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Doctoral Studies in Astronomy, Biochemistry, Chemistry, and PhysicsPhysical Sciences Ph.D. |
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Curriculum RequirementsAll students in the Physical Sciences Ph.D. program are required to take 48 credit hours of coursework and 24 credit hours of dissertation research. For students entering the doctoral program with previous graduate work, the 48 hours of course work may be reduced by a maximum of 30 credits. Of the 48 hours of course work, 9 hours will consist of core courses to be taken by all students in the program, and at least 15 hours will be selected as part of a student's "contract" with a three-member faculty committee (explained below). At least five of the "contract core" courses will be selected from the list presented below. Thus, in summary, the program consists of:
PSCI 703 Seminar in Physical Sciences (1:1:0). Combines invited seminars from faculty (both internal and external) with graduate student seminars. Presentation at a seminar is a requirement for advancement to candidacy. May be repeated 3 times. A three-member pre-dissertation faculty committee will be formed by the student as soon as possible after admission, but no later than after completion of the 9 hour core. The composition of the student's committee must be approved by the Program Director. At this point, it is expected that the student will have likely selected a rather broad area of future research interest - typically the area may not yet be specific enough to define an actual dissertation project. Since students entering the program will have diverse backgrounds and goals, and the program is explicitly designed to accommodate students preparing for a range of fields of research, it is not possible to have a completely standardized set of degree requirements. Instead, the student and his/her committee will decide on a set of at least five courses (15 hours ) that will best meet the student's goals and future research direction. This portion of the program will be set up in the form of a contract between the student and the committee. The contract will include courses that the student should take, and books and articles that should be read. Fifteen of the contract hours must be chosen from the following list. However, not more than 3 classes can be taken in any one area, unless the student obtains special permission from the Program Director. Furthermore, no more than two classes at the 500-level can be selected. Astronomy courses:
Biochemistry courses:
Chemistry courses:
Physics courses:
Interdisciplinary courses:
Students can choose their elective classes more widely, but these courses also need to be approved Physics
Chemistry
Astronomy
Biochemistry
Biophysics
Materials
Space Weather
The contract is an interactive document agreed to between the student and the committee. It can be revised, but any revisions must be approved by the Program Director. For purposes of the written preliminary exam, the scope of the contract will be narrowed to cover particular courses, books, etc. as the committee sees fit. The final contract must be signed by the student and by all members of the committee. |
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General questions and requests for additional information should be directed to Dr. John Schreifels, the program director, or Dr. Paul So, the deputy director. |