Requirements for Graduate Degrees in the Department of Physics Note: All the rules of the Graduate School, as described in the Graduate Catalog, are to be maintained. The Committee consisting of GSAC (the Graduate Student Advisory Committee) and the Graduate Core Course instructors will be referred to as the GSAC(+) Committee.

Preamble
The purpose of the Preliminary Examination is to asses the student’s preparation for working toward an advanced degree. This Examination covers material typical of an undergraduate physics major curriculum. The performance needed to pass the Examination is intended to correspond to a mature command of such a curriculum. The purpose of the Graduate Core Courses is to provide a comprehensive knowledge of the foundations of physics and to prepare the student for the specialized work necessary for pursuing an advanced degree. The Qualifying Examination, which has both written and oral parts, serves the purpose of deciding whether the student is qualified to continue work toward a Ph.D. degree.

1. Preliminary Examination (written)

A. Covers material learned as an undergraduate major, but requires a higher level of sophistication than the minimum required to pass these courses.

B. All graduate students, who have not passed, should take the examination when it is offered. To continue work toward a Master’s or Ph.D. degree, the Preliminary Examination must be passed by the end of the second year. Before being allowed to attempt the Qualifying Examination, the Preliminary Examination must be passed by the end of the student’s second year. In special cases, as judged by the GSAC(+) Committee, students who require significant additional undergraduate preparation may be allowed, at most, one year to pass the Preliminary Examination. These cases will be judged after the student has taken the Preliminary Examination for the first time.

C. Given twice a year, at the start of the Fall and Spring semesters.

D. In any year, the Fall and Spring Semester Preliminary Examinations will be administered by two different Committees, with one common Chair.

Composition of the Committees: The Chair of the Department will appoint 12 faculty members to each sub-committee (Fall and Spring), along with one common Committee Chair.

E. Format of the Exam: For the Fall semester, the Exam will be given on two consecutive days during the week before classes begin. For the Spring semester, the Exam will be given on the first two days of scheduled classes. The exam period will be six hours per day, three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon, with a break of at least two hours between the sessions. Six problems will be posed each day, i.e. three in the morning and three in the afternoon. All assigned problems are to be worked in the session in which they are assigned.

F. Content: All of the problems are graded and contribute to the final score. From the total of 12 problems, at least three problems will be generally classified as QM (Quantum Mechanics), three as EM (Electromagnetism), two as SM&T (Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics), and two as CM (Classical Mechanics).

The remaining two problems may be generated from any area of physics that is studied in a typical undergraduate program and may be a synthesis of several specialized subjects, including QM, EM, SM&T, and CM. Specifically, Modern Physics (PHY3101), Mechanics (PHY3221-4222), Electromagnetism (PHY3323-4324), Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics (PHY3521-4523), Quantum Mechanics (PHY4604), and Laboratory Physics (PHY4802L-4803L). Each problem is graded on 10 points. Total of 120 points for the exam.

G. Grading: “Blind” grading procedures will be used. More specifically, the ID numbers used for the Exam will allow deciphering of information about the students, such as the number of times the Exam has been attempted. Someone other than the person who posed that problem and provided the solution will grade each problem. The Pass/Fail determinations will be made while maintaining “blind” procedures (thereby being independent of the number of times the Exam has been attempted by a student) and will be based on the total score. No partial/conditional passes will be given. The GSAC(+) Committee will review the results of the examination including the performance on each question, for diagnostic purposes. However, the GSAC(+) Committee is not allowed to know the identity of the students ahead of the entire Faculty.

H. While maintaining blind procedures about the identity of the students, the Pass/Fail results are approved by the entire Faculty at the first Faculty Meeting of each Semester.


2. Graduate Core Courses
A. Students are required to pass (or obtain a waiver for) the Graduate Core Courses (i.e. “Core Courses”), namely two semesters of QM, two semesters of EM, one semester of CM, and one semester of SM. Students seeking to pursue a Ph.D. thesis must have a Core Course GPA of at least 3.30 before attempting the Qualifying Examination. If a Core Course is repeated, only the highest grade is considered when computing the Core Course GPA.

