Past Requirements

Graduate Admissions

For a brochure on Graduate Studies in Physics and Astronomy at KU, click on this link.

For more detailed information on our graduate program , click on this link. last updated 10/7/10

We offer the following graduate degrees.

Ph.D. in Physics

M.S. in Physics

M.S. in Physics with emphasis in Computational Physics and Astronomy

Requirements

General Requirements for All Graduate Physics Degrees. last updated 10/7/10

Ph.D. in Physics. last updated 10/7/10

M.S. in Physics last updated 10/7/10

M.S. in Physics with emphasis in Computational Physics and Astronomy last updated 10/7/10

Policy for implementation of new requirements: Unless otherwise specified, students will be held to the most recent version of the requirements that were approved by the department within 6 months of their start date.

A PDF archive of past requirements can be reached here.

Did you know that he KU Department of Physics & Astronomy....

• Has tripled its external research funding in the last decade?

• Has a talented and energetic faculty working in a dozen areas of Physics?

• Has all of its full-time graduate students supported financially?

Admission Requirements, Employment, and Fees

For information on how to apply to our program, please visit the: Physics and Astronomy Department website. If you have any questions, contact the Graduate Secretary.

Prerequisites for Graduate Study:

All Graduate College admission requirements can be found at redacted.

A baccalaureate degree with a major in physics is desirable but not required. Recommended preparation consists of courses in mechanics, electromagnetic theory, modern physics and introductory quantum mechanics, advanced laboratory, and at least one course in mathematics beyond differential equations. A student with less than the recommended preparation may enroll in these courses for graduate credit.

Physics GRE: The exam is not required for admission, however, a Ph.D. student who sends in an original copy of a Physics GRE score of 600 or higher before enrollment will be excused from the Department's undergraduate certification process.

Students are admitted for graduate study by the College upon the recommendation of the Department. Ordinarily, admission requires an undergraduate grape point average (GPA) of at LEAST 3.0, both overall and in the proposed major. A degree-seeking applicant who does not meet the standards for admission as a regular student may, upon the recommendation of the Department, be admitted on a probationary or provisional status. See the Graduate Catalog for details.

Normal preparation for graduate study in physics should include:

• Mechanics (at the level of the textbooks by Marion and Thornton)
• Electrodynamics (level of D. J. Griffiths)
• Quantum Mechanics (level of Liboff)
• Laboratory (level of Melissinos or Brophy)
• At least two courses in mathematics beyond elementary calculus

Students with less preparation may take most of these courses for graduate credit. Somewhat different preparation is needed for the MS programs in Geophysics and Computational Physics/Astronomy. Also, entering graduate students should have a working knowledge of computers and computer programming, preferably including fluency in either the FORTRAN or C++ programming language.

Diagnostic Exam: All new graduate students will be given a three-hour diagnostic exam when they first arrive, consisting of selected problems in mechanics, electricity and magnetism, wave phenomena, quantum mechanics, and statistical physics. Problems will be selected from previous exams. The exam will be given in August before the fall semester and in January before the spring semester. Exam results will be used for advising purposes only, and will not remain on the student's permanent record.

Although most students earn a Master's degree while pursuing their doctoral work, the Master's degree is not a prerequisite to the Ph.D.

Departmental Employment:

Most graduate students in physics hold a position as a teaching or research assistant. These assistantships normally require halftime duties (20 hours per week), but students holding them can be classified as full-time students if the duties are in their field of study.

To be eligible for employment as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA), all graduate students who are non-native speakers of English are required to achieve a minimum score of 50 on the TSE or the KU SPEAK test. A score of 26 on the Speaking portion of the internet-based TOEFL exam will also be accepted. Students who fail to achieve these minimum scores will be required to take the appropriate courses at the Applied English Center (AEC). Attendance is required by the Board of Regents to ensure your GTA appointment.

Fees:

Fees change from year to year. See the current timetable for the most recent information.

Persons employed on a monthly, by semester, or yearly basis by the University for at least 40% time but less than full time may pay fees at the staff rate when properly certified to the Office of Admissions and Records by the Department. Staff fee eligibility certificates are available in the Department office. Persons eligible for staff rates during the regular academic year are also normally eligible for such rates during the summer session.

Graduate teaching assistants are eligible for a pro rata reduction in their tuition and incidental fees during the semesters they hold an instructional appointment. For GTA appointments of 40% of more, full tuition is waived. The College Office provides the Registrar with a list of eligible persons.

Enrollment and Grading

Enrollment: (see also the section on the Ph.D. program). It is the policy of the Graduate School that both full-time and part-time students must progress at a reasonable rate and that their enrollment shall reflect the demand on faculty time and university facilities.

To be certified by the Graduate School as a full-time graduate student for purposes of qualifying for fellowship tenure, veteran's benefits, student visas, meeting residence requirements, and similar certification, the student should be enrolled in at least 9 hours of work, or at least 6 hours with a half time appointment as a GTA or GRA. Courses taken at the Applied English Center may be included in the minimum. The Graduate School requires that students who are employed more than half time be enrolled in at least 6 hours per semester in order to be considered full-time.

It is the policy of the Department that a student must be making satisfactory academic progress, in some cases greater than that represented by the Graduate School's minimum requirements, in order to merit financial support in the form of an assistantship. The Department has provided guidelines for the faculty advisors to use in approving student schedules:

All full-time students who do not hold an assistantship are to enroll for at least 9 hours per semester (6 in the summer). Those who hold a half-time assistantship during the fall or spring semesters are to enroll in at least 3 hours. To be eligible for a summer GTA or GRA appointment, a student must have met the above enrollment criteria the previous semester or be prepared to meet it in the upcoming fall semester.

Students who have passed the comprehensive examination must be continuously enrolled, including summer sessions, until all requirements for the degree are completed. (See "Post-Comprehensive Enrollment" for further information.)

Course Numbering System:

• Courses 000-099 do not count toward graduation.
• Courses 100-299 are designed for freshman and sophomores.
• Courses 300-499 are designed for juniors and seniors.
• Courses 500-699 are designed primarily for juniors and seniors but may be taken by graduate students for graduate credit.
• Courses 700-799 are designed primarily for graduate students who have less than 30 of graduate credit but may be taken by undergraduates for undergraduate credit.
• Courses 800-999 are open only to graduate students except by special permission.

Grading System: The grading system in the Graduate School is a A,B,C,D,F system with some additions. For any given course, the instructor as the discretion to assign +/- grades in addition to the lettered scheme. Regular courses (i.e. all courses except research courses 800, 899, and 999) are graded as follows:

• A = above average graduate work
• B = average graduate work
• C = passing but unsatisfactory graduate work (remember: students must hold a B GPA in order to remain in good standing with the Department and Graduate School).
• D = failing graduate work
• F = failing graduate work
• I = work of A or B level but which is unfinished for good reason. The grade of I remains until the student completes the work and the instructor changes the I to A,B,C,D, or F. Research in progress that is not complete enough for evaluation is graded as P (participation) not I.
• W = the student has formally withdrawn from the course in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School.
• S = satisfactory work in a seminar or colloquium for which a specific grade (A or B) little meaning. This grade is not used in this Department except as a grade for certain examinations. No more than 6 hours graded S are allowed to count towards the graduate degree.

Research courses (800, 899, and 999) are graded as follows:

• The instructor may assign, each semester, a grade of A,B,C,D,F, or W with the same definitions as above. I is not a valid grade for research.
• Another option is to assign, each semester, P, which means participation, with evaluation pending. In this case, upon completion of the research leading to the master's or Ph.D. degree, the instructor must assign a letter grade (A,B,C,D, or F) for the last semester of enrollment. This assignment is necessary in order to characterize the quality of the final product and to allow the student to graduate.

The comprehensive oral examination and the final exams for Ph.D. (as well as general exam for MS) are graded as follows:

• H = honors, the highest grade
• S = satisfactory, a passing grade
• U = unsatisfactory, a failing grade

Faculty members may assign + or - signs to grades for use within the Department. They are to be written on the carbon copy of the Registrar's grade sheet (the one that is retained by the Department) and on the student's grade cards. They are normally reported to students by their advisors.

Course work, including that taken in the Applied English Center, should average better than a B. Supplementary + and - signs are ignored in computing this average. Upon falling below a cumulative graduate grade point average of B, the student shall be placed on probation. At the end of the next semester of enrollment, the student's overall average for graduate work must be raised to a B, or a Departmental  recommendation to the Graduate School will be required for the student to continue.

Departmental Committees and Organizations

Astronomy Associates of Lawrence (AAL): Astronomy Associates of Lawrence is an organization of students and townspeople interested in Astronomy for the fun of us. This organization elects its own officers. Faculty Advisor: Prof. Bruce Twarog.

Departmental Assembly: The constituted body for full departmental meetings is the "Departmental Assembly". The Department provides for the inclusion of regularly enrolled students in both its Departmental Assembly and its policy-making committees. The number of students in each body is at least 20 percent of the number of faculty members who hold the rank of instructor or above and who serve on that body. The Departmental Assembly is comprised of the entire faculty, plus student members of the Committees on Graduate Studies and Undergraduate Studies.

Engineering Council: The student representative to this council is elected each year by students majoring in Engineering Physics.

Graduate Studies: This committee comprises seven faculty members appointed by the department chairperson and two graduate students from Physics. This committee handles graduate student petitions and reviews the program and student progress.

Sigma Pi Sigma and SPS: The Society of Physics Students is open to all persons with an interest in physics. Sigma Pi Sigma is the physics honors society within SPS with scholastic requirements for membership. SPS is a member society of the American Institute of Physics. This organization elects its own officers. Faculty Advisors: Profs D. Besson and J. Wu.

Undergraduate Studies: This committee is comprised of six members appointed by the department chairperson, three students elected by undergraduate majors in the Department, plus the Associate Chair and Laboratory Director. One student is to represent Physics, one to represent Astronomy, and one to represent Engineering Physics.

Awards for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate or Undergraduate Student

Awards

Near the end of the academic year, three outstanding teaching assistants are selected and are given a monetary award paid from the Emery E. Slossen Fund. Awardees are restricted to those teaching assistants (graduate or undergraduate) who have held at least quarter time appointments during both semesters of the current academic year. The selection committee shall consist of the Director of Laboratories and the Associate Chairman. Their selections shall be reported to the Committee on Undergraduate Studies. The Director of Laboratories shall request evaluations from all course coordinators and any other faculty supervising teaching assistants. Evaluations shall be on the basis of:

• preparation for teaching assignments
• quality of grading and recording
• effective presentation of the material
• assisting students patiently and pleasantly

Strong consideration shall be given to performance beyond the call of duty.

Admission Requirements, Employment, and Fees

For information on how to apply to our program, please visit the: Physics and Astronomy Department website. If you have any questions, contact the Graduate Secretary.

Prerequisites for Graduate Study:  

All Graduate College admission requirements can be found at redacted. 

A baccalaureate degree with a major in physics is desirable but not required. Recommended preparation consists of courses in mechanics, electromagnetic theory, modern physics and introductory quantum mechanics, advanced laboratory, and at least one course in mathematics beyond differential equations. A student with less than the recommended preparation may enroll in these courses for graduate credit. 

Physics GRE: The exam is not required for admission, however, a Ph.D. student who sends in an original copy of a Physics GRE score of 650 or higher before enrollment will be excused from the Department's undergraduate certification process. 

Students are admitted for graduate study by the College upon the recommendation of the Department. Ordinarily, admission requires an undergraduate grape point average (GPA) of at LEAST 3.0, both overall and in the proposed major. A degree-seeking applicant who does not meet the standards for admission as a regular student may, upon the recommendation of the Department, be admitted on a probationary or provisional status. See the Graduate Catalog for details.

Normal preparation for graduate study in physics should include:

• Mechanics (at the level of the textbooks by Marion and Thornton) 
• Electrodynamics (level of D. J. Griffiths) 
• Quantum Mechanics (level of Liboff) 
• Laboratory (level of Melissinos or Brophy) 
• At least two courses in mathematics beyond elementary calculus 

Students with less preparation may take most of these courses for graduate credit. Somewhat different preparation is needed for the MS programs in Geophysics and Computational Physics/Astronomy. Also, entering graduate students should have a working knowledge of computers and computer programming, preferably including fluency in either the FORTRAN or C++ programming language.

Diagnostic Exam: All new graduate students will be given a three-hour diagnostic exam when they first arrive, consisting of selected problems in mechanics, electricity and magnetism, wave phenomena, quantum mechanics, and statistical physics. Problems will be selected from previous exams. The exam will be given in August before the fall semester and in January before the spring semester. Exam results will be used for advising purposes only, and will not remain on the student's permanent record.

