FSU Physics Graduate Study Handbook

1. INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Physics Department. This guide is to help you during your studies towards a M.S. or Ph.D. degree. The requirements for earning either a Master of Science in Physics or a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics at Florida State University are described in this guidebook. Students seeking one of the above degrees should familiarize themselves with these requirements and assume the responsibility for satisfying them. If a rule change is made after a student has been admitted to the graduate program, the student has the option of following either the rule which was in effect when he or she entered or all of the new rules.

Aid in surmounting the bureaucratic barriers on the road to an advanced degree in Physics can be obtained from the Graduate Secretary whose office is in Room 307 of the Physics Building. Academic Inquiries or questions which require a policy decision should be directed to the Physics Department Director of Graduate Studies or one of the members of the Graduate Studies Committee.

If for some unusual reason, such as physical disability, a student feels that a waiver of some departmental policy is in order, he or she should submit in writing a request for the waiver to the Physics Department through the Graduate Studies Director.

Though this guidebook describes the most important requirements for attaining a graduate degree in Physics, it is not a comprehensive statement of all University policies. In addition to consulting this guidebook, students should become familiar with the pertinent sections of the latest edition of The Florida State University Graduate Bulletin. Furthermore, each semester before registering, students should consult the current Florida State University Registrar's Course Lookup page, not only for course information but also for any deadlines he or she must meet. In addition, sometime prior to the semester in which a student hopes to graduate, he or she should obtain from the Graduate Dean's Office a copy of the brochure Guidelines and Requirements for Theses, Treatises, and Dissertations.

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2. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

2.1. General information

The Graduate Studies Committee is responsible for selecting students for admission into the Physics department graduate program. All correspondence concerning admission should be directed to:

Graduate Office
Department of Physics
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4350.

2.2. Application

To be considered for admission, an applicant must submit or arrange for the submission of items 2.2.1 - 2.2.5 below. Applicants whose native language is not English, please see item 2.2.6 below.

2.2.1. Application for admission to the Graduate School. Each applicant must fill out and submit an application form for admission to the Graduate School. US applicants can submit an online application here. International applicants should use the International Student version of the application form available here. Application forms can also be obtained from the Physics Graduate Office.

2.2.2. Official transcripts. Each applicant should ask all post-secondary institutions which he or she attended to send two official transcripts of his or her record to the Physics Graduate Office at Florida State University. Unofficial copies of transcripts or GRE and TOEFL scores provided by the applicant are acceptable only on an interim basis. Any admission or financial offer including assistantships made prior to the reception of official copies provided by the schools attended is made on a provisional basis only. A grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in graduate or upper division undergraduate science and mathematics courses is required for admission in addition to the requirements of the Graduate School.

2.2.3. Three letters of recommendation. Each applicant should solicit letters of recommendation from three persons familiar with his or her qualifications for advanced study in physics. The letters should be sent directly to the Physics Graduate Office at Florida State University by the persons providing the letters. Letters from a previous application are acceptable if they are less than 1.5 years old.

2.2.4. GRE score. Each applicant is required to take the verbal and quantitative portions of the general (aptitude) Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Graduate Record Examinations are offered several times a year at numerous testing centers in the United States and abroad. Advance registration is required. Registration, as well as detailed information on the availability and character of the examination, may be obtained from Educational Testing Services. After taking the exam the applicant should ask the Educational Testing Service to send the score to the Physics Department at Florida State University.

2.2.5. Application fee. Each applicant must send an application fee, currently thirty dollars, with the application described in item 2.2.1. The applicant should send either a money order or a check made payable to Florida State University.

2.2.6. TOEFL score. A student whose native language is not English and who has not been educated in an English speaking institution for at least one year, must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A total score of at least 80 on the new IB TOEFL test, 213 on the computer-based TOEFL test, and 550 on the paper TOEFL test is required for admission. The TOEFL is offered six times a year at designated test centers in 170 countries throughout the world, including all of the states of the United States. Advance Registration is required. Registration, as well as detailed information on the availability and character of the examination, may be obtained from Educational Testing Services. After taking the exam the applicant should request the TOEFL Office to send the score to the Department of Physics at Florida State University.

2.3. Deadline

For admission in the Fall semester foreign applicants must satisfy the above requirements by January 15, and U.S. applicants by February 15. Applications from students in the U.S. received before February 15th will be given full consideration; those received after February 15th will also be considered until all of the available positions are filled.

