Degree Requirements

Guidelines for a Ph.D. in Applied Physics

All courses that a graduate student takes must be approved by the student's advisory committee. Prior to the selection of his/her advisory committee, course approval from the Graduate Coordinator is required. The student is required to have on file in the Physics Department office by the end of his/her second academic semester the Program of Graduate Study form, listing the courses the student will take and the student's advisory committee.

Ph.D. candidates are encouraged to take the following physics core courses before taking the Ph.D. preliminary examination:

• PH 8213 Mechanics I
• PH 8233 Methods of Mathematical Physics I
• PH 8243 Methods of Mathematical Physics II
• PH 8313 Electromagnetic Theory I
• PH 8743 Quantum Mechanics I
• PH 8753 Quantum Mechanics II

Students are required to receive permission to take the Ph.D. preliminary examination from their advisory committee.

The Ph.D. preliminary examination consists of a written portion and an oral portion. The written physics portion consists of four, three-hour subject area examinations on classical mechanics; quantum mechanics; electromagnetic theory; and mathematical physics. The written physics preliminary subject examinations on electromagnetic theory and on mathematical physics will be offered once a year at the beginning of the Spring semester;# the written physics preliminary subject examinations on classical mechanics and on quantum mechanics will be offered once a year at the end of the Summer term/beginning of the Fall semester. The written physics preliminary subject area examinations may be offered at other times if approved by the head of the Physics Department. During the examination period, one area examination will be given per day. The subject of each examination will be announced in advance. The questions will be based on material covered in the physics core courses (and will also include the material presented in PH 6333*). Each subject area examination will be prepared by a committee of faculty members who have recently taught the associated core courses. Students are encouraged to take the written physics preliminary examination as soon as they have completed the Physics core courses. Students are required to have attempted all four written physics preliminary subject area examinations within two and a half years after entering the Ph.D. graduate program. Should a student fail a first attempt at a subject area written examination, the student's second and final attempt must be the next time the subject area written examination is offered. If required by their Graduate Advisory Committee or the Physics Department head, there will be a written 2-3 hour area examination on the Engineering or other applied courses that the student has taken. The engineering/applied written examination, if required, will be scheduled at the discretion of the student's Graduate Advisory Committee. All written area examinations must be successfully completed before the student can take the oral portion. If a student does not successfully complete one or more area examinations, then after a period of at least four months, the student has a second chance to successfully complete the written preliminary examination by taking a new written examination over the unsatisfactory area(s).

The oral portion of the Ph.D. preliminary examination consists of a presentation to the student's advisory committee of the student's proposed Ph.D. dissertation project. At least two weeks prior to the oral preliminary examination, the student shall provide his/her advisory committee with a short written description detailing the proposed Ph.D. dissertation project. The student may be asked questions based on course material of physics courses (both core and non-core) and of other graduate courses the student has taken. The student has two opportunities to successfully complete the oral portion of the preliminary examination. Scheduling of the oral portion is at the discretion of the student's Graduate Advisory Committee, but the oral preliminary examination must be attempted within 12 months of successful completion of the written portions of the preliminary examination.

Should a graduate student fail any component of the Ph.D. preliminary examination (either one of the written preliminary examinations or the oral preliminary examination) on their second attempt, Graduate School rules require that the student be terminated from the Ph.D. graduate program. The Department has a policy of not re-admitting students who are terminated from one of the Physics graduate programs.

The Department has a commitment to use its limited resources to financially support its graduate students to the greatest extent possible. However, the duration of financial support in the form of graduate assistantships (either teaching or research) is not unlimited. A student who has entered the Physics graduate program without a Master's degree from another university should not expect financial support beyond his/her sixth year in the program. A student who has entered the Applied Physics Ph.D. program with a Master's degree from another university should not expect financial support beyond her/his fourth year in the program. Continuing financial support is contingent upon the student (a.) maintaining at least a 3.00 cumulative quality point average; (b.) maintaining satisfactory progress toward completion of their degree program; and (c.) for students with teaching assignments, maintaining satisfactory teaching performance.

* Students are responsible for the material in PH 6333, beginning with the Spring 2009 written preliminary electromagnetic theory examination.

