 8000 |
Stellar Atmospheres (3) |
| Astr 8100 |
Stellar Structure and Evolution (3) |
| Astr 8200 |
Galactic Structure (3) |
| Astr 8300 |
The Interstellar Medium (3) |
| Astr 8400 |
Extragalactic Astronomy (3) |
| Astr 8700 |
Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology (4) |
| Phys 8120 |
Plasma Physics (3) |
| Biol 6094 |
Developmental Neurobiology (4) |
| Biol 6180 |
Neurobiology Laboratory (4) |
| Biol 6680 |
Biological Imaging (4) |
| Biol 6696 |
Laboratory in Molecular Biological Techniques (4) |
| Biol 8060 |
Behavioral Neuroscience (3) |
| Biol 8010 |
Neurobiology I: Cellular Neurobiology (4) |
| Chem 6190 |
Instrumental Methods III: Spectroscopy (3) |
| Chem 6450 |
Molecular Modeling Methods (3) |
| Chem 6600 |
Biochemistry I (5) |
| Chem8510 |
Biophysical Chemistry (4) |
| Chem 8520 |
Computational Chemistry (3) |
Students seeking a Ph.D. degree in
Astronomy must complete at least fifteen hours of core courses including:
| Astr 6000 |
Fundamentals of Astrophysics |
| Astr 6100 |
Astronomical Techniques
and Instrumentation |
And at least three of the
following:
| Phys 8010 |
Advanced Classical mechanics |
| Phys 8100 |
Advanced Electromagnetic
Theory I |
| Phys 8110 |
Advanced Electromagnetic
Theory II |
| Phys 8210 |
Quantum Mechanics I |
| Phys 8310 |
Statistical Mechanics |
|
| 4a. |
Students seeking a Ph.D.
degree in Physics must complete:
| Phys 8220 |
Quantum Mechanics II (3) |
At least 12 additional hours of
8000-level physics courses. No more than three hours of Phys 8910 (Directed
Study) can count towards the degree. |
| 4b. |
Students seeking a Ph.D. degree in Physics with concentration in Biophysics
must complete 15 additional hours of 8000 level courses, of which 9 hours must
be in the area of concentration. The remaining hours may be in the area of
concentration or in physics. No more than three hours of directed study (Phys
8910) can count towards the degree. Students pursuing the Applied Physics
option may have to satisfy specific course requirements. Contact the relevant
graduate director for details. |
| 4c. |
Students seeking a Ph.D.
degree in Astronomy must complete at least 21 additional hours of
8000-level astronomy courses, including at least two (but no more than three)
hours of Astr 8900 (Seminar). No more than three hours of Astr 8910 (Directed
Study) can count towards the degree. |
| 5. |
Satisfactory completion
of one hour of Phys 6300 or Astr 6300 (Teaching Physics/Astronomy) and two
hours of Phys 6310 or Astr 6310 (Teaching Physics/Astronomy Lab Practicum). |
| 6. |
A minimum of 20 hours of either Phys 9999 or Astr 9999
(Doctoral Dissertation Research) must be completed; only 21 counts towards the
71 hours for the Ph.D. Only fifteen hours of Phys 9999 counts towards the 71
hours for the students in Biophysics concentration. The Applied Physics option
will have more specific requirements. Contact the research adviser/graduate
director for details. |
| 7. |
Satisfaction of the
foreign language/research skill requirement. (Contact the department for
details.)
|
| 8a. |
Students seeking a Ph.D. degree in Physics must take the
physics general examination, administered as a written examination, after
taking Phys 8210, 8010, 8100, and either Astr 6000 or Phys 8310, Chem 6190.
The qualifying exam for the graduate program in Physics with a concentration
in Astrophysics or Biophysics will include three out of four exams standard
for the Physics program, and will replace the fourth area examination with one
in Astrophysics or Biophysics as appropriate. This replacement needs to be
approved in advance by the student’s adviser and the Graduate Director of
the program. |
| 8b. |
Students seeking a
Ph.D. degree in astronomy must take the first astronomy general examination,
administered as a written examination covering the fundamentals of astronomy,
within a year of entering the program. |
| 8c. |
Students seeking a
Ph.D. degree in astronomy must also take the second general examination,
administered as a written and oral examination, after passing at least twelve
hours of 8000-level astronomy courses and at least nine hours of required
8000-level physics courses. |
| 9. |
Students pursuing the Ph.D. degree are strongly urged to
satisfy the requirements for the M.S. (non-thesis option) as
soon as possible after entering the program. See the appropriate director of
graduate studies for details. |
| 10. |
An oral presentation discussing the
student’s proposed dissertation research. |
| 11. |
A dissertation. |
| 12. |
An oral examination on the
completed dissertation. |
Prior to registration each
semester, students must be advised by either the chair or the appropriate
director of graduate studies.
