Departmental Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. Program   Ph.D. candidates must pass 12 departmentally required courses (unless credit for advanced standing is given by the departmental advisor) of which seven are specified “core courses” and five are electives. In addition the candidates must pass at least six elective courses with a letter grade (not S or U) and six more courses which may be in non-topical research.

Qualifying Examination   Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must pass a qualifying examination in the subjects of classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics. The material for this is covered in the seven core courses, which are expected to be completed before the start of the fourth semester.

Research and Thesis Requirements   Ph.D. candidates must present a dissertation on their research, satisfactory to their research advisor, and defend it in an oral examination.

The Engineering Physics Program   The Department of Physics also offers an engineering physics degree program which is jointly administrated with the School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science. The engineering physics program offers the flexibility of pursuing an advanced degree in interdisciplinary fields defined by the student. Students seeking the Ph.D. degree in this program must satisfy the engineering physics degree course requirements: two each in physics and engineering and one in mathematics. In addition, students must also satisfy any other general requirements listed in the School of Graduate Engineering section of the Record. Students must choose a research advisor and declare a concentration in the Engineering School within the fall semester of their first year. The qualifying examination for a Ph.D. has an oral examination following a written examination having three components, at least one component in physics and one in engineering must be taken.

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