# Beginning with the Spring 2008 exam.

Milestones

• If the student is entering the Applied Physics Ph.D. graduate program with an M.S. from another university, the student is required to take placement examinations in classical mechanics, electromagnetic theory, and quantum mechanics. The results of these examinations are completely advisory; they are used to advise entering students on whether or not they have the appropriate physics background to take the 8000-level courses or whether it would be prudent to review the material prior to taking the 8000-level courses. The student makes the final decision as whether to take the 6000-level Physics course(s) or the 8000-level Physics course(s). Students who enter the Applied Physics Ph.D. program with an M.S. in Physics from MSU (either thesis or non-thesis) are not required to take the placement examinations.
• All new graduate students who wish to have teaching assignments are required to attend and pass the Teaching Assistant Workshop, which is offered by the University once a year just before the beginning of the Fall semester. All international graduate students who wish to have teaching assignments are also required to attend and pass the International Teaching Assistant Workshop, which is offered by the University once a year just before the beginning of the Fall semester.
• For Ph.D. students, the Graduate School requires that a Program of Graduate Study be formulated by the end of the first year. A temporary Advisory Committee will be formed for each new Applied Physics Ph.D. student. The temporary Graduate Advisory Committee will consist of the Physics Department Graduate Coordinator and four other faculty members selected by the Physics Department's Graduate Program Committee. The temporary Graduate Advisory Committee will meet during the student's first semester to select the Physics courses for the student's Program of Graduate Study. Once a student has formed a permanent Graduate Advisory Committee, the permanent advisory committee will select appropriate courses and may otherwise modify the Program of Graduate Study formulated by the temporary committee. Until a permanent Graduate Advisory Committee is formed the temporary Graduate Advisory Committee will meet at least annually to review progress and recommend to the Department of Physics and Astronomy head whether or not the student should continue to receive a graduate assistantship.
• By the end of the first year in the Ph.D. program, the student should have chosen a research area and a research advisor, formed a permanent Graduate Advisory Committee, and have begun research.
• As soon as the student has selected his/her research advisor, the student, in consultation with her/his research advisor, is to form the student's permanent Ph.D. Advisory Committee, which consists of at least four graduate faculty members if the student does not have a minor and of at least five graduate faculty members if the student does have a minor. The Committee meets to select/modify the student's Program of Graduate Study The permanent Ph.D. Advisory Committee will meet at least annually to review the student's progress and recommend to the head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy whether or not the student should continue to receive a graduate assistantship.
• When the student has completed all the Physics core courses [see Guidelines for Physics Ph.D. Candidates] and has obtained his/her committee's permission, the student is to take the written Physics preliminary examinations in classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, electromagnetic theory (including the material presented in PH 6333, beginning with the Spring 2009 written preliminary examination), and mathematical physics. Each examination is 2 to 3 hours long. The written physics preliminary subject examinations on electromagnetic theory and on mathematical physics will be offered once a year at the beginning of the Spring semester;# the written physics preliminary subject examinations on classical mechanics and on quantum mechanics will be offered once a year at the end of the Summer term/beginning of the Fall semester. The written physics preliminary subject area examinations may be offered at other times if approved by the head of the Physics Department. Students are required to have attempted all four written Physics preliminary subject area examinations within two and a half years after entering the Ph.D. graduate program. Should a student fail a first attempt at a subject area written examination, the student's second and final attempt must be the next time the subject area written examination is offered.
  # Beginning with the Spring 2008 exam.
• If a student is required by his/her Ph.D. Graduate Advisory Committee or the Physics Department head to take a written preliminary examination on Engineering and other applied courses, then when the student has completed all the required Engineering courses and has obtained his/her committee's permission, the student takes the written engineering/applied preliminary examination. This 2 to 3 hour examination covers all the graduate engineering/applied courses taken by the student. This examination is scheduled by the student's Ph.D. Graduate Advisory Committee.
• When the student has successfully passed all of the written preliminary examinations, the student takes the oral preliminary examination at a time scheduled by the student's Ph.D. Advisory Committee. The student presents to the committee the proposed dissertation research topic. The student is required to attempt this examination within 12 months of successful completion of all components of the written preliminary examination. Graduate School rules establish a minimum time between completion of the preliminary examination and graduation: Graduate School rules require that the preliminary examination must be successfully completed by June 1 if a student intends to graduate in December, by November 1 for May graduation, and by February 1 for August graduation. For most students, the time between completion of the preliminary examination and graduation is significantly longer than the minimum.
• If a student fails any component of the preliminary examination (either one of the written preliminary examinations or the oral preliminary examination) on their second attempt, Graduate School rules require that the student be terminated from the Applied Physics Ph.D. graduate program. The Department has a policy of not recommending for re-admission any student terminated from one of the Physics graduate programs.
• After completion of the dissertation, the student defends the dissertation to their Ph.D. Advisory Committee. A student who has entered the Physics graduate program without a Master's degree from another university should not expect financial support beyond his/her sixth year at MSU. A student who has entered the Applied Physics Ph.D. program with a Master's degree from another university should not expect financial support beyond her/his fourth year in the Ph.D. program.