Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Sciences: Physics
As part of the Natural Sciences Ph.D. program, students in a primary discipline of Physics must meet the minimum Ph.D. program requirements. These can be found within the main program page and subsequent requirement pages.
Physics
Please see the School of Graduate Studies web page for the contact information for the discipline Coordinator. To view all doctoral and graduate faculty in Physics, see this web page.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet both the general and the discipline-specific criteria for admission and be recommended for admission by the faculty review committee. Upon approval by the graduate dean, students are admitted to the School of Graduate Studies.
Please see the website for updated application deadlines.
For admission to the program, an applicant must meet the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies, the International Student Affairs Office (if applicable), and specific Physics and Astronomy admission requirements described below. The Faculty of Physics and Astronomy does not require general or subject-specific GRE scores as part of the Ph.D. application.
The graduate studies committee of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy will review applications and make admission recommendations to the School of Graduate Studies. The basic criterion for admission is the likelihood that an applicant will be successful in the Ph.D. program, particularly in the research component of the program. All applicants must satisfy the graduate studies committee that they meet this criterion through evidence such as:
- Transcripts indicating readiness to study graduate-level physics;
- Letters of recommendation providing evidence of the student's motivation and ability to perform research and disseminate the results;
- A statement of purpose showing alignment of the student's research interests with our faculty areas of expertise as well as indicating post-graduation career goals; and
- Performance on a written Ph.D. qualifying examination if entering the program without a physics degree or a degree in a nearly equivalent discipline (e.g., engineering-physics).
Furthermore, a member of the doctoral faculty must be willing to accept the applicant as a research student.
Core Coursework Requirements
Students with a Physics primary discipline will complete a minimum of 42 credit hours for the degree. This includes at least 15 credit hours in the primary discipline, 9 hours outside the primary discipline (decided in consultation between the student and primary advisor), 6 credit hours of electives, and at least 12 hours of dissertation credit in the primary discipline.
Primary Discipline
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum of 15 primary discipline hours, including five of the six courses below: 1 | 15 | |
| Theoretical Mechanics I | ||
| Electromagnetic Theory And Applications I | ||
| Electromagnetic Theory And Applications II | ||
| Quantum Mechanics I | ||
| Quantum Mechanics II | ||
| Statistical Physics I | ||
| Coursework Outside of Primary Discipline (either in designated secondary discipline or multiple other disciplines) 1 | 9 | |
| Electives (coursework can be from any discipline) | 6 | |
| Dissertation | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 42 | |
Total Credit Hours: 42
- 1
Substitutions are permitted via consultation with the student's advisory committee and must include a justifying statement.
- 2
Minimum of 9 hours with possibility of more required. Decided in consultation with primary advisor.
Secondary Discipline
Students with a Physics secondary discipline will complete a minimum of 9 credit hours in the discipline.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum of 9 credit hours in Physics at the 300-level or above. At least 3 hours must be at the 5500-level or above. | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam
Ph.D. students must pass a Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam to advance to Ph.D. Candidacy. The Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam consists of a proposal of the Ph.D. research topic written in the format of a National Science Foundation proposal narrative with an oral presentation to the student’s full Ph.D. committee. This exam must be completed within 12 months of completing the coursework. The exact timing and topic of this written and oral comprehensive exam will be determined by the student and their supervisory committee.
Physics as a Secondary Discipline
There are no formal qualifying or Comprehensive Examination requirements for students whose secondary discipline is Physics.
Retention in Program
Ph.D. students with Physics as their primary discipline must maintain a 3.25 grade-point average. Students with Physics as a secondary discipline must maintain a 3.0 GPA in Physics courses. A student's failure to maintain the minimum GPA will result in a probationary status for the following semester. A failure to remove the GPA deficiency during the probationary semester will then result in the student's dismissal from the Ph.D. program.
Appeals
Exceptions to any of the discipline-specific regulations must be approved by the student's supervisory committee and by the physics doctoral studies committee. In the event of disputes or special requests concerning a student's Ph.D. program, written appeals and/or documentation must first be submitted to the student's supervisory committee. If a resolution of the problem cannot be affected at that level, the written appeals process must then progress through the following levels: (1) Doctoral studies committee of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy; (2) Natural Sciences Ph.D. Program Director; (3) Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.