The requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in physics are set in general terms to allow the individual student as much freedom as possible to prepare a course of study suited to individual needs. These requirements are: competence in standard topics of graduate-level physics indicated by a satisfactory performance on a qualifying examination—the qualifying exam requirement may be waived by the Department if competence in these topics is demonstrated through performance in courses covering core graduate physics topics; the giving of an oral Preliminary Research Presentation demonstrating the ability to organize and orally present a topic of current research interest in physics; a paper showing the student's ability to organize and present a written scholarly report on contemporary research prior to candidacy; advanced course study consisting of at least three courses at the 600-level or above (of at least 3 credits each) excluding courses covering core graduate physics subjects, seminar courses or independent studies; active participation in at least two hours of seminar, 12 hours of thesis research, and the presentation and defense of an original dissertation.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Any three graduate-level courses of three credits or more excluding seminars, independent study courses, or courses on core graduate-level physics subjects | ||
| Non-credit Foundations and Frontiers of Physics seminar | ||
| Select two semesters of a physics seminar course | ||
| Pass the qualifying exam or have this exam requirement wavied on the basis of performance in course work | ||
| Give a Preliminary Research presentation after passing the qualifying exam | ||
| Submit a scholarly paper | ||
| Dissertation Research Requirements | ||
| PHYS899 | Doctoral Dissertation Research | 12 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
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