B. The Core Courses may be taken over a period of two years, although the well-prepared student is encouraged to complete the Core Course requirement in the first year.

C. The GSAC(+) Committee will review the student’s performance on the Preliminary Examination and in the Core Courses. At the end of the Fall and Spring semesters, the GSAC(+) Committee may grant waivers of individual Core Course requirements and/or make recommendations for satisfactory completion of additional courses. If significant additional undergraduate work is deemed necessary, the GSAC(+) Committee may extend the Core Course deadline by at most one year.

D. First year students who enter with advanced degrees and/or Core Course equivalent experience are expected to take the QM and EM Core Courses in their first semester and to perform all the work required in these courses. At the end of the semester, the GSAC(+) Committee will review the student’s performance on the Preliminary Examination and in the Core Courses. This Committee may waive Core Course requirements. Exceptionally well-prepared students may, upon entering the Department, request a waiver of Core Course requirements. When considering these requests, the GSAC(+) Committee will review the student’s performance on the Preliminary Examination and the previous academic record.

3. Composition of the Ph.D. Supervisory Committee
A. Students are encouraged to form their Supervisory Committees as soon as possible, and certainly before the end of their second year. The Supervisory Committee should include a breadth of faculty expertise, including an appropriate balance between experiment and theory.

B. A proposed Supervisory Committee should be drafted by the student only after discussions with the proposed thesis advisor and with each person who is being listed as a proposed member. As described by the rules of the Graduate School, if the Chair of the Department approves, then the Chair nominates the Supervisory Committee to the Dean of the Graduate School.

C. All subsequent changes to the Supervisory Committee must be approved by the Chair of the Department.

4. Qualifying Examination (written and oral parts)
A. May not be attempted until after satisfactory completion of the Preliminary Examination and Core Course requirements. The earliest time that the Qualifying Examination may be attempted is during the third semester of graduate study beyond the bachelor’s degree (as described by the rules of the Graduate School). In all cases, this Examination shall be attempted before the end of the third year and must be passed before the end of the fourth year in order to continue work toward a Ph.D. degree.

B. For this examination, the student is expected to present a proposed research topic to the Supervisory Committee. Although the topic may be related to the eventual thesis subject, a direct relationship is not a requirement.

C. The written part of the examination consists of a 10-15 page document describing the proposed research topic. The motivation for the proposed study and the proposed methods should be described. This document must be given to each member of the Supervisory Committee at least one week before the oral part of the examination.

D. The oral part of the examination shall begin with a concise presentation by the student. The goal is to introduce the proposed research area and to summarize the salient features of the proposed topic.

E. During and after the oral presentation, the Supervisory Committee may ask questions about any aspect of the student’s preparation for the proposed research. The questions may involve fundamental questions about the foundations of the physics topics that are being discussed.

F. On the basis of the student’s performance on the written and oral parts of the Qualifying Examination, the Supervisory Committee will decide whether the student is qualified to continue work toward a Ph.D. degree.

5. Master’s Degrees

A. The present M.S.T. degree requirements will not be changed.

B. In order to receive a Master’s non-thesis degree, the student must pass the Preliminary Examination by the end of the second year. In addition, the student must pass the Core Courses with a Core Course GPA of 3.00. If a Core Course is repeated, only the highest grade is considered when computing the Core Course GPA. The Distribution Requirement must be satisfied.

C. In order to receive a Master’s with thesis degree, the student must pass the Preliminary Examination by the end of the second year. The first semester of the QM and EM Core Courses must be taken. In addition, the student must write a thesis and present it to the Supervisory Committee as described by the Graduate School.

6. Mechanics of Implementation

A. The process and procedures described herein will take effect for all graduate students entering the Department at the start of the Fall 2000 semester and thereafter.

B. Students who enrolled in the Department prior to the Fall 2000 semester may choose between the present “Comprehensive” examination or these new procedures. However, they must indicate their irrevocable choice, in writing, by the end of the Spring 2000 semester.