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3. FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Most graduate students are initially supported by a Teaching Assistantship or a Fellowship for the Fall and Spring semesters. After a student has chosen a particular area of research, he or she is generally supported by a Research Assistantship funded by a grant from a government agency or other source. A graduate assistantship is provided with the expectation that the student works full time on their graduate education.

First year students are requested to choose a research area by mid February and are usually supported by Research Assistantships over the summer. There are only a limited number of Teaching Assistantships available during the Summer Semester.

A graduate student is normally assured support for five continuous years provided that he or she is making satisfactory academic progress, he or she is satisfying the service requirements of teaching or research, and funds are available.

A review of each Ph.D. student is conducted every year. If after review a student is determined not to be making satisfactory progress, his or her financial support may be terminated. The Department will not provide tuition waivers beyond the sixth year of study unless the student's major professor successfully petitions the Graduate Committee.

No graduate student may be appointed to any assistantship without the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee. Only full time students are eligible for such appointments. Assistantship appointments are made with the understanding that the student has no other employment. If a student has outside employment and has not received prior approval by the Graduate Studies Committee, his or her assistantship may be terminated without advanced notice. Also, no student on academic probation may receive an assistantship for more than one semester.

In addition, those students eligible for in-state residency after their first year of graduate study must apply for it. The department will not pay out-of-state tuition waivers for those students who are eligible to qualify as in-state residents beyond the first year of study.

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4. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

There is no departmental language requirement for a student whose native language is English, or a student who has received his or her undergraduate degree from a U.S. university.

Students whose native language is not English must have, in addition to the ability to read and understand English, a reasonable proficiency in spoken English to pursue a graduate program in Physics at Florida State University. Such proficiency is necessary for a student to fully function in one of the research groups and also to satisfy the teaching requirement discussed in Section 10. To determine whether or not a student whose native language is not English, and who has also not received his or her undergraduate degree from a U.S. university, has such a proficiency he or she is required to take the SPEAK (Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit) test. This test should be taken as soon as possible, preferably before the beginning of the first semester. The SPEAK test is administered on campus by Florida State University. Details on when and where this test is offered may be obtained from the Physics Department Graduate Office. Those who score 200 or above on the SPEAK test satisfy the language requirement. Those who score less than 200 must take the course ENS 4405 (Basic Spoken English) and retake the SPEAK test. Those who again score less than 200 must take ENS 4406 (Advanced Spoken English) and retake the SPEAK test. Those who still score less than 200 must meet with the Physics Department Director of Graduate Studies to determine what further steps are necessary to satisfy this requirement.

The Director of Graduate Studies has the authority to waive the departmental language requirement for a student whose native language is not English and who has not received his or her undergraduate degree from a U.S. university but whose command of English is clearly such as to make administration of the SPEAK test superfluous.

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5. COUNSELING AND REGISTRATION

The University operates on a semester system with two sixteen week semesters in the Fall and Spring respectively and a thirteen week Summer semester. Before registration for the Fall semester or the Spring semester, a student who does not have a Major Professor will meet for counseling with the Graduate Studies Committee. Before registration for the Summer semester, a student who does not have a Major Professor must meet for advising either with the Graduate Studies Committee, or if the student is working for a particular faculty member, with that faculty member. A student who has a Major Professor must meet for counseling with his or her Major Professor before registering each semester.

Florida State University uses a computer registration system. This is a continually developing system and from time to time the rules change. You should consult the Florida State University Registrar's Course Lookup page as well as the Physics Graduate Office each semester for the procedure to be used.

Classes may be dropped and added without penalty in the first few days of classes only. The exact date in a given semester beyond which classes cannot be dropped without penalty can be found on the Registrar's web page, under "Semester Calendar" for that semester. Significant changes in a student's schedule should be made only after consultation with his or her advisor.

Graduate students should be prepared to pay their registration and other fees at the beginning of each semester. Students who receive financial support from the department and are relying on this support to make fee payments should check with the Graduate Studies Office to confirm the dates and amounts of their payment.

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6. CREDIT LOAD LIMITS

Twelve (12) hours per semester constitutes a full-time load for graduate students and fellowship holders.

Nine (9) hours is defined as a full-time load for graduate assistantship holders on a quarter-time appointment or larger.