Although most students earn a Master's degree while pursuing their doctoral work, the Master's degree is not a prerequisite to the Ph.D. 

Departmental Employment: 

Most graduate students in physics hold a position as a teaching or research assistant. These assistantships normally require halftime duties (20 hours per week), but students holding them can be classified as full-time students if the duties are in their field of study.

To be eligible for employment as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA), all graduate students who are non-native speakers of English are required to achieve a minimum score of 50 on the TSE or the KU SPEAK test. A score of 26 on the Speaking portion of the internet-based TOEFL exam will also be accepted. Students who fail to achieve these minimum scores will be required to take the appropriate courses at the Applied English Center (AEC). Attendance is required by the Board of Regents to ensure your GTA appointment.

Fees: 

Fees change from year to year. See the current timetable for the most recent information.

Persons employed on a monthly, by semester, or yearly basis by the University for at least 40% time but less than full time may pay fees at the staff rate when properly certified to the Office of Admissions and Records by the Department. Staff fee eligibility certificates are available in the Department office. Persons eligible for staff rates during the regular academic year are also normally eligible for such rates during the summer session. 

Graduate teaching assistants are eligible for a pro rata reduction in their tuition and incidental fees during the semesters they hold an instructional appointment. For GTA appointments of 40% of more, full tuition is waived. The College Office provides the Registrar with a list of eligible persons.

Enrollment and Grading

Enrollment: (see also the section on the Ph.D. program). It is the policy of the Graduate School that both full-time and part-time students must progress at a reasonable rate and that their enrollment shall reflect the demand on faculty time and university facilities.

To be certified by the Graduate School as a full-time graduate student for purposes of qualifying for fellowship tenure, veteran's benefits, student visas, meeting residence requirements, and similar certification, the student should be enrolled in at least 9 hours of work, or at least 6 hours with a half time appointment as a GTA or GRA. Courses taken at the Applied English Center may be included in the minimum. The Graduate School requires that students who are employed more than half time be enrolled in at least 6 hours per semester in order to be considered full-time.

It is the policy of the Department that a student must be making satisfactory academic progress, in some cases greater than that represented by the Graduate School's minimum requirements, in order to merit financial support in the form of an assistantship. The Department has provided guidelines for the faculty advisors to use in approving student schedules:

All full-time students who do not hold an assistantship are to enroll for at least 9 hours per semester (6 in the summer). Those who hold a half-time assistantship during the fall or spring semesters are to enroll in at least 3 hours. To be eligible for a summer GTA or GRA appointment, a student must have met the above enrollment criteria the previous semester or be prepared to meet it in the upcoming fall semester. 

Students who have passed the comprehensive examination must be continuously enrolled, including summer sessions, until all requirements for the degree are completed. (See "Post-Comprehensive Enrollment" for further information.) Course Numbering System:

• Courses 000-099 do not count toward graduation. 
• Courses 100-299 are designed for freshman and sophomores. 
• Courses 300-499 are designed for juniors and seniors. 
• Courses 500-699 are designed primarily for juniors and seniors but may be taken by graduate students for graduate credit. 
• Courses 700-799 are designed primarily for graduate students who have less than 30 of graduate credit but may be taken by undergraduates for undergraduate credit. 
• Courses 800-999 are open only to graduate students except by special permission. 

Grading System: The grading system in the Graduate School is a A,B,C,D,F system with some additions. For any given course, the instructor as the discretion to assign +/- grades in addition to the lettered scheme. Regular courses (i.e. all courses except research courses 800, 899, and 999) are graded as follows:

• A = above average graduate work 
• B = average graduate work 
• C = passing but unsatisfactory graduate work (remember: students must hold a B GPA in order to remain in good standing with the Department and Graduate School). 
• D = failing graduate work 
• F = failing graduate work 
• I = work of A or B level but which is unfinished for good reason. The grade of I remains until the student completes the work and the instructor changes the I to A,B,C,D, or F. Research in progress that is not complete enough for evaluation is graded as P (participation) not I. 
• W = the student has formally withdrawn from the course in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School. 
• S = satisfactory work in a seminar or colloquium for which a specific grade (A or B) little meaning. This grade is not used in this Department except as a grade for certain examinations. No more than 6 hours graded S are allowed to count towards the graduate degree. 

Research courses (800, 899, and 999) are graded as follows:

• The instructor may assign, each semester, a grade of A,B,C,D,F, or W with the same definitions as above. I is not a valid grade for research. 
• Another option is to assign, each semester, P, which means participation, with evaluation pending. In this case, upon completion of the research leading to the master's or Ph.D. degree, the instructor must assign a letter grade (A,B,C,D, or F) for the last semester of enrollment. This assignment is necessary in order to characterize the quality of the final product and to allow the student to graduate. 

The comprehensive oral examination and the final exams for Ph.D. (as well as general exam for MS) are graded as follows:

• H = honors, the highest grade 
• S = satisfactory, a passing grade 
• U = unsatisfactory, a failing grade 

Faculty members may assign + or - signs to grades for use within the Department. They are to be written on the carbon copy of the Registrar's grade sheet (the one that is retained by the Department) and on the student's grade cards. They are normally reported to students by their advisors.

Course work, including that taken in the Applied English Center, should average better than a B. Supplementary + and - signs are ignored in computing this average. Upon falling below a cumulative graduate grade point average of B, the student shall be placed on probation. At the end of the next semester of enrollment, the student's overall average for graduate work must be raised to a B, or a Departmental recommendation to the Graduate School will be required for the student to continue.

Departmental Committees and Organizations

Astronomy Associates of Lawrence (AAL): Astronomy Associates of Lawrence is an organization of students and townspeople interested in Astronomy for the fun of us. This organization elects its own officers. Faculty Advisor: Prof. Bruce Twarog.

Departmental Assembly: The constituted body for full departmental meetings is the "Departmental Assembly". The Department provides for the inclusion of regularly enrolled students in both its Departmental Assembly and its policy-making committees. The number of students in each body is at least 20 percent of the number of faculty members who hold the rank of instructor or above and who serve on that body. The Departmental Assembly is comprised of the entire faculty, plus student members of the Committees on Graduate Studies and Undergraduate Studies.

Engineering Council: The student representative to this council is elected each year by students majoring in Engineering Physics.

Graduate Studies: This committee comprises seven faculty members appointed by the department chairperson and two graduate students from Physics. This committee handles graduate student petitions and reviews the program and student progress.

Sigma Pi Sigma and SPS: The Society of Physics Students is open to all persons with an interest in physics. Sigma Pi Sigma is the physics honors society within SPS with scholastic requirements for membership. SPS is a member society of the American Institute of Physics. This organization elects its own officers. Faculty Advisors: Profs D. Besson and J. Wu.

Undergraduate Studies: This committee is comprised of six members appointed by the department chairperson, three students elected by undergraduate majors in the Department, plus the Associate Chair and Laboratory Director. One student is to represent Physics, one to represent Astronomy, and one to represent Engineering Physics. 

Awards for Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate or Undergraduate Student

Awards

Near the end of the academic year, three outstanding teaching assistants are selected and are given a monetary award paid from the Emery E. Slossen Fund. Awardees are restricted to those teaching assistants (graduate or undergraduate) who have held at least quarter time appointments during both semesters of the current academic year. The selection committee shall consist of the Director of Laboratories and the Associate Chairman. Their selections shall be reported to the Committee on Undergraduate Studies. The Director of Laboratories shall request evaluations from all course coordinators and any other faculty supervising teaching assistants. Evaluations shall be on the basis of:

• preparation for teaching assignments 
• quality of grading and recording 
• effective presentation of the material 
• assisting students patiently and pleasantly 

Strong consideration shall be given to performance beyond the call of duty.

General Requirements for all Graduate Degrees 

Undergraduate physics certification requirement for MS or PhD degrees in Physics.

Certification of knowledge of undergraduate physics must normally be completed within 12 months (extension possible with recommendation of the graduate admission committee) of entering the MS program in addition to the required course work. The certification can be achieved in several ways: 

1. A GRE Physics score greater than or equal to 600;  or
2. The determination by the Graduate Director and Graduate Advisor, based on the diagnostic exam given on entering the program combined with the student's undergraduate record, that the student understands all major elements of undergraduate physics;  or
3. Successful completion with grade of B or better on all undergraduate courses that the graduate director and/or advisor recommends based on the results of (2). The student who has not succeeded in certifying their undergraduate physics knowledge in one of the above three ways could, within 12 months of starting the program, petition the Graduate Committee for an oral exam on undergraduate physics. The oral exam will be administered by a committee of six faculty members assigned by the department.
4. A candidate for a Master's or Ph.D. degree who has not had the equivalent of 6 credit hours of advanced undergraduate laboratory course work (Junior/Senior level) is required to take one of the four advanced laboratory courses offered in the Department.

• PHSX 516 Physical Measurements I
• PHSX 536 Electronic Circuits and Measurements
• PHSX 616 Physical Measurements II
• PHSX 636 Electronics Design 

Communication Skills

All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester. The talk should be at least 20 minutes long. For students not yet associated with a research group, the Graduate Seminar can serve as a venue. For more advanced students, the seminar of their research group would be a natural venue. The student does not need to be enrolled in the seminar to present a talk for this purpose. Off-campus venues such as collaboration meetings and physics conferences can also serve this purpose. When giving presentations, students should fill out this form and have it signed by two witnesses, one of which must be a Physics or Astronomy faculty and other a Ph.D. doing research in the department. The completed form must be handed to the office staff. Faculty members who sign off on the talks are expected to provide constructive feedback to the student. The graduate advisor will monitor student compliance with the requirement.

General Requirements for all Graduate Degrees 

Undergraduate physics certification requirement for MS or PhD degrees in Physics.

Certification of knowledge of undergraduate physics must normally be completed within 12 months (extension possible with recommendation of the graduate admission committee) of entering the MS program in addition to the required course work. The certification can be achieved in several ways: 

1. A GRE Physics score greater than or equal to 600;  or
2. The determination by the Graduate Director and Graduate Advisor, based on the diagnostic exam given on entering the program combined with the student's undergraduate record, that the student understands all major elements of undergraduate physics;  or
3. Successful completion with grade of B or better on all undergraduate courses that the graduate director and/or advisor recommends based on the results of (2). The student who has not succeeded in certifying their undergraduate physics knowledge in one of the above three ways could, within 12 months of starting the program, petition the Graduate Committee for an oral exam on undergraduate physics. The oral exam will be administered by a committee of six faculty members assigned by the department.
4. A candidate for a Master's or Ph.D. degree who has not had the equivalent of 6 credit hours of advanced undergraduate laboratory course work (Junior/Senior level) is required to take one of the four advanced laboratory courses offered in the Department.

• PHSX 516 Physical Measurements I
• PHSX 536 Electronic Circuits and Measurements
• PHSX 616 Physical Measurements II
• PHSX 636 Electronics Design 

Communication Skills

All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester. The talk should be at least 20 minutes long. For students not yet associated with a research group, the Graduate Seminar can serve as a venue. For more advanced students, the seminar of their research group would be a natural venue. The student does not need to be enrolled in the seminar to present a talk for this purpose. Off-campus venues such as collaboration meetings and physics conferences can also serve this purpose. When giving presentations, students should fill out this form and have it signed by two witnesses, one of which must be a Physics or Astronomy faculty and other a Ph.D. doing research in the department. The completed form must be handed to the office staff. Faculty members who sign off on the talks are expected to provide constructive feedback to the student. The graduate advisor will monitor student compliance with the requirement.

General Requirements for all Graduate Degrees 

Individualized plan for ensuring student preparation for MS or PhD degrees in Physics.  

All students are eligible to immediately enroll in graduate classes. 

Students who do not take the Physics GRE or score less than 650 will be required to take a diagnostic exam that consists of GRE-like questions in Classical Mechanics, E&M, Quantum Mechanics and Thermodynamics. This exam will be administered upon a student's entry into the program. Students will be made aware well-before arriving that the diagnostic is a GRE-like exam covering the four areas outlined above. A team of faculty members will combine the results of this test with the undergraduate transcript to develop an individualized assessment plan that may involve up to six undergraduate lecture courses. In consultation with this team, the student is free to decide which, if any, of these recommended courses to take in order to complete their preparation for graduate physics courses. 

Incoming students with a Physics GRE score greater than 650 will not have to take the diagnostic exam.

