Physics PhD
Degree Requirements
The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.
MS Degree Requirements for PhD Students
Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program have the opportunity to obtain a formal master's degree as they work toward completion of the Ph.D. These requirements are as follows:
- Completion of seven core courses in the first year
- Completion of five or more elective courses in the second year
- GPA of 3.0 or higher
PhD
Total Units Required: 13
(All but electives are required for the MS degree.)
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| Core Courses | |
| PHYSICS 411-0 | Classical Mechanics |
| PHYSICS 412-1 & PHYSICS 412-2 & PHYSICS 412-3 | Quantum Mech and Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Mechanics |
| PHYSICS 414-1 & PHYSICS 414-2 | Electrodynamics and Electrodynamics |
| PHYSICS 416-0 | Introduction to Statistical Mechanics |
| Elective Courses | |
| PHYSICS 411-1 | Methods of Theoretical Physics |
| PHYSICS 420-0 | Statistical Physics |
| PHYSICS 421-0 & PHYSICS 422-2 & PHYSICS 422-3 | Introduction to Superconductivity and Condensed-Matter Physics and Condensed-Matter Physics |
| PHYSICS 424-1 | Particle Physics |
| PHYSICS 426-0 | Nonlinear Optics |
| PHYSICS 427-0 | Quantum Optics |
| PHYSICS 428-1 & PHYSICS 428-2 & PHYSICS 428-3 | Quantum Field Theory and Quantum Field Theory and Relativistic Quantum Field Theory |
| PHYSICS 430-0 | Nonlinear Dynamics & Chaos |
| PHYSICS 432-1 & PHYSICS 432-2 | Many-Body Theory and Many-Body Theory |
| PHYSICS 434-0 | Quantum Fluids, Solids, and Gases |
| PHYSICS 435-0 | Soft Matter Physics |
| PHYSICS 436-0 | Mesoscopic and Nanometer Scale Physics |
| PHYSICS 440-0 | Advanced Topics in Nuclear Physics |
| PHYSICS 441-0 | Statistical Methods for Physicists and Astronomers |
| PHYSICS 442-0 | Advanced Topics in Particle Physics |
| PHYSICS 445-1 & PHYSICS 445-2 | General Relativity and General Relativity |
| PHYSICS 450-0 | Advanced Topics in Condensed Matter |
| PHYSICS 460-0 | Advanced Topics in Statistical Physics |
| PHYSICS 465-0 | Advanced Topics in Nonlinear Dynamics |
| PHYSICS 470-0 | Introduction to Biological Physics: From Molecules to Cells (IBiS 410) |
| PHYSICS 480-0 | Advanced Topics in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics |
Other PhD Degree Requirements
- Examinations: There is no longer a written qualifying exam. Should a student’s grades in the core courses fall below a 3.0, the student will be required to sit for an oral qualifier with a chosen committee.
- Research/Projects: original research project of publishable quality
- PhD Dissertation: none specified beyond the PhD degree requirements outlined in the Current Students section of the web site
- Final Evaluations: none specified beyond the PhD degree requirements outlined in the Current Students section of the web site