Subject to availability of funds, students on assistantships are granted tuition waivers. Waivers are given only for Physics Department courses. Under very exceptional circumstances, an advisor may petition the Graduate Studies Director for a student to take no more than three (3) credit hours in another department. Since waivers are given to Physics Department by the Arts and Sciences College, no waivers are possible for other colleges. A student may take courses given by other departments only by personally paying the tuition.

The number of hours which a graduate student may carry without special permission is fifteen (15).

Included in the calculation of student load are hours of graduate credit other than formal course work, e.g., hours in thesis or dissertation, in supervised research, and in supervised teaching.

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7. COURSE AND CREDIT INFORMATION

7.1. General information

Information on the spectrum and content of courses taught at Florida State University can be obtained from The Florida State University Graduate Bulletin and The Florida State University General Bulletin. Information on the scheduling of classes in a given semester can be obtained from the Florida State University Directory of Classes for that semester. Additional information about a particular course can be obtained from the Graduate Studies Office or from the instructor in the course. In subsections 7.2 to 7.7 below we have provided general information on a few items of importance.

7.2. Transfer credits

Transfer of courses from a recognized graduate school is allowed provided: (i) such transfer has been recommended by the student's Major Professor, (ii) the courses have been evaluated as graduate courses by the Registrar's Office at Florida State University, and (iii) the courses have been completed with a grade of B or better. No more than six transfer credits can be used to satisfy the requirements for an M.S. There is no limit to the number of transfer credits which can be used to satisfy the requirements for a Ph.D. Grades earned at another institution cannot be used to improve a grade point average or eliminate a quality point deficiency at Florida State University.

7.3. Acceptable elective course work outside Physics

Courses in the Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics departments, and certain Computer Science courses are usually acceptable as elective course work, while courses outside the Natural Sciences are not, but (a) the student's major professor, and (b) the graduate affairs committee must give their approval in each case.

7.4. Special Topics courses

In the Fall and Spring semesters one or more Special Topics courses are normally offered on subjects not covered in the standard courses. The subjects covered are sometimes of general interest and other times of particular importance in some specialized area of research. Students should check with the Graduate Studies Office to obtain information on the Special Topics courses being offered in a given semester, or being planned for future semesters.

Proposals for special topics courses should be submitted by individual faculty members to the Physics Department Director of Graduate Studies three months prior to the scheduling of these courses. Student or faculty groups are encouraged to approach an appropriate faculty member and persuade him or her to submit a proposal for a course they feel is needed.

7.5. Directed Individual Study (D.I.S.)

Graduate students who have particular interests or projects may arrange with some faculty member to receive direction and credit for their work. The mechanism for this is PHY 5909 (Directed Individual Study). The credit hours obtained can be used to satisfy course load and graduation requirements.

A Directed Individual Study course may be used to do extended research or reading on a particular topic or in a particular field of Physics. A student desiring to register for Directed Individual Study must find a faculty member willing to direct him or her and discuss the proposed topic or area before registering for PHY 5909. A student should have a fairly complete idea about what he or she would like to accomplish before his or her conference with the faculty member. The methods of handling a Directed Individual Study vary, and are worked out between the faculty member and the student. Some faculty members require a weekly conference, others prefer written reports, or conferences on a less frequent basis.

In order to register for DIS credit, you must contact the Graduate Office to obtain a reference number.

7.6. Supervised Teaching and Supervised Research

A student can receive credit for Supervised Teaching and Supervised Research (PHY 5940 and PHY 5918). A student may register for such activity more than one term, using the same course numbers, and may count the hours in meeting residence requirements for the degree program. No more than three (3) semester hours of Supervised Teaching and three (3) semester hours of Supervised Research may be counted toward the M.S. degree. No more than five (5) semester hours of Supervised Teaching and five (5) semester hours of Supervised Research should be included in the Ph.D. program. During a student's entire graduate career, he or she should not register for more than a total of five (5) semester hours of Supervised Teaching and five (5) semester hours of Supervised Research.

7.7. Audits

Students will be afforded seating privileges after registration on a space available basis with permission of the instructor. Regular class attendance is expected of all those granted seating privilege, but students are not required to do written work unless a special arrangement is made between the student and instructor. Regular registration fees are required for those given seating privileges. A Seating Privilege form can be obtained from the Registrar's Office. The form must be signed by the instructor, payment of fees made at the Bursar's Office, and the form returned to the Registrar's Office. There are no tuition waivers for audit courses.