Following the development of the individualized plan, the score on the diagnostic will be saved in the student’s confidential folder as a means to track internally the correlation of diagnostic scores with student success. Any undergraduate courses that the student chooses to take as a result of the individualized plan must be completed within one year of entry into the program. 

A candidate for a Master's or Ph.D. degree who has not had the equivalent of 6 credit hours of advanced undergraduate laboratory course work (Junior/Senior level) is required to achieve at least a 3.0 grade in one of the three advanced laboratory courses offered in the Department.

• PHSX 516 Physical Measurements I 
• PHSX 536 Electronic Circuits and Measurements 
• PHSX 601 Design of Physical and Electronic Systems 

Communication Skills

All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester. The talk should be at least 20 minutes long. For students not yet associated with a research group, the Graduate Seminar can serve as a venue. For more advanced students, the seminar of their research group would be a natural venue. The student does not need to be enrolled in the seminar to present a talk for this purpose. Off-campus venues such as collaboration meetings and physics conferences can also serve this purpose. When giving presentations, students should fill out this form and have it signed by two witnesses, one of which must be a Physics or Astronomy faculty and other a Ph.D. doing research in the department. The completed form must be handed to the office staff. Faculty members who sign off on the talks are expected to provide constructive feedback to the student. The graduate advisor will monitor student compliance with the requirement.

Requirements - Ph.D. in Physics

Residency Requirements

To become a Ph.D. candidate, i.e. to take the comprehensive exam:

The student must spend at least two semesters, which may include one summer session, in resident study at the University of Kansas. 

To obtain a Ph.D.:

The student must spend at least the equivalent of three full academic years in graduate study at this or another approved institution or laboratory. During this period of residence, the student must be involved full-time in academic or professional pursuits, which may include an appointment for teaching or research if the teaching/research is directed specifically toward the student's degree objectives

Time Limits

Students must complete the requirements for the Ph.D. in Physics within seven (7) years if they enter with a bachelor's degree and within six (6) years if they enter with a master's degree. Note that earning a master's degree while at KU does not change the seven year period from the initial enrollment in the graduate program. An extension may be granted for one year by the College upon receipt of a satisfactorily documented petition by the student concerned, supported by the chairperson of the department. A second year extension is very difficult to obtain.

Continuous enrollment is expected, but leaves of absence may be granted by petition to the College. However, after an absence of five years, a doctoral aspirant or candidate loses status as such, and, in order to continue, must apply for readmission to the program and to the Graduate Division

Graduate Teaching Assistantship Eligibility

To be eligible for teaching assistantships, all graduate students who are not native speakers of English must achieve a minimum score of 50 on the SPEAK test.

International students must pass an oral examination to demonstrate English fluency.

Students who fail this examination should take courses from the Applied English Center. 

Milestones Towards PhD

There are a set of milestones on the way to completing a PhD degree in the department. Each of these milestones has an associated deadline. Failure to meet any of these milestones by its deadline may result in the loss of funding (TA- or RA-ships) and/or in the denial of candidacy for the Ph.D. Completion of all milestones at earliest possible time is encouraged. The milestones are summarized here in order of their occurrence and explained in more detail below:

1. All graduate students are expected to have passed the speaking test (if relevant) within two years since entering the PhD program and to have carried out a minimum of one semester of being a TA in the department. 

2. Admission to preliminary candidacy for a Ph.D. usually occurs within the first 2-3 years. There is no exam requirement for entrance into preliminary candidacy. 

3. Students must pass an oral comprehensive examination that includes a proposal of a plan for Ph.D. research and an oral presentation of this plan. The comprehensive exam also includes a general knowledge component based on all previous coursework. This exam usually occurs in the fourth year. 

4. A written dissertation must be completed and defended in an oral examination. 

Pre-comprehensive Milestones

1. Within 12 months of entering the program the student must fulfill the undergraduate physics certification requirement for all graduate degrees. 

2. Within 2 years of entering the program the student must fulfill requirements for preliminary candidacy. A student who did not fulfill their undergraduate requirement (See general requirements) before entering the program may take 3 years to fulfill the requirements for preliminary candidacy. 

3. Within the first 6 months after being granted preliminary candidacy, the student should present a short (1-2 pages) written report to the Graduate Director and the Graduate Advisor detailing his/her efforts and progress in exploring research opportunities within the Department relevant to a possible Ph.D. research topic. 

4. Before the end of a 12 month period following the preliminary candidacy, the student is expected to join a research group in the department, or, at least to have spent significant effort in seeking a thesis advisor. Again, a brief (1-2 pages) written report should be presented to the Graduate Director and the Graduate Advisor by the end of this time period. 

5. By 12 months following the entrance into preliminary candidacy, the student should have completed almost all lecture course work and begun preparing for the comprehensive examination.  

6. Before the end of an 18 month period following preliminary candidacy the student should have chosen an advisor, have completed the comprehensive exam, and should be carrying out Ph.D. research. A dissertation committee must be assembled, usually comprising the members of the comprehensive exam committee. 

Post-comprehensive Milestones

7. The student is now a Ph.D. candidate and must abide by the rules for postcomprehensive enrollment. In summary, a written 2-3 page-long progress report should be given to the Graduate Director and the Graduate Advisor every 12 months. This report should summarize his/her research activities and his/her general progress towards successful completion of the Ph.D. In addition, the student should request at least two members of his/her dissertation committee, including the thesis advisor, to write comments in this report. 

8. The student will prepare a dissertation based on the student's original research, which must be satisfactory to the departmental members of the dissertation committee, and will defend it in a final oral examination before the dissertation committee. This examination is open to the public. 

Course Requirements for Ph.D.

A total of 11 courses (33 hours) of advanced lecture courses are required. 

1. Core courses

• PHSX 711 Quantum Mechanics I
• PHSX 811 Quantum Mechanics II
• PHSX 821 Classical Mechanics
• PHSX 831 Electrodynamics I 

2. Other required courses

• PHSX 718 Mathematical Physics
• PHSX 815 Computational Physics (satisfies Foreign Language or Research Skill (FLORS) requirement)
• PHSX 871 Statistical Physics I
• PHSX 931 Electrodynamics II 

3. Two additional PHSX lecture courses (Numbered 700 or above). This excludes PHSX 815 (computational physics) and 717 (graduate seminar). The two courses must be in different sub-fields of physics and they may not be used to simultaneously satisfy other degree requirements in force. (For example, if PHSX 911 is being used to satisfy the PHSX 811 core requirement, it may not also be used for this requirement.)

4. One additional advanced PHSX lecture course (Numbered 800 or above)

5. One credit hour of Colloquium is required (PHSX 700). 

6. All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester. The guidelines are listed here.  

7. A Ph.D. student who has not had the equivalent of 6 credit hours of advanced undergraduate laboratory course work (Junior/Senior level) is required to take one of the four advanced laboratory courses offered in the Department. Other experimental work (for example, senior thesis or undergraduate research experience) may be considered toward meeting this requirement. 

• PHSX 516 Physical Measurements I
• PHSX 536 Electronic Circuits and Measurements
• PHSX 616 Physical Measurements II
• PHSX 636 Electronics Designs 

The courses listed above comprise the Department course requirements common to all students. There is no foreign language requirement. Subsequent work, consisting of advanced courses in appropriate fields and seminars, will be selected by the student and the adviser on the basis of the student's need and intended field of specialization. There is no prescribed minimum number of hours for the Ph.D. degree. The student's dissertation committee will determine the adequacy of the student's courses and seminars and will specify the total course requirements. Neither the Graduate School nor the Department has a requirement for a minor. 

Suggested course schedule 

A sample academic schedule for a student who has a half-time teaching or research assistantship during the first four semesters is shown below. It includes the core courses for admission to preliminary candidacy (described in a subsequent section) and a set of lecture courses that meet the Ph.D. course requirements. It is the schedule for a full-time resident student with the normal preparation described above and who is working toward the Ph.D. degree. Students admitted with less preparation should begin with less advanced courses. Courses numbered 500 and above carry graduate credit. 

The electives listed below, e.g. 741, 781, 795, 911, are purely an illustrative option. Students have the freedom to choose which non-required courses satisfy their elective requirements. 

Colloquium and Graduate Seminar

All Ph.D. students are required to enroll in PHSX 700, Colloquium, in their sixth semester as an enrolled Physics and Astronomy graduate student. Students need to have attended at least 75% of the regularly scheduled colloquia during their six semesters to achieve a passing grade. 

In Fall of the first year, each graduate student is required to attend the graduate seminar in order to familiarize themselves with research programs in the Department and gain experience in oral presentations.

Computing Skills 

Preferably within one year after being admitted to preliminary candidacy, the student must complete PHSX/ASTR 815, Computational Physics and Astronomy, with a grade of "A" or "B" in order to satisfy the computing skills requirement. Note that this course has significant prerequisites in undergraduate Computer Science.

Admission to Preliminary Candidacy 

To be admitted to preliminary candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, each graduate student is expected to satisfy the following Departmental requirements. 

1. Completion of undergraduate physics certification requirement for MS or PhD degrees in Physics. 

2. Achieve a minimum core course grade point average of 3.2. The core course GPA is computed from the following five equally weighted elements:

• grade obtained in PHSX 711 Quantum Mechanics I

• grade obtained in PHSX 811 Quantum Mechanics II

• grade obtained in PHSX 821 Classical Mechanics

• grade obtained in PHSX 831 Electrodynamics I 

• average grade of two other PHSX lecture courses numbered 700 or higher, excluding PHSX 815 (computational physics) and 717 (graduate seminar). 

1. 1. Students may repeat one of the four core courses (711, 811, 821, and 831) once for the purpose of improving the core GPA. In calculating the core GPA, the Department will use only the better of the two grades.

1. 2. The two "other PHSX lecture courses numbered 700 or higher" must be taken at KU, but students entering with graduate credit from other institutions may petition the Graduate Committee for transfer credit for any of the four named core courses. For the purposes of the core GPA, grades (of "B" or better) from the previous institution may be used for at most three of the four named courses. For the remaining course the student must obtain written certification of "B" performance or better from the instructor of the course at KU. Such certification may be obtained by taking the course, taking the final exam of the course (if there is one), or other means which may be determined by the instructor. An appropriate higher level course may also be used to obtain certification in a core course (for example 911 for 711 or 811, 931 for 831.) 

1. 3. Graduate students are normally expected to complete all core courses by the end of their second year of enrollment. Students who are required to complete an undergraduate physics certificate have three years to finish their core courses. Extensive Applied English Center (AEC) courses, prolonged illness, or extended military service might provide exceptional circumstances.

Decision on Preliminary Candidacy:

Once Undergraduate requirement cores have been certified and sufficient information has been received regarding the required courses, the Graduate Committee will decide whether or not to admit the student to preliminary candidacy. This decision will be based upon the certification and on their core course GPA. The Graduate Committee Chair will report their decision to the Graduate Faculty. 

The Comprehensive Examination

After completing a major portion of the required course work and satisfying the computing skills requirement, the student must pass the comprehensive examination. The Department recommends at least five people for committee membership to the Graduate Division, which makes the final appointments. One committee member must come from outside of the Department to serve as a representative of the Graduate School. Requests to take the examination must be made to the graduate secretary at least three weeks in advance of the date of the examination. 

The student will write a 2000 to 4000 word paper on a topic in their chosen sub-field that is relevant to their thesis work. This paper must be presented to the committee at least one week in advance of the scheduled oral exam. The student will make a presentation at the oral examination based upon this paper, and will be examined on the contents of the talk, the paper, and works listed in the paper's bibliography. The bibliography must include at least one recent article from a peer-reviewed journal not authored by the student or the student's advisor. In addition, the committee may ask questions at the oral examination that cover the entire field of physics plus any related material (such as mathematics or chemistry) considered relevant by the examining committee. 

In order to pass the comprehensive exam, the student must receive passing grades on both the written and oral components of the exam. The overall grade on this examination, determined by the examining committee, will be "Honors," "Satisfactory," or "Unsatisfactory."

The checklist will be filled out after the comprehensive exam and retained as a part of the student's records. The student's thesis advisor will discuss the results with the student. A template form is available here. 

Post-Comprehensive Requirements 

Upon passing the comprehensive examination, the student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree. The Graduate Division will then designate the candidate's dissertation committee based on the recommendation of the Department. Each candidate must complete a research project that has been approved by the committee. The committee establishes the candidate's course requirements and directs the research. 

