Ph.D. in Physics or Applied Physics

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Program of Study
Physics
Degree Type
Ph.D.

Students in the Physics or Applied Physics Ph.D. program must complete 90 graduate credit hours. Students must also complete and defend their Ph.D. dissertation. Courses taken to satisfy M.S. degree requirements will be counted toward the Ph.D. credit requirements, but completion of an M.S. degree is not required.

Students entering the Physics or Applied Physics Ph.D. program with an M.S. degree in Physics, Applied Physics, or Engineering Physics may qualify for Ph.D. 60 status. Ph.D. 60 students are required to complete 60 graduate credit hours. Coursework requirements for the students in Ph.D. 60 status will be determined by the PDGC upon review of student’s previous graduate coursework. 

The PDGC reviews each student’s academic work on an annual basis, and the committee and the academic or research advisor may require additional coursework to address specific gaps in the student’s background. Students must maintain a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to be in good standing. One year of residency in the program is required.

Other Ph.D. program requirements are listed below.

Required Coursework:

The core Physics Courses are defined as: PH 511 (Classical Mechanics 1), PH 514 (Quantum Mechanics 1), PH 522 (Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics), PH 533 (Advanced Electromagnetic Theory). These courses will be referenced in the below programmatic requirements.

  • Ph.D. in Physics: Students enrolled in the Physics PhD90 program must take:
    • All Core Physics Courses (12 credits)
    • PH 515 – Quantum Mechanics 2 (3 credits)
    • Advanced Topical Courses1 (9 credits)
    • PH 580 - Graduate Seminar2 (0 credit)
    • PH 585 – Scientific Writing and Proposal Development (1 credit)
    • PH 799 – Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Practicum (3 credits)
    • Research Credits: PH 598 – Directed Research / PH 699 – Ph.D. Dissertation (Minimum 30 credits)
    • Electives3 (32 credits)
  • Ph.D. in Applied Physics: Students enrolled in the Applied Physics program must choose a concentration from: Biophysics and Soft Condensed Matter, Nanoscience and Technology, Photonics, Radiological Sciences, Medical Physics. This will in part determine the course of study. In general, students enrolled in Applied Physics PhD90 must take:
    • Two Core Physics Courses4 (6 credits)
    • Core Concentration Courses4 (9 credits)
    • Advanced Topical Courses1 (9 credits)
    • PH 580 - Graduate Seminar2 (0 credit)
    • PH 585 – Scientific Writing and Proposal Development (1 credit)
    • PH 799 – Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Practicum (3 credits)
    • Research Credits: PH 598 – Directed Research / PH 699 – Ph.D. Dissertation (Minimum 30 credits)
    • Electives3 (32 credits)

1Advanced topical courses may be other graduate level courses from any department, course of study must be approved by Advisor and the PDGC.

2PH 580 is required each semester for full-time students; students conducting full-time research off-campus may petition the PDGC for approval to participate remotely.

3Electives may be graduate-level courses approved by PDGC, directed research, thesis research, or 4000-level undergraduate courses approved by the PDGC. Students may petition the PDGC to modify these requirements. All appeals must be submitted in writing and supported by the advisor.

4See below Core Course Requirements by Concentration (Applied Physics Only).

Core Course Requirements by Concentration (Applied Physics Only)

Note: Concentrations are available only in the Applied Physics program. The Physics program does not include concentrations.

  • Biophysics and Soft Condensed Matter:
    • Core Physics Courses: PH511, PH 522
    • Core Concentration Courses: PH 562 and choose from PH 563, PH 533, PH 514, PH 541, PH 554, PH 561, PH 571, BME 555, BME 564, BME 583, CHE 541, or another course approved by advisor and PDGC.
  • Nanoscience and Technology Concentration:
    • Core Physics Courses: PH 514, and pick one of PH 511 or PH 533
    • Core Concentration Courses: choose from PH 511 or PH 533, PH 515, PH 522, PH 541, PH 554, PH 561, MTE 575, MTE 509, MTE 532, CH 516, CH 554, or another course approved by advisor and PDGC.
  • Photonics Concentration:
    • Core Physics Courses: PH 514, PH 533
      Core Concentration Courses: PH 544 and choose from PH 511, PH 515, PH 541, PH 548, PH 554, PH 561, PH 571, ME 5225, ME 5301, BME 583, or another course approved by advisor and PDGC.
  • Radiological Sciences:
    • Core Physics Courses: Students' choice
    • Core Concentration Courses: NSE 515, NSE 530, NSE 560 and choose from any PH or NSE coded graduate courses or other courses approved by advisor and PDGC
  • Medical Physics:
    • Core Physics Courses: Students' choice
    • Core Concentration Courses: NSE 515, NSE 530, NSE 560, NSE 570, NSE 580, an approved anatomy and physiology course, Medical Ethics Course.

Qualifying Exam Practicum

Students in the Physics or Applied Physics Ph.D. program are required to take PH 799: Qualifying Exam Practicum (QEP) in the spring semester of their second year. The QEP evaluates students’ ability to formulate a meaningful scientific question, propose a theoretical or experimental approach to address it, interpret relevant data or models, and effectively communicate their ideas to scientific peers. Students receive one of three possible grades: Pass, Incomplete, or Fail. Students must successfully complete PH 585: Scientific Writing and Proposal Development before enrolling in
QEP.

Formation of the Dissertation Committee

After passing the QEP, students must form a dissertation committee in consultation with their research advisor. The committee must be approved by the PDGC and will oversee both the dissertation proposal and final defense. The committee must include at least three physics faculty members including the research advisor and at least one faculty member from outside the department. The research advisor may not serve as the committee chair.

Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal

Students in the Physics or Applied Physics Ph.D. program are required to pass the dissertation proposal at least one year prior to the dissertation defense. The proposal requires students to write and defend a proposal about their intended dissertation topic before their dissertation committee. The proposal should include a statement of the research problem, objectives of the dissertation, a literature review pertinent to the research problem, methods to achieve the objectives, a rough timeline for completing the dissertation, and the novelty and potential impact of the work. The committee administers and evaluates the defense and reports the results to the PDGC.

Ph.D. Dissertation

To complete the Ph.D. degree, the candidate must submit and defend a dissertation to the dissertation committee. The committee administers and evaluates the defense and reports the results to the PDGC.

Transferring between Ph.D. program options:

Students may petition the PDGC to switch between a Physics and Applied Physics programs, or to change the concentration. Such petition must include justification, and a letter of support from student’s advisor.