|
|
|
MASTER
OF SCIENCE (Physics, 30 Hours)
|
| 1. |
Twenty-four hours
of graduate coursework, which must include the following 13 hours of
8000-level courses:
Phys 8010 Advanced Classical
Mechanics
Phys 8100 Advanced
Electromagnetic Theory I
Phys 8110 Advanced
Electromagnetic Theory II
Phys 8210 Quantum Mechanics I
Other course requirements may apply for biophysics and applied physics
options. Contact the relevant graduatedirector for details. |
| 2. |
No more than one hour
of Astr/Phys 6300 and one hour of Astr/Phys 6310 can be applied to the
M.S. degree. |
| 3. |
Proficiency in a
foreign language or in an approved research skill. |
| 4. |
A general
examination. |
| 5. |
Six hours of Phys
8999, Thesis Research. |
| 6. |
A thesis. |
| 7. |
A thesis defense. |
|
|
|
MASTER OF SCIENCE
(Astronomy, 30 Hours)
|
| 1. |
Twenty-four
hours of graduate coursework, which must include:
a. Astr 6000,
Fundamentals of Astrophysics.
b. Nine additional hours of 8000-level graduate astronomy courses.
c. No more than one hour of Astr/Phys 6300 and one hour of Astr/Phys 6310
can be applied to the M.S. degree. |
| 2. |
Proficiency
in a foreign language or in an approved research skill. |
| 3. |
A general
examination. |
| 4. |
Six hours
of Phys 8999, Thesis Research. |
| 5. |
A thesis. |
| 6. |
A thesis
defense. |
|
|
|
MASTER OF SCIENCE, Nonthesis Option (36 hours)
|
| 1. |
Students pursuing a
nonthesis M.S. with a concentration in physics must complete all four of
the following core courses;
students pursuing a nonthesis M.S. with a concentration in astronomy must
complete Astr 6000 and at least two
of the following four core courses: |
|
| Phys 8010 |
Advanced
Classical Mechanics |
| Phys 8100 |
Advanced
Electromagnetic Theory I |
| Phys 8110 |
Advanced
Electromagnetic Theory
II |
| Phys 8210 |
Quantum
Mechanics I |
| All
students must also complete at least two of the following courses: |
| Phys 8120 |
Plasma Physics |
| Phys 8220 |
Quantum
Mechanics II |
| Phys 8310 |
Statistical
Mechanics |
| Phys 8410 |
Atomic Physics |
| Phys 8510 |
Condensed
Matter Physics |
| Phys 8610 |
Nuclear Physics |
| Phys 8650 |
Fundamentals of
Particles and Interactions |
| Astr 8000 |
Stellar
Atmospheres |
| Astr 8100 |
Stellar
Structure and Evolution |
| Astr 8200 |
Galactic
Structure |
| Astr 8300 |
The
Interstellar Medium |
| Astr 8400 |
Extragalactic Astronomy |
| Astr 8600 |
Stellar
Spectroscopy |
| Astr 8700 |
Relativistic
Astrophysics |
|
| 2. |
No more than one hour
of Astr/Phys 6300 and one hour of Astr/Phys 6310 can be applied to the
M.S. degree. |
| 3. |
Proficiency in a
foreign language or in an approved research skill. |
| 4. |
A general
examination. |
| 5. |
A research paper. |
APPENDIX
The following list of alternate
research skills is approved for students of the Department of Physics and
Astronomy. If two alternate skills are to be included in a student's program
both may not be from the same area, e.g. Computer Language.
COMPUTER LANGUAGES
The Department allows proficiency
in BASIC, C, C++, FORTRAN, IDL or Mathematica as an alternative research skill. Proficiency may be shown by passing a test
in any of those languages of by successfully completing CSc 2301, Introduction
to Computer Programming: FORTRAN or CIS 3260, Introduction to Programming
in C/C++ or CIS 3280 Object-Oriented Programming in C++, with a grade of
'B' or better.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
The Department will accept
a grade of 'B' or better in CSc 6610 Numerical Analysis I, as proof of
proficiency in numerical analysis.
TECHNICAL WRITING
A grade of 'B' or better
in English 8115, Technical Writing, would demonstrate proficiency in the
alternative research skill.
| Return
to Home | Top of Page | Return
to Graduate Studies Page |
|
|
|