Unless granted a leave of absence, the candidate must be continuously enrolled full-time, including summer sessions, until all requirements for the degree are completed. During this time, the candidate must enroll in a minimum of 6 hours a semester and 3 hours a summer session until the completion of the degree or of 18 hours of post-comprehensive enrollment, whichever comes first. (Post-comprehensive enrollment may include the semester in which the comprehensive examination is passed.) After 18 hours of post comprehensive enrollment, the candidate must continue to enroll each semester and each summer session until all requirements for the degree have been met. If the student petitions (at

redacted they can enroll for only one hour of credit in spring, summer, and fall and still maintain their GTA or GRA status. 

At least once each year after passing the comprehensive examination, the student should schedule a meeting with his or her dissertation committee to discuss progress towards the completion of the dissertation and any other concerns. A report of the committee's consensus of the meeting should be prepared by a member of the committee other than the student's adviser and placed in the student's file. Copies are to be given to the Departmental Chairman, the Graduate Committee Chair, the Graduate Advisor, the Departmental Director of Graduate Studies, and the student.

Final Oral Exam

The final oral examination will proceed according to the regulations of the Graduate college. These can be found at redacted. We repeat these requirements below, as they appeared on September 24th, 2010. 

It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that they satisfy the current university requirements. 

Completion of the dissertation is the culminating academic phase of a doctoral program, climaxed by the final oral examination and defense of the dissertation. In all but the rarest cases, tentative approval of the dissertation is followed promptly by the final oral examination. When the completed dissertation has been accepted by the committee in final draft form, and all other degree requirements have been satisfied, the chair of the committee requests the Graduate Division to schedule the final oral examination. This request must be made in advance of the desired examination by at least the period specified by the Graduate Division (normally at least three weeks). The submission of the request must allow sufficient time to publicize the examination so that interested members of the university community may attend. At least five months must elapse between the successful completion of the comprehensive oral examination and the date of the final oral examination. 

The committee for the final oral examination must consist of at least five members (the members of the dissertation committee plus other members of the Graduate Faculty recommended by the committee chair and the department and appointed by the Graduate Division). At least one member must be from a department other than the major department. This member represents Graduate Studies and must be a regular member of the Graduate Faculty. Before the examination, the Graduate Division provides a list of responsibilities to the Graduate Studies representative. The Graduate Studies representative is a voting member of the committee, has full right to participate in the examination, and provides a written report on any unsatisfactory or irregular aspects of the examination to the committee chair, department chair, Graduate Division, and Graduate Studies. The Graduate Division ascertains whether all other degree requirements have been met and if reports of any previously scheduled final oral examinations have been submitted and recorded. Upon approval of the request, the final oral examination is scheduled at the time and place designated by the Graduate Division. This information must be published in a news medium as prescribed by the Graduate Faculty. Interested members of the university community are encouraged to attend these examinations. 

For every scheduled final oral examination, the department reports to the Graduate Division a grade of Honors, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory for the candidate's performance. If an Unsatisfactory grade is reported, the candidate may be allowed to repeat the examination on the recommendation of the department. 

All Graduate College requirements can be found at redacted

Residency Requirements

To become a Ph.D. candidate, i.e. to take the comprehensive exam:

The student must spend at least two semesters, which may include one summer session, in resident study at the University of Kansas.

To obtain a Ph.D.:

The student must spend at least the equivalent of three full academic years in graduate study at this or another approved institution or laboratory. During this period of residence, the student must be involved full-time in academic or professional pursuits, which may include an appointment for teaching or research if the teaching/research is directed specifically toward the student's degree objectives.

Time Limits

Please go to this website to see the University's policy on time limits.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship Eligibility

To be eligible for teaching assistantships, all graduate students who are not native speakers of English must achieve a minimum score of 50 on the SPEAK test.

International students must pass an oral examination to demonstrate English fluency.

Students who fail this examination should take courses from the Applied English Center. 

Milestones Towards PhD

There are a set of milestones on the way to completing a PhD degree in the department. Each of these milestones has an associated deadline. Failure to meet any of these milestones by its deadline may result in the loss of funding (TA- or RA-ships) and/or in the denial of candidacy for the Ph.D. Completion of all milestones at earliest possible time is encouraged. The milestones are summarized here in order of their occurence and explained in more detail below:

1. All graduate students are expected to have passed the speaking test (if relevant) within two years since entering the PhD program and to have carried out a minimum of one semester of being a TA in the department. 
2. Admission to preliminary candidacy for a Ph.D. usually occurs within the first 2-3 years. There is no exam requirement for entrance into preliminary candidacy. 
3. Students must pass an oral comprehensive examination that includes a proposal of a plan for Ph.D. research and an oral presentation of this plan. The comprehensive exam also includes a general knowledge component based on all previous coursework. This exam usually occurs in the fourth year. 
4. A written dissertation must be completed and defended in an oral examination. 

Pre-comprehensive Milestones

1. Within 12 months of entering the program the student must fulfill the undergraduate physics certification requirement for all graduate degrees. 
2. Within 2 years of entering the program the student must fulfill requirements for preliminary candidacy. A student who did not fulfill their undergraduate requirement (See general requirements) before entering the program may take 3 years to fulfill the requirements for preliminary candidacy. 
3. Within the first 6 months after being granted preliminary candidacy, the student should present a short (1-2 pages) written report to the Graduate Director and the Graduate Advisor detailing his/her efforts and progress in exploring research opportunities within the Department relevant to a possible Ph.D. research topic. 
4. Before the end of a 12 month period following the preliminary candidacy, the student is expected to join a research group in the department, or, at least to have spent significant effort in seeking a thesis advisor. Again, a brief (1-2 pages) written report should be presented to the Graduate Director and the Graduate Advisor by the end of this time period. 
5. By 12 months following the entrance into preliminary candidacy, the student should have completed almost all lecture course work and begun preparing for the comprehensive examination.  
6. Before the end of an 18 month period following preliminary candidacy the student should have chosen an advisor, have completed the comprehensive exam, and should be carrying out Ph.D. research. A dissertation committee must be assembled, usually comprising the members of the comprehensive exam committee. 

Post-comprehensive Milestones

7. The student is now a Ph.D. candidate and must abide by the rules for postcomprehensive enrollment. In brief summary, the student will schedule a meeting with their dissertation committee every 12 months after admission to preliminary candidacy. A report generated by the committee (not the student) must be distributed according to the detailed requirements.
8. The student will prepare a dissertation based on the student's original research, which must be satisfactory to the departmental members of the dissertation committee, and will defend it in a final oral examination before the dissertation committee. This examination is open to the public.

Course Requirements for Ph.D.

What follows are the default set of requirements for all Physics Ph.D. candidates. 

A total of 11 courses (33 hours) of advanced lecture courses are required. 

1. Core courses

• PHSX 711 Quantum Mechanics I
• PHSX 811 Quantum Mechanics II
• PHSX 821 Classical Mechanics
• PHSX 831 Electrodynamics I 

2. Other required courses

• PHSX 717 Graduate Seminar (satisfies Responsible Scholarship requirement) 
• PHSX 718 Mathematical Physics 
• PHSX 815 Computational Physics (satisfies Research Skills requirement) 
• PHSX 871 Statistical Physics I
• PHSX 931 Electrodynamics II 

3. Two additional PHSX lecture courses (Numbered 700 or above). This excludes PHSX 815 (computational physics) and 717 (graduate seminar). The two courses must be in different sub-fields of physics and they may not be used to simultaneously satisfy other degree requirements in force. (For example, if PHSX 911 is being used to satisfy the PHSX 811 core requirement, it may not also be used for this requirement.)
4. One additional advanced PHSX lecture course (Numbered 800 or above; excluding 815)
5. One credit hour of Colloquium is required (PHSX 700). 
6. All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester. The guidelines are listed here.  
7. A Ph.D. student who has not had the equivalent of 6 credit hours of advanced undergraduate laboratory course work (Junior/Senior level) is required to take one of the four advanced laboratory courses offered in the Department. Other experimental work (for example, senior thesis or undergraduate research experience) may be considered toward meeting this requirement. 

• PHSX 516 Physical Measurements I
• PHSX 536 Electronic Circuits and Measurements
• PHSX 616 Physical Measurements II
• PHSX 636 Electronics Designs 

The courses listed above comprise the Department course requirements common to all students. There is no foreign language requirement. Subsequent work, consisting of advanced courses in appropriate fields and seminars, will be selected by the student and the adviser on the basis of the student's need and intended field of specialization. There is no prescribed minimum number of hours for the Ph.D. degree. The student's dissertation committee will determine the adequacy of the student's courses and seminars and will specify the total course requirements. Neither the Graduate School nor the Department has a requirement for a minor.

Students who wish to pursue a more multidisciplinary plan of study may incorporate coursework from up to two other natural science, engineering, or mathematics (SEM) departments at KU by substituting non PHSX courses at the 600 level and above from these other disciplines for the three additional electives described in items c and d above. The research advisor, or in the absence of one, the Graduate Advisor, shall approve all such outside course choices and provide documentation for the student file on the approved courses and their rationale. 

Students who wish to take courses in the social sciences, humanities, or professional schools must submit a detailed plan of study that must be approved by the Physics and

Astronomy Graduate Committee. Please note that while these unique plans involving non SEM fields will be considered, there is no guarantee that the plan of study will be approved.

Suggested course schedule 

A sample academic schedule for a student who has a half-time teaching or research assistantship during the first four semesters is shown below. It includes the core courses for admission to preliminary candidacy (described in a subsequent section) and a set of lecture courses that meet the Ph.D. course requirements. It is the schedule for a full-time resident student with the normal preparation described above and who is working toward the Ph.D. degree. Students admitted with less preparation should begin with less advanced courses. Courses numbered 500 and above carry graduate credit. 

The electives listed below, e.g. 741, 781, 795, 911, are purely an illustrative option. Students have the freedom to choose which non-required courses satisfy their elective requirements. Note that this sample schedule may also not apply for a student pursuing a more multidisciplinary plan of study. 

Colloquium and Graduate Seminar

All Ph.D. students are required to enroll in PHSX 700, Colloquium, in their sixth semester as an enrolled Physics and Astronomy graduate student. Students need to have attended at least 75% of the regularly scheduled colloquia during their six semesters to achieve a passing grade. 

In Fall of the first year, each graduate student is required to enroll in and attend the graduate seminar (PHSX 717) in order to familiarize themselves with research programs in the Department and gain experience in oral presentations.

Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship 

By the end of one year after being admitted to preliminary candidacy, the student must complete PHSX/ASTR 815, Computational Physics and Astronomy, with a grade of "B" or higher in order to satisfy the Research Skills requirement. Note that this course has significant prerequisites in undergraduate Computer Science. The Responsible Scholarship requirement is filled via completion of PHSX 717. 

Admission to Preliminary Candidacy 

To be admitted to preliminary candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, each graduate student is expected to satisfy the following Departmental requirements. 

1. Completion of undergraduate physics certification requirement for MS or PhD degrees in Physics. 
2. Achieve a minimum core course grade point average of 3.2. The core course GPA is computed from the following five equally weighted elements:

• grade obtained in PHSX 711 Quantum Mechanics I
• grade obtained in PHSX 811 Quantum Mechanics II
• grade obtained in PHSX 821 Classical Mechanics
• grade obtained in PHSX 831 Electrodynamics I
• average grade of two other PHSX lecture courses numbered 700 or higher, excluding PHSX 815 (computational physics) and 717 (graduate seminar). 
  1. Students may repeat one of the four core courses (711, 811, 821, and 831) once for the purpose of improving the core GPA. In calculating the core GPA, the Department will use only the better of the two grades.
  2. The two "other PHSX lecture courses numbered 700 or higher" must be taken at KU, but students entering with graduate credit from other institutions may petition the Graduate Committee for transfer credit for any of the four named core courses. For the purposes of the core GPA, grades (of "B" or better) from the previous institution may be used for at most three of the four named courses. For the remaining course the student must obtain written certification of "B" performance or better from the instructor of the course at KU. Such certification may be obtained by taking the course, taking the final exam of the course (if there is one), or other means which may be determined by the instructor. An appropriate higher level course may also be used to obtain certification in a core course (for example 911 for 711 or 811, 931 for 831.) 
  3. Graduate students are normally expected to complete all core courses by the end of their second year of enrollment. Students who are required to complete an undergraduate physics certificate have three years to finish their core courses. Extensive Applied English Center (AEC) courses, prolonged illness, or extended military service might provide exceptional circumstances.

Decision on Preliminary Candidacy:

Once Undergraduate requirement cores have been certified and sufficient information has been received regarding the required courses, the Graduate Committee will decide whether or not to admit the student to preliminary candidacy. This decision will be based upon the certification and on their core course GPA. The Graduate Committee Chair will report their decision to the Graduate Faculty. 

The Comprehensive Examination

Graduate College requirements for the Comprehensive Examination can be found at redacted. 

After completing a major portion of the required course work and satisfying the computing skills requirement, the student must pass the comprehensive examination. The Department recommends at least five people for committee membership to the Graduate Division, which makes the final appointments. One committee member must come from outside of the Department to serve as a representative of the Graduate School. Requests to take the examination must be made to the Graduate Coordinator at least three weeks in advance of the date of the examination. 

The student will write a 2000 to 4000 word paper on a topic in their chosen sub-field that is relevant to their thesis work. This paper must be presented to the committee at least one week in advance of the scheduled oral exam. The student will make a presentation at the oral examination based upon this paper, and will be examined on the contents of the talk, the paper, and works listed in the paper's bibliography. The bibliography must include at least one recent article from a peer-reviewed journal not authored by the student or the student's advisor. In addition, the committee may ask questions at the oral examination that cover the entire field of physics plus any related material (such as mathematics or chemistry) considered relevant by the examining committee. 

In order to pass the comprehensive exam, the student must receive passing grades on both the written and oral components of the exam. The overall grade on this examination, determined by the examining committee, will be "Honors," "Satisfactory," or "Unsatisfactory."

Comprehensive exam checklist

The checklist will be filled out after the comprehensive exam and retained as a part of the student's records. The student's thesis advisor will discuss the results with the student. A template form is available here. 

Post-Comprehensive Requirements 

Upon passing the comprehensive examination, the student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree. The Graduate Division will then designate the candidate's dissertation committee based on the recommendation of the Department. Each candidate must complete a research project that has been approved by the committee. The committee establishes the candidate's course requirements and directs the research. 

Unless granted a leave of absence, the candidate must be continuously enrolled full-time, including summer sessions, until all requirements for the degree are completed. During this time, the candidate must enroll in a minimum of 6 hours a semester and 3 hours a summer session until the completion of the degree or of 18 hours of post-comprehensive enrollment, whichever comes first. (Post-comprehensive enrollment may include the semester in which the comprehensive examination is passed.) After 18 hours of post comprehensive enrollment, the candidate must continue to enroll each semester and each summer session until all requirements for the degree have been met. If the student petitions (at

redacted) they can enroll for only one hour of credit in spring, summer, and fall and still maintain their GTA or GRA status. 

At least once each year after passing the comprehensive examination, the student should schedule a meeting with his or her dissertation committee to discuss progress towards the completion of the dissertation and any other concerns. A report of the committee's consensus of the meeting should be prepared by a member of the committee other than the student's adviser and placed in the student's file. Copies are to be given to the Departmental Chairman, the Graduate Committee Chair, the Graduate Advisor, the Departmental Director of Graduate Studies, and the student.

Final Oral Exam

The final oral examination will proceed according to the regulations of Graduate studies. These can be found at redacted.

We refer to these requirements below, as they appeared on September 24th, 2010, and we have inserted some modified requirements for those students who wish to pursue a more multidisciplinary dissertation topic.

It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that they satisfy the current university requirements. 

Completion of the dissertation is the culminating academic phase of a doctoral program, climaxed by the final oral examination and defense of the dissertation. In all but the rarest cases, tentative approval of the dissertation is followed promptly by the final oral examination. When the completed dissertation has been accepted by the committee in final draft form, and all other degree requirements have been satisfied, the chair of the committee requests the Graduate Division to schedule the final oral examination. This request must be made in advance of the desired examination by at least the period specified by the Graduate Division (normally at least three weeks). The submission of the request must allow sufficient time to publicize the examination so that interested members of the university community may attend. At least five months must elapse between the successful completion of the comprehensive oral examination and the date of the final oral examination. 

The committee for the final oral examination must consist of at least five members (the members of the dissertation committee plus other members of the Graduate Faculty recommended by the committee chair and the department and appointed by the Graduate Division). The Chair of the committee and three of the other four members must have appointments of some type within the Physics and Astronomy department. One member must be from a department other than the Physics and Astronomy department. The outside member represents Graduate Studies and must be a regular member of the Graduate Faculty. Before the examination, the Graduate Division provides a list of responsibilities to the Graduate Studies representative. The Graduate Studies representative is a voting member of the committee, has full right to participate in the examination, and provides a written report on any unsatisfactory or irregular aspects of the examination to the committee chair, department chair, Graduate Division, and Graduate Studies. 

For students (and only those students) who are pursuing a multidisciplinary plan of study -- as defined by their substitution of courses from other departments for PHSX electives as described in the Course Requirements section -- up to two members of the committee, including the one required outside member, may be faculty from other SEM departments with regular, adjunct, or courtesy appointments at KU. The Chair must have an appointment of some type within the Physics and Astronomy department. (Exception: if the primary appointment of the Chair is outside the department, then only one additional committee member may be outside the Department of Physics and Astronomy.) NOTE: It is assumed that these research projects may involve interaction between physics and one or more other SEM disciplines; therefore, the external faculty members may come from up to two different departments.

The Graduate Division ascertains whether all other degree requirements have been met and if reports of any previously scheduled final oral examinations have been submitted and recorded. Upon approval of the request, the final oral examination is scheduled at the time and place designated by the Graduate Division. This information must be published in a news medium as prescribed by the Graduate Faculty. Interested members of the university community are encouraged to attend these examinations. 

For every scheduled final oral examination, the department reports to the Graduate Division a grade of Honors, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory for the candidate's performance. If an Unsatisfactory grade is reported, the candidate may be allowed to repeat the examination on the recommendation of the department. 

All Graduate College requirements can be found at redacted

Residency Requirements

To become a Ph.D. candidate, i.e. to take the comprehensive exam:

The student must spend at least two semesters, which may include one summer session, in resident study at the University of Kansas.

To obtain a Ph.D.:

The student must spend at least the equivalent of three full academic years in graduate study at this or another approved institution or laboratory. During this period of residence, the student must be involved full-time in academic or professional pursuits, which may include an appointment for teaching or research if the teaching/research is directed specifically toward the student's degree objectives.

Time Limits

Please go to this website to see the University's policy on time limits:

https://documents.ku.edu/policies/Graduate_Studies/docprogramtimeconstr…

Graduate Teaching Assistantship Eligibility

To be eligible for teaching assistantships, all graduate students who are not native speakers of English must achieve a minimum score of 50 on the SPEAK test.

International students must pass an oral examination to demonstrate English fluency.

Students who fail this examination should take courses from the Applied English Center. 

Milestones Towards PhD

There are a set of milestones on the way to completing a PhD degree in the department. Each of these milestones has an associated deadline. Failure to meet any of these milestones by its deadline may result in the loss of funding (TA- or RA-ships) and/or in the denial of candidacy for the Ph.D. Completion of all milestones at earliest possible time is encouraged. The milestones are summarized here in order of their occurrence and explained in more detail below:

1. All graduate students are expected to have passed the speaking test (if relevant) within two years since entering the PhD program and to have carried out a minimum of one semester of being a TA in the department. 
2. Admission to preliminary candidacy for a Ph.D. usually occurs within the first 2-3 years. There is no exam requirement for entrance into preliminary candidacy. 
3. Students must pass an oral comprehensive examination that includes a proposal of a plan for Ph.D. research and an oral presentation of this plan. The

comprehensive exam also includes a general knowledge component based on all previous coursework. This exam usually occurs in the fourth year. 

4. A written dissertation must be completed and defended in an oral examination. 

Pre-comprehensive Milestones

1. Within 12 months of entering the program the student must fulfill the undergraduate physics certification requirement for all graduate degrees. 
2. Within 2 years of entering the program the student must fulfill requirements for preliminary candidacy. A student who did not fulfill their undergraduate requirement (See general requirements) before entering the program may take 3 years to fulfill the requirements for preliminary candidacy. 
3. Within the first 6 months after being granted preliminary candidacy, the student should present a short (1-2 pages) written report to the Graduate Director and the Graduate Advisor detailing his/her efforts and progress in exploring research opportunities within the Department relevant to a possible Ph.D. research topic. 
4. Before the end of a 12 month period following the preliminary candidacy, the student is expected to join a research group in the department, or, at least to have spent significant effort in seeking a thesis advisor. Again, a brief (1-2 pages) written report should be presented to the Graduate Director and the Graduate Advisor by the end of this time period. 
5. By 12 months following the entrance into preliminary candidacy, the student should have completed almost all lecture course work and begun preparing for the comprehensive examination.  
6. Before the end of an 18 month period following preliminary candidacy the student should have chosen an advisor, have completed the comprehensive exam, and should be carrying out Ph.D. research. A dissertation committee must be assembled, usually comprising the members of the comprehensive exam committee. 

Post-comprehensive Milestones

7. The student is now a Ph.D. candidate and must abide by the rules for postcomprehensive enrollment. In brief summary, the student will schedule a meeting with their dissertation committee every 12 months after admission to preliminary candidacy. A report generated by the committee (not the student) must be distributed according to the detailed requirements.
8. The student will prepare a dissertation based on the student's original research, which must be satisfactory to the departmental members of the dissertation committee, and will defend it in a final oral examination before the dissertation committee. This examination is open to the public.

Course Requirements for Ph.D.

What follows are the default set of requirements for all Physics Ph.D. candidates. 

A total of 11 courses (33 hours) of advanced lecture courses are required. This excludes all seminars and colloquia.

1. Core courses

• PHSX 711 Quantum Mechanics I
• PHSX 811 Quantum Mechanics II
• PHSX 821 Classical Mechanics
• PHSX 831 Electrodynamics I 

2. Other required courses

• PHSX 717 Graduate Seminar (satisfies Responsible Scholarship requirement) 
• PHSX 718 Mathematical Physics 
• PHSX 815 Computational Physics (satisfies Research Skills requirement) 
• PHSX 871 Statistical Physics I
• PHSX 931 Electrodynamics II 

3. Two additional PHSX lecture courses (Numbered 700 or above). This excludes PHSX 815 (computational physics) and 717 (graduate seminar). The two courses must be in different sub-fields of physics and they may not be used to simultaneously satisfy other degree requirements in force. (For example, if PHSX 911 is being used to satisfy the PHSX 811 core requirement, it may not also be used for this requirement.)
4. One additional advanced PHSX lecture course (Numbered 800 or above; excluding 815)
5. One credit hour of Colloquium is required (PHSX 700). 
6. All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester. The guidelines are listed here.  
7. A Ph.D. student who has not had the equivalent of 6 credit hours of advanced undergraduate laboratory course work (Junior/Senior level) is required to take one of the four advanced laboratory courses offered in the Department. Other experimental work (for example, senior thesis or undergraduate research experience) may be considered toward meeting this requirement. 

• PHSX 516 Physical Measurements I
• PHSX 536 Electronic Circuits and Measurements
• PHSX 616 Physical Measurements II
• PHSX 636 Electronics Designs 

The courses listed above comprise the Department course requirements common to all students except those pursuing a multi-disciplinary plan of study, which is described below. There is no foreign language requirement. Subsequent work, consisting of advanced courses in appropriate fields and seminars, will be selected by the student and the adviser on the basis of the student's need and intended field of specialization. There is no prescribed minimum number of hours for the Ph.D. degree. The student's dissertation committee will determine the adequacy of the student's courses and seminars and will specify the total course requirements. Neither the Graduate School nor the Department has a requirement for a minor.

Students who wish to pursue a more multidisciplinary plan of study may incorporate coursework from up to two other natural science, engineering, or mathematics (SEM) departments at KU by substituting non PHSX courses at the 600 level and above from these other disciplines for the three additional electives described in items c and d above. The research advisor, or in the absence of one, the Departmental Graduate Advisor (who is the default advisor for all students without a research advisor), shall approve all such outside course choices and provide documentation for the student file on the approved courses and their rationale. 

Students who wish to take courses in the social sciences, humanities, or professional schools must submit a detailed plan of study that must be approved by the Physics and Astronomy Graduate Committee. Please note that while these unique plans involving non SEM fields will be considered, there is no guarantee that the plan of study will be approved.

Suggested course schedule 

A sample academic schedule for a student who has a half-time teaching or research assistantship during the first four semesters is shown below. It includes the core courses for admission to preliminary candidacy (described in a subsequent section) and a set of lecture courses that meet the Ph.D. course requirements. It is the schedule for a full-time resident student with the normal preparation described above and who is working toward the Ph.D. degree. Students admitted with less preparation should begin with less advanced courses. Courses numbered 500 and above carry graduate credit. 

The electives listed below, e.g. 741, 781, 795, 911, are purely an illustrative option. Students have the freedom to choose which non-required courses satisfy their elective requirements. Note that this sample schedule may also not apply for a student pursuing a more multidisciplinary plan of study. 

Colloquium and Graduate Seminar

All Ph.D. students are required to enroll in PHSX 700, Colloquium, in their sixth semester as an enrolled Physics and Astronomy graduate student. Students need to have attended at least 75% of the regularly scheduled colloquia during their six semesters to achieve a passing grade. 

In Fall of the first year, each graduate student is required to enroll in and attend the graduate seminar (PHSX 717) in order to familiarize themselves with research programs in the Department and gain experience in oral presentations.

Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship 

By the end of one year after being admitted to preliminary candidacy, the student must complete PHSX/ASTR 815, Computational Physics and Astronomy, with a grade of "B" or higher in order to satisfy the Research Skills requirement. Note that this course has significant prerequisites in undergraduate Computer Science. The Responsible Scholarship requirement is filled via completion of PHSX 717. 

Admission to Preliminary Candidacy 

To be admitted to preliminary candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, each graduate student is expected to satisfy the following Departmental requirements. 

1. Completion of undergraduate physics certification requirement for MS or PhD degrees in Physics. 
2. Achieve a minimum core course grade point average of 3.2. The core course GPA is computed from the following five equally weighted elements:

• grade obtained in PHSX 711 Quantum Mechanics I
• grade obtained in PHSX 811 Quantum Mechanics II
• grade obtained in PHSX 821 Classical Mechanics
• grade obtained in PHSX 831 Electrodynamics I 
• average grade of two other PHSX lecture courses numbered 700 or higher, excluding PHSX 815 (computational physics) and 717 (graduate seminar). 

1. 1. Students may repeat one of the four core courses (711, 811, 821, and 831) once for the purpose of improving the core GPA. In calculating the core GPA, the Department will use only the better of the two grades.

1. 2. The two "other PHSX lecture courses numbered 700 or higher" must be taken at KU, but students entering with graduate credit from other institutions may petition the Graduate Committee for transfer credit for any of the four named core courses. For the purposes of the core GPA, grades (of "B" or better) from the previous institution may be used for at most three of the four named courses. For the remaining course the student must obtain written certification of "B" performance or better from the instructor of the course at KU. Such certification may be obtained by taking the course, taking the final exam of the course (if there is one), or other means which may be determined by the instructor. An appropriate higher level course may also be used to obtain certification in a core course (for example 911 for 711 or 811, 931 for 831.) 

1. 3. Graduate students are normally expected to complete all core courses by the end of their second year of enrollment. Students who are required to complete an undergraduate physics certificate have three years to finish their core courses. Extensive Applied English Center (AEC) courses, prolonged illness, or extended military service might provide exceptional circumstances.

Decision on Preliminary Candidacy:

Once Undergraduate requirement cores have been certified and sufficient information has been received regarding the required courses, the Graduate Committee will decide whether or not to admit the student to preliminary candidacy. This decision will be based upon the certification and on their core course GPA. The Graduate Committee Chair will report their decision to the Graduate Faculty. 

The Comprehensive Examination

Graduate College requirements for the Comprehensive Examination can be found at redacted. 

After completing a major portion of the required course work and satisfying the computing skills requirement, the student must pass the comprehensive examination. The Department recommends at least five people for committee membership to the Graduate Division, which makes the final appointments. One committee member must come from outside of the Department to serve as a representative of the Graduate School. Requests to take the examination must be made to the Graduate Coordinator at least three weeks in advance of the date of the examination. 

The student will write a 2000 to 4000 word paper on a topic in their chosen sub-field that is relevant to their thesis work. This paper must be presented to the committee at least one week in advance of the scheduled oral exam. The student will make a presentation at the oral examination based upon this paper, and will be examined on the contents of the talk, the paper, and works listed in the paper's bibliography. The bibliography must include at least one recent article from a peer-reviewed journal not authored by the student or the student's advisor. In addition, the committee may ask questions at the oral examination that cover the entire field of physics plus any related material (such as mathematics or chemistry) considered relevant by the examining committee. 

In order to pass the comprehensive exam, the student must receive passing grades on both the written and oral components of the exam. The overall grade on this examination, determined by the examining committee, will be "Honors," "Satisfactory," or "Unsatisfactory."

The checklist will be filled out after the comprehensive exam and retained as a part of the student's records. The student's thesis advisor will discuss the results with the student. A template form is available here. 

Post-Comprehensive Requirements 

Upon passing the comprehensive examination, the student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree. The Graduate Division will then designate the candidate's dissertation committee based on the recommendation of the Department. Each candidate must complete a research project that has been approved by the committee. The committee establishes the candidate's course requirements and directs the research. 

Unless granted a leave of absence, the candidate must be continuously enrolled full-time, including summer sessions, until all requirements for the degree are completed. During this time, the candidate must enroll in a minimum of 6 hours a semester and 3 hours a summer session until the completion of the degree or of 18 hours of post-comprehensive enrollment, whichever comes first. (Post-comprehensive enrollment may include the semester in which the comprehensive examination is passed.) After 18 hours of post comprehensive enrollment, the candidate must continue to enroll each semester and each summer session until all requirements for the degree have been met. If the student petitions (at

redacted) they can enroll for only one hour of credit in spring, summer, and fall and still maintain their GTA or GRA status. 

At least once each year after passing the comprehensive examination, the student should schedule a meeting with his or her dissertation committee to discuss progress towards the completion of the dissertation and any other concerns. A report of the committee's consensus of the meeting should be prepared by a member of the committee other than the student's adviser and placed in the student's file. Copies are to be given to the Departmental Chairman, the Graduate Committee Chair, the Graduate Advisor, the Departmental Director of Graduate Studies, and the student.

Final Oral Exam

The final oral examination will proceed according to the regulations of Graduate studies. These can be found at redacted.

We refer to these requirements below, as they appeared on September 24th, 2010, and we have inserted some modified requirements for those students who wish to pursue a more multidisciplinary dissertation topic.

It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that they satisfy the current university requirements. 

Completion of the dissertation is the culminating academic phase of a doctoral program, climaxed by the final oral examination and defense of the dissertation. In all but the rarest cases, tentative approval of the dissertation is followed promptly by the final oral examination. When the completed dissertation has been accepted by the committee in final draft form, and all other degree requirements have been satisfied, the chair of the committee requests the Graduate Division to schedule the final oral examination. This request must be made in advance of the desired examination by at least the period specified by the Graduate Division (normally at least three weeks). The submission of the request must allow sufficient time to publicize the examination so that interested members of the university community may attend. At least five months must elapse between the successful completion of the comprehensive oral examination and the date of the final oral examination. 

The committee for the final oral examination must consist of at least five members (the members of the dissertation committee plus other members of the Graduate Faculty recommended by the committee chair and the department and appointed by the Graduate Division). The Chair of the committee and three of the other four members must have appointments of some type within the Physics and Astronomy department. One member must be from a department other than the Physics and Astronomy department. The outside member represents Graduate Studies and must be a regular member of the Graduate Faculty. Before the examination, the Graduate Division provides a list of responsibilities to the Graduate Studies representative. The Graduate Studies representative is a voting member of the committee, has full right to participate in the examination, and provides a written report on any unsatisfactory or irregular aspects of the examination to the committee chair, department chair, Graduate Division, and Graduate Studies. 

For students (and only those students) who are pursuing a multidisciplinary plan of study -- as defined by their substitution of courses from other departments for PHSX electives as described in the Course Requirements section -- up to two members of the committee, including the one required outside member, may be faculty from other SEM departments with regular, adjunct, or courtesy appointments at KU. The Chair must have an appointment of some type within the Physics and Astronomy department. (Exception: if the primary appointment of the Chair is outside the department, then only one additional committee member may be outside the Department of Physics and Astronomy.) NOTE: It is assumed that these research projects may involve interaction between physics and one or more other SEM disciplines; therefore, the external faculty members may come from up to two different departments.

The Graduate Division ascertains whether all other degree requirements have been met and if reports of any previously scheduled final oral examinations have been submitted and recorded. Upon approval of the request, the final oral examination is scheduled at the time and place designated by the Graduate Division. This information must be published in a news medium as prescribed by the Graduate Faculty. Interested members of the university community are encouraged to attend these examinations. 

For every scheduled final oral examination, the department reports to the Graduate Division a grade of Honors, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory for the candidate's performance. If an Unsatisfactory grade is reported, the candidate may be allowed to repeat the examination on the recommendation of the department. 

All Graduate College requirements can be found at redacted

Residency Requirements

To become a Ph.D. candidate, i.e. to take the comprehensive exam:

The student must spend at least two semesters, which may include one summer session, in resident study at the University of Kansas.

To obtain a Ph.D.:

The student must spend at least the equivalent of three full academic years in graduate study at this or another approved institution or laboratory. During this period of residence, the student must be involved full-time in academic or professional pursuits, which may include an appointment for teaching or research if the teaching/research is directed specifically toward the student's degree objectives.

Time Limits

Please go to this website to see the University's policy on time limits:

https://documents.ku.edu/policies/Graduate_Studies/docprogramtimeconstr…

Graduate Teaching Assistantship Eligibility

To be eligible for teaching assistantships, all graduate students who are not native speakers of English must achieve a minimum score of 50 on the SPEAK test.

International students must pass an oral examination to demonstrate English fluency.

Students who fail this examination should take courses from the Applied English Center. 

Pedagogical Instruction 

Every student who receives a GTA appointment will be required to complete PHSX 702 at the first offering of the course starting with the semester of the student's initial GTA appointment. Failure to complete this class at the first opportunity may affect consideration for subsequent GTA appointments. 

Milestones Towards PhD

There are a set of milestones on the way to completing a PhD degree in the department. Each of these milestones has an associated deadline. Failure to meet any of these milestones by its deadline may result in the loss of funding (TA- or RA-ships) and/or in the denial of candidacy for the Ph.D. Completion of all milestones at earliest possible time is encouraged. The milestones are summarized here in order of their occurence and explained in more detail below:

1. All graduate students are expected to have passed the speaking test (if relevant) within two years since entering the PhD program and to have carried out a minimum of one semester of being a TA in the department. 
2. Admission to preliminary candidacy for a Ph.D. usually occurs within the first 2-3 years. There is no exam requirement for entrance into preliminary candidacy. 
3. Students must pass an oral comphrehensive examination that includes a proposal of a plan for Ph.D. research and an oral presentation of this plan. The comprehensive exam also includes a general knowledge component based on all previous coursework. This exam usually occurs in the fourth year. 
4. A written dissertation must be completed and defended in an oral examination.  Pre-comprehensive Milestones

1. Within 12 months of entering the program the student must fulfill the undergraduate physics certification requirement for all graduate degrees. 
2. Within 2 years of entering the program the student must fulfill requirements for preliminary candidacy. A student who did not fulfill their undergraduate requirement (See general requirements) before entering the program may take 3 years to fulfill the requirements for preliminary candidacy. 
3. Within the first 6 months after being granted preliminary candidacy, the student should present a short (1-2 pages) written report to the Graduate Director and the Graduate Advisor detailing his/her efforts and progress in exploring research opportunities within the Department relevant to a possible Ph.D. research topic. 
4. Before the end of a 12 month period following the preliminary candidacy, the student is expected to join a research group in the department, or, at least to have spent significant effort in seeking a thesis advisor. Again, a brief (1-2 pages) written report should be presented to the Graduate Director and the Graduate Advisor by the end of this time period. 
5. By 12 months following the entrance into preliminary candidacy, the student should have completed almost all lecture course work and begun preparing for the comprehensive examination.  
6. Before the end of an 18 month period following preliminary candidacy the student should have chosen an advisor, have completed the comprehensive exam, and should be carrying out Ph.D. research. A dissertation committee must be assembled, usually comprising the members of the comprehensive exam committee. 

Post-comprehensive Milestones

7. The student is now a Ph.D. candidate and must abide by the rules for postcomprehensive enrollment. In brief summary, the student will schedule a meeting with their dissertation committee every 12 months after admission to preliminary candidacy. A report generated by the committee (not the student) must be distributed according to the detailed requirements.
8. The student will prepare a dissertation based on the student's original research, which must be satisfactory to the departmental members of the dissertation committee, and will defend it in a final oral examination before the dissertation committee. This examination is open to the public.

Course Requirements for Ph.D.

What follows are the default set of requirements for all Physics Ph.D. candidates. 

A total of 11 courses (33 hours) of advanced lecture courses are required. This excludes all seminars and colloquia.

1. Core courses

• PHSX 711 Quantum Mechanics I
• PHSX 811 Quantum Mechanics II
• PHSX 821 Classical Mechanics
• PHSX 831 Electrodynamics I 

2. Other required courses

• PHSX 717 Graduate Seminar (satisfies Responsible Scholarship requirement) 
• PHSX 718 Mathematical Physics 
• PHSX 815 Computational Physics (satisfies Research Skills requirement) 
• PHSX 871 Statistical Physics I
• PHSX 931 Electrodynamics II 

3. Two additional PHSX lecture courses (Numbered 700 or above). This excludes PHSX 815 (computational physics) and 717 (graduate seminar). The two courses must be in different sub-fields of physics and they may not be used to simultaneously satisfy other degree requirements in force. (For example, if PHSX 911 is being used to satisfy the PHSX 811 core requirement, it may not also be used for this requirement.)
4. One additional advanced PHSX lecture course (Numbered 800 or above; excluding 815)
5. One credit hour of Colloquium is required (PHSX 700). 
6. All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester. The guidelines are listed here.  
7. A Ph.D. student who has not had the equivalent of 6 credit hours of advanced undergraduate laboratory course work (Junior/Senior level) is required to take one of the four advanced laboratory courses offered in the Department. Other experimental work (for example, senior thesis or undergraduate research experience) may be considered toward meeting this requirement. 

• PHSX 516 Physical Measurements I
• PHSX 536 Electronic Circuits and Measurements
• PHSX 616 Physical Measurements II
• PHSX 636 Electronics Designs 

The courses listed above comprise the Department course requirements common to all students except those pursuing a multi-disciplinary plan of study, which is described below. There is no foreign language requirement. Subsequent work, consisting of advanced courses in appropriate fields and seminars, will be selected by the student and the adviser on the basis of the student's need and intended field of specialization. There is no prescribed minimum number of hours for the Ph.D. degree. The student's dissertation committee will determine the adequacy of the student's courses and seminars and will specify the total course requirements. Neither the Graduate School nor the Department has a requirement for a minor.

Students who wish to pursue a more multidisciplinary plan of study may incorporate coursework from up to two other natural science, engineering, or mathematics (SEM) departments at KU by substituting non PHSX courses at the 600 level and above from these other disciplines for the three additional electives described in items c and d above. The research advisor, or in the absence of one, the Departmental Graduate Advisor (who is the default advisor for all students without a research advisor), shall approve all such outside course choices and provide documentation for the student file on the approved courses and their rationale. 

Students who wish to take courses in the social sciences, humanities, or professional schools must submit a detailed plan of study that must be approved by the Physics and Astronomy Graduate Committee. Please note that while these unique plans involving non SEM fields will be considered, there is no guarantee that the plan of study will be approved.

Suggested course schedule 

A sample academic schedule for a student who has a half-time teaching or research assistantship during the first four semesters is shown below. It includes the core courses for admission to preliminary candidacy (described in a subsequent section) and a set of lecture courses that meet the Ph.D. course requirements. It is the schedule for a full-time resident student with the normal preparation described above and who is working toward the Ph.D. degree. Students admitted with less preparation should begin with less advanced courses. Courses numbered 500 and above carry graduate credit. 

The electives listed below, e.g. 741, 781, 795, 911, are purely an illustrative option. Students have the freedom to choose which non-required courses satisfy their elective requirements. Note that this sample schedule may also not apply for a student pursuing a more multidisciplinary plan of study. 

Colloquium and Graduate Seminar

All Ph.D. students are required to enroll in PHSX 700, Colloquium, in their sixth semester as an enrolled Physics and Astronomy graduate student. Students need to have attended at least 75% of the regularly scheduled colloquia during their six semesters to achieve a passing grade. 

In Fall of the first year, each graduate student is required to enroll in and attend the graduate seminar (PHSX 717) in order to familiarize themselves with research programs in the Department and gain experience in oral presentations.

Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship 

By the end of one year after being admitted to preliminary candidacy, the student must complete PHSX/ASTR 815, Computational Physics and Astronomy, with a grade of "B" or higher in order to satisfy the Research Skills requirement. Note that this course has significant prerequisites in undergraduate Computer Science. The Responsible Scholarship requirement is filled via completion of PHSX 717. 

Admission to Preliminary Candidacy 

To be admitted to preliminary candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, each graduate student is expected to satisfy the following Departmental requirements. 

1. Completion of undergraduate physics certification requirement for MS or PhD degrees in Physics. 
2. Achieve a minimum core course grade point average of 3.2. The core course GPA is computed from the following five equally weighted elements:

• grade obtained in PHSX 711 Quantum Mechanics I
• grade obtained in PHSX 811 Quantum Mechanics II 
• grade obtained in PHSX 821 Classical Mechanics
• grade obtained in PHSX 831 Electrodynamics I 
• average grade of two other PHSX lecture courses numbered 700 or higher, excluding PHSX 815 (computational physics) and 717 (graduate seminar). 

1. 1. 1. Students may repeat one of the four core courses (711, 811, 821, and 831) once for the purpose of improving the core GPA. In calculating the core GPA, the Department will use only the better of the two grades.

1. 1. 2. The two "other PHSX lecture courses numbered 700 or higher" must be taken at KU, but students entering with graduate credit from other institutions may petition the Graduate Committee for transfer credit for any of the four named core courses. For the purposes of the core GPA, grades (of "B" or better) from the previous institution may be used for at most three of the four named courses. For the remaining course the student must obtain written certification of "B" performance or better from the instructor of the course at KU. Such certification may be obtained by taking the course, taking the final exam of the course (if there is one), or other means which may be determined by the instructor. An appropriate higher level course may also be used to obtain certification in a core course (for example 911 for 711 or 811, 931 for 831.) 

1. 1. 3. Graduate students are normally expected to complete all core courses by the end of their second year of enrollment. Students who are required to complete an undergraduate physics certificate have three years to finish their core courses. Extensive Applied English Center (AEC) courses, prolonged illness, or extended military service might provide exceptional circumstances.

Decision on Preliminary Candidacy:

Once Undergraduate requirement cores have been certified and sufficient information has been received regarding the required courses, the Graduate Committee will decide whether or not to admit the student to preliminary candidacy. This decision will be based upon the certification and on their core course GPA. The Graduate Committee Chair will report their decision to the Graduate Faculty. 

The Comprehensive Examination

Graduate College requirements for the Comprehensive Examination can be found at redacted. 

After completing a major portion of the required course work and satisfying the computing skills requirement, the student must pass the comprehensive examination. The Department recommends at least five people for committee membership to the Graduate Division, which makes the final appointments. One committee member must come from outside of the Department to serve as a representative of the Graduate School. Requests to take the examination must be made to the Graduate Coordinator at least three weeks in advance of the date of the examination. 

The student will write a 2000 to 4000 word paper on a topic in their chosen sub-field that is relevant to their thesis work. This paper must be presented to the committee at least one week in advance of the scheduled oral exam. The student will make a presentation at the oral examination based upon this paper, and will be examined on the contents of the talk, the paper, and works listed in the paper's bibliography. The bibliography must include at least one recent article from a peer-reviewed journal not authored by the student or the student's advisor. In addition, the committee may ask questions at the oral examination that cover the entire field of physics plus any related material (such as mathematics or chemistry) considered relevant by the examining committee. 

In order to pass the comprehensive exam, the student must receive passing grades on both the written and oral components of the exam. The overall grade on this examination, determined by the examining committee, will be "Honors," "Satisfactory," or "Unsatisfactory."

The checklist will be filled out after the comprehensive exam and retained as a part of the student's records. The student's thesis advisor will discuss the results with the student. A template form is available here. 

Post-Comprehensive Requirements 

Upon passing the comprehensive examination, the student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree. The Graduate Division will then designate the candidate's dissertation committee based on the recommendation of the Department. Each candidate must complete a research project that has been approved by the committee. The committee establishes the candidate's course requirements and directs the research. 

Unless granted a leave of absence, the candidate must be continuously enrolled full-time, including summer sessions, until all requirements for the degree are completed. During this time, the candidate must enroll in a minimum of 6 hours a semester and 3 hours a summer session until the completion of the degree or of 18 hours of post-comprehensive enrollment, whichever comes first. (Post-comprehensive enrollment may include the semester in which the comprehensive examination is passed.) After 18 hours of post comprehensive enrollment, the candidate must continue to enroll each semester and each summer session until all requirements for the degree have been met. If the student petitions (at

redacted) they can enroll for only one hour of credit in spring, summer, and fall and still maintain their GTA or GRA status. 

At least once each year after passing the comprehensive examination, the student should schedule a meeting with his or her dissertation committee to discuss progress towards the completion of the dissertation and any other concerns. A report of the committee's consensus of the meeting should be prepared by a member of the committee other than the student's adviser and placed in the student's file. Copies are to be given to the Departmental Chairman, the Graduate Committee Chair, the Graduate Advisor, the Departmental Director of Graduate Studies, and the student.

Final Oral Exam

The final oral examination will proceed according to the regulations of Graduate studies. These can be found at redacted.

We refer to these requirements below, as they appeared on September 24th, 2010, and we have inserted some modified requirements for those students who wish to pursue a more multidisciplinary dissertation topic.

It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that they satisfy the current university requirements. 

Completion of the dissertation is the culminating academic phase of a doctoral program, climaxed by the final oral examination and defense of the dissertation. In all but the rarest cases, tentative approval of the dissertation is followed promptly by the final oral examination. When the completed dissertation has been accepted by the committee in final draft form, and all other degree requirements have been satisfied, the chair of the committee requests the Graduate Division to schedule the final oral examination. This request must be made in advance of the desired examination by at least the period specified by the Graduate Division (normally at least three weeks). The submission of the request must allow sufficient time to publicize the examination so that interested members of the university community may attend. At least five months must elapse between the successful completion of the comprehensive oral examination and the date of the final oral examination. 

The committee for the final oral examination must consist of at least five members (the members of the dissertation committee plus other members of the Graduate Faculty recommended by the committee chair and the department and appointed by the Graduate Division). The Chair of the committee and three of the other four members must have appointments of some type within the Physics and Astronomy department. One member must be from a department other than the Physics and Astronomy department. The outside member represents Graduate Studies and must be a regular member of the Graduate Faculty. Before the examination, the Graduate Division provides a list of responsibilities to the Graduate Studies representative. The Graduate Studies representative is a voting member of the committee, has full right to participate in the examination, and provides a written report on any unsatisfactory or irregular aspects of the examination to the committee chair, department chair, Graduate Division, and Graduate Studies. 

For students (and only those students) who are pursuing a multidisciplinary plan of study -- as defined by their substitution of courses from other departments for PHSX electives as described in the Course Requirements section -- up to two members of the committee, including the one required outside member, may be faculty from other SEM departments with regular, adjunct, or courtesy appointments at KU. The Chair must have an appointment of some type within the Physics and Astronomy department. (Exception: if the primary appointment of the Chair is outside the department, then only one additional committee member may be outside the Department of Physics and Astronomy.) NOTE: It is assumed that these research projects may involve interaction between physics and one or more other SEM disciplines; therefore, the external faculty members may come from up to two different departments.

The Graduate Division ascertains whether all other degree requirements have been met and if reports of any previously scheduled final oral examinations have been submitted and recorded. Upon approval of the request, the final oral examination is scheduled at the time and place designated by the Graduate Division. This information must be published in a news medium as prescribed by the Graduate Faculty. Interested members of the university community are encouraged to attend these examinations. 

For every scheduled final oral examination, the department reports to the Graduate Division a grade of Honors, Satisfactory, or Unsatisfactory for the candidate's performance. If an Unsatisfactory grade is reported, the candidate may be allowed to repeat the examination on the recommendation of the department. Guidelines for assigning a grade of PASS with HONORS (Approved April 2013) can be accessed at this link. Prior to the oral defense, each member of the PhD Committee is expected to complete the on-line rubric form for evaluation of the written communication and learning outcomes, as exemplified by the written thesis. A copy of the form for illustration purposes can be found at this link. 

All Graduate College requirements can be found at redacted

Course Requirements for Ph.D.

What follows are the default set of requirements for all Physics Ph.D. candidates.

A total of 10 courses (30 hours) of advanced lecture courses are required. This excludes all seminars and colloquia.

1. Core courses
   • PHSX 711 Quantum Mechanics I
   • PHSX 811 Quantum Mechanics II
   • PHSX 821 Classical Mechanics
   • PHSX 831 Electrodynamics I
2. Other required courses
   • PHSX 717 Graduate Seminar (satisfies Responsible Scholarship requirement)
   • PHSX 718 Mathematical Physics
   • PHSX 815 Computational Physics (satisfies Research Skills requirement)
   • PHSX 871 Statistical Physics I (usually offered every two years. Substitution of CHEM 852 for this credit is not permitted) 
   • PHSX 931 Electrodynamics II (usually offered every two years)
3. Two additional PHSX lecture courses (Numbered 700 or above). This excludes PHSX 815 (computational physics) and 717 (graduate seminar). The two courses must be in different sub-fields of physics and they may not be used to simultaneously satisfy other degree requirements in force. (For example, if PHSX 911 is being used to satisfy the PHSX 811 core requirement, it may not also be used for this requirement.) 
4. One credit hour of Colloquium is required (PHSX 700). See "Colloquium and Graduate Seminar" below for an explanation.
5. All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester. See "Communication Skills" for an explanation 
6. Our department has an undergraduate lab requirement for all graduate students. For details please visit this link.

The courses listed above comprise the Department course requirements common to all students except those pursuing a multi-disciplinary plan of study, which is described below. Subsequent work, consisting of advanced courses in appropriate fields and seminars, will be selected by the student and the advisor on the basis of the student's need and intended field of specialization. There is no prescribed minimum number of hours for the Ph.D. degree. The student's dissertation committee will determine the adequacy of the student's courses and seminars and will specify the total course requirements in addition to those listed above.

Students who wish to pursue a more multidisciplinary plan of study may incorporate coursework from up to two other natural science, engineering, or mathematics (SEM) departments at KU by substituting non PHSX courses at the 600 level and above from these other disciplines for the two additional electives previously described. The research advisor or the Departmental Graduate Advisor, who is the default advisor for all students without a research advisor, shall approve all such outside course choices and provide documentation for the student file on the approved courses and their rationale.

Students who wish to take courses in the social sciences, humanities, or professional schools must submit a detailed plan of study that must be approved by the Physics and Astronomy Graduate Committee. Please note that while these unique plans involving non SEM fields will be considered, there is no guarantee that the plan of study will be approved.

Requirements - MS in Physics

Candidates must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of advanced lecture courses (numbered 500 or above) in physics and related subjects. These courses must include the following: 

1. Within 12 months of entering the program the student must fulfill the undergraduate physics certification requirement for all graduate degrees.  
2. Three basic courses. 

• PHSX 711 Quantum Mechanics I
• PHSX 821 Classical Mechanics
• PHSX 831 Electrodynamics I 

1. Two additional courses chosen from.

• PHSX 815 Computational Physics and Astronomy
• PHSX 721 Chaotic Dynamics
• PHSX 741 Nuclear Physics I
• PHSX 761 Elementary Particles I
• PHSX 781 Solid State Physics I
• PHSX 793 Physical Cosmology
• PHSX 795 Space Plasma Physics 

1. At least two hours of PHSX 899 Master's Research. 
2. All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester. The guidelines are listed here.  

The following limitations apply to courses presented to satisfy the Master's degree requirements.

6. A maximum of 6 hours of PHSX 899 may be counted toward the degree. Ordinarily no more than 2 hours will be allowed unless a thesis or written report is presented. 
7. The remaining 9 to 13 hours of advanced electives must be either advanced lecture courses or advanced undergraduate laboratory courses. (This proviso excludes seminars and special problems courses.) Candidates must pass a general oral examination in physics. The examination is given shortly before completion of other work for the degree. A master's thesis is not required, but may be submitted if the candidate and the director of the candidate's research believe it to be appropriate.

Requirements - MS in Physics

Candidates must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of advanced lecture courses (numbered 500 or above) in physics and related subjects. These courses must include the following: 

1. Within 12 months of entering the program the student must fulfill the undergraduate physics certification requirement for all graduate degrees.  
2. Three basic courses. 

• PHSX 711 Quantum Mechanics I
• PHSX 821 Classical Mechanics
• PHSX 831 Electrodynamics I 

3. Two additional courses chosen from.

• PHSX 815 Computational Physics and Astronomy
• PHSX 721 Chaotic Dynamics
• PHSX 741 Nuclear Physics I
• PHSX 761 Elementary Particles I
• PHSX 781 Solid State Physics I
• PHSX 793 Physical Cosmology
• PHSX 795 Space Plasma Physics 

3. At least two hours of PHSX 899 Master's Research. 
4. All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester. The guidelines are listed here.  

The following limitations apply to courses presented to satisfy the Master's degree requirements.

6. A maximum of 6 hours of PHSX 899 may be counted toward the degree. Ordinarily no more than 2 hours will be allowed unless a thesis or written report is presented. 
7. The remaining 9 to 13 hours of advanced electives must be either advanced lecture courses or advanced undergraduate laboratory courses. (This proviso excludes seminars and special problems courses.) Candidates must pass a general oral examination in physics. The examination is given shortly before completion of other work for the degree. A master's thesis is not required, but may be submitted if the candidate and the director of the candidate's research believe it to be appropriate. 

Please go to this website to see the University's policy on time limits:  

https://documents.ku.edu/policies/Graduate_Studies/maprogramtimeconstra… m

Requirements - MS in Computational Physics and Astronomy

This degree is a subspeciality program for students with a background in physics, astronomy, computer science, mathematics, or engineering who wish to become familiar with computer--based approaches to problems in these fields. Minimum preparation expected includes a year's course in general physics, mathematics through differential equations, and a knowledge of either FORTRAN, C++ or another programming language.

A total of 30 hours of graduate credit is required for the degree. The 33 hours listed below under parts 1 and 2 may include certain undergraduate level EECS courses. (Only courses numbered 500 or above count as graduate credit.) Students entering the program may have satisfied several of these requirements but a total of 30 hours of graduate credit

is still required. No more than the required six hours of PHSX 899 (Master's Research/Thesis) may be counted toward the degree. 

1. Within 12 months of entering the program the student must fulfill the undergraduate physics certification requirement for all graduate degrees. 
2. Required courses (21 credit hours):

• PHSX/ASTR 815 Computational Physics and Astronomy (3)
• PHSX 718 Mathematical Physics (3)
• MATH/EECS 781 Numerical Analysis I (3)
• EECS - one course at the 300 level or above (in addition to EECS 781) (3) (Note: courses below the 500 level will not count towards the required 30 hours of graduate credit.) 
• One additional PHSX/ASTR/ATMO lecture course at the 500 level or above (3) 
• PHSX 899 Master's Research/Thesis (6)

3. Twelve (12) or more credits from the following list of courses: 

(Note: No double counting: a course used to fulfill a requirement under A. (e.g. EECS 448) may not also be counted under B.) 

• EECS 360 Signal and System Analysis (3) *
• EECS 368 Functional Programming (3) * 
• EECS 388 Computer Systems and Assembly Language (4) *
• EECS 448 Software Engineering I (3) *
• EECS 560 Data Structure (3) 
• EECS 672 Introduction to Computer Graphics (3)
• EECS 848 Software Engineering II (3)
• MATH 596, 696, or 796 - Special Topics (Examples of recent topics: Mathematics of Wall Street Computer-aided, Study of Differential Geometry, Chaos and Fractals , Fractional Brownian Motion and Its  Applications, Wavelet Analysis,Statistical Theory , Stochastic Differential Equations and Applications
• MATH 611 Fourier Analysis of Time Series (3)
• MATH 627 Probability (3)
• MATH 647 Partial Differential Equations (3)
• MATH/EECS 782 Numerical Analysis II (3)
• MATH 783 Applied Num. Methods for PDEs (3)
• PHSX/ASTR/ATMO Courses Numbered 500 and above 

* Courses below the 500 level do not count towards the required 30 hours of graduate credit. 

4. Communication Skills 

All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester. The guidelines are listed here. 

5. Thesis 

An important component of this degree is the completion and documentation of a successful computer project. A thesis must be presented that describes the basic physics involved in the project, the method of implementing the project, and a discussion of the results. An oral defense of the thesis is required before a committee of at least three members of the graduate faculty. 

6. An Example Schedule 

(This schedule is meant only to illustrate one possible set of courses that would allow one to complete the degree in two years.) 

FA Year

1 

PHSX 718 (3)

MATH 781

(3)

EECS 448 (3)

SP Year

1 

PHSX 815 (3)

MATH 796

(3)

PHSX/ASTR/ATMO (500 or above)

(3) 

FA Year 2

MATH 647

(3)

PHSX 671 (3)

PHSX 899 (3)

SP Year 2

PHSX 721 (3)

MATH 783

(3)

PHSX 899 (3)

MS with emphasis in Computational Physics and Astronomy

This degree is a subspecialty program for students with a background in physics, astronomy, computer science, mathematics, or engineering who wish to become familiar with computer--based approaches to problems in these fields. Minimum preparation expected includes a year's course in general physics, mathematics through differential equations, and a knowledge of either FORTRAN, C++ or another programming language.

Degree requirements

A total of 30 hours of graduate credit is required for the degree. The 33 hours listed below may include certain undergraduate level EECS courses. (Only courses numbered 500 or above count as graduate credit.) Students entering the program may have satisfied several of these requirements but a total of 30 hours of graduate credit is still required. No more than the required six hours of PHSX 899 (Master's Research/Thesis) may be counted toward the degree. 

1. Within 12 months of entering the program the student must fulfill the requirements of the individualized plan of study for all graduate degrees to certify an undergraduate knowledge of Physics. Visit the Department’s website for more information on these requirements and the process of certification. 
2. Required courses (21 credit hours): 

• PHSX/ASTR 815 Computational Physics and Astronomy (3)
• PHSX 718 Mathematical Physics (3)
• MATH/EECS 781 Numerical Analysis I (3)
• EECS - one course at the 300 level or above (in addition to EECS 781) (3) (Note: courses below the 500 level will not count towards the required 30 hours of graduate credit.)
• One additional PHSX/ASTR lecture course at the 500 level or above (3)
• PHSX 899 Master's Research/Thesis (6)

1. Twelve (12) or more credits from the following list of courses: 

(Note: No double counting: a course used to fulfill a requirement under 2. (e.g. EECS 448) may not also be counted under 3.)  

* Courses below the 500 level do not count towards the required 30 hours of graduate credit. 

• EECS 360 Signal and System Analysis (3) *
• EECS 368 Functional Programming (3) *
• EECS 388 Computer Systems and Assembly Language (4) *
• EECS 448 Software Engineering I (3) *
• EECS 560 Data Structure (3)
• EECS 672 Introduction to Computer Graphics (3)
• EECS 848 Software Engineering II (3)
• MATH 596, 696, or 796 - Special Topics (Examples of recent topics: Mathematics of Wall Street Computer-aided, Study of Differential Geometry, Chaos and Fractals , Fractional Brownian Motion and Its Applications, Wavelet Analysis, Statistical Theory , Stochastic Differential Equations and Applications
• MATH 611 Fourier Analysis of Time Series (3)
• MATH 627 Probability (3)
• MATH 647 Partial Differential Equations (3)
• MATH/EECS 782 Numerical Analysis II (3)
• MATH 783 Applied Num. Methods for PDEs (3)
• PHSX/ASTR Courses Numbered 500 and above

4. All graduate students, after their first semester, will deliver at least one oral presentation per semester.
5. An important component of this degree is the completion and documentation of a successful computer project. A thesis must be presented that describes the basic physics involved in the project, the method of implementing the project, and a discussion of the results. An oral defense of the thesis is required before a committee of at least three members of the graduate faculty.

An Example Schedule

(This schedule is meant only to illustrate one possible set of courses that would allow one to complete the degree in two years.)

• FA Year 1  o PHSX 718 (3) o MATH 781 (3) o EECS 448 (3)
• SP Year 1  o PHSX 815 (3) o MATH 796 (3) o PHSX/ASTR (500 or above) (3)
• FA Year 2  o MATH 647 (3) o PHSX 671 (3) o PHSX 899 (3)
• SP Year 2 o PHSX 721 (3) o MATH 783 (3) o PHSX 899 (3)

Please see the University's policy on time limits.