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8. COURSE AND CREDIT REQUIREMENTS

The classroom phase of the graduate program is designed to introduce students to the basic conceptual tools used in physics and to acquaint them with a variety of research areas.

The well prepared incoming student will have had advanced undergraduate courses in Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, Modern Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Thermodynamics, and Optics, comparable to the following undergraduate courses at Florida State: PHY 3221 - 4222 (Mechanics), PHY 4323 - 4324 (Electricity and Magnetism), PHY 3101 (Intermediate Modern Physics), PHY 4604-4605 (Quantum Theory of Matter A-B), PHY 4513 (Thermal and Statistical Physics), PHY 3424 (Optics). Students deficient in one or more of these areas should include in their graduate program whatever undergraduate courses are necessary to remedy these deficiencies.

The core graduate courses which contain the material with which every research physicist should be familiar are: PHY 5246 (Theoretical Dynamics); PHY 5524 (Statistical Mechanics); PHY 5346 and PHY 5347 (Electrodynamics A and B); PHY 5645 and PHY 5646 (Quantum Mechanics A and B).

8.1. Courses required for the M.S.

Both thesis and non-thesis programs are offered leading to the Master of Science degree.

8.1.1. Non thesis degree. To qualify for a non-thesis degree the student must complete at least thirty-three (33) hours in courses numbered 4000 or above, eighteen (18) of which must be in courses numbered 5000 or above. At least twenty-one (21) of the thirty-three (33) hours must be taken on a letter grade basis. At least three (3) of the courses must be from the six core graduate courses listed above, including at least one Quantum Mechanics course.

8.1.2. Thesis degree. To qualify for a thesis degree, the student must submit an acceptable thesis and complete at least thirty (30) hours in courses numbered 4000 or above, eighteen (18) of which must be in courses numbered 5000 or above. At least eighteen (18) of the thirty (30) hours must be on a letter grade basis. No more than three (3) semester hours of PHY 5918 credit and three (3) semester hours of PHY 5940 credit may be counted toward the Master of Science degree. A minimum of six (6) hours of credit must be earned for the thesis. At least three (3) of the courses must be from the six core graduate courses listed above, including at least one Quantum Mechanics course.

8.2. Courses required for the Ph.D.

After attaining mastery of the content of the core courses a Ph.D. student is required to take and pass:

(a) Either Quantum Field Theory A (PHY 5667), or Quantum Many-Body Physics (PHY 5670)

(b) Two courses from the following set of courses:

AST 5416, Cosmology

PHZ 5491, Condensed Matter Physics I

PHZ 5354, High Energy Physics I

PHZ 5305, Nuclear Physics I

PHZ 5315, Nuclear Astrophysics

PHZ 5715, Biophysics I

Students who decide to take both AST 5416 and PHZ 5315 must take an additional course from this category.

(c) Take at least one of the following courses:

AST 5245, Radiative Processes

PHZ 5492, Condensed Matter Physics II

PHZ 5355, High Energy Physics II

PHZ 5307, Nuclear Physics II

PHZ 5716, Biophysics II

(d) Take at least one of the following courses:

AST 5745, Advanced Analysis Techniques

AST 5760, Computational Astrophysics

PHY 5669, Quantum Field Theory B

PHY 5846C, Techniques in Experimental Physics

PHY 6937, Materials Characterization

PHZ 6938, Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena

Although there are no specific course requirements beyond the above, there are certain requirements implied by the University residence requirement (see Section 21) and by the University dissertation requirement (see Section 19).

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9. GRADE REQUIREMENT

A graduate student is not eligible to take the Doctoral Preliminary Examination (Section 17), to be admitted to candidacy (Section 18), or to receive a graduate degree unless:

A. his or her cumulative grade point average (GPA) is at least 3.0 in the courses taken at FSU after his or her admission to graduate school. In determining the grade point average courses numbered less than 4000, courses for which S/U grading is used, and transfer courses are not included. A student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 at the end of a semester will be placed on academic probation. If a student's grade point average remains below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters, he or she will not be permitted to continue graduate study. A Major Professor or the Graduate Studies chairman may petition the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Dean of the Graduate School for a probationary readmission.

B. his or her GPA on the six core courses is at least 3.0 by the end of the second year. If this requirement is not fulfilled, the graduate student will no longer be retained in the program.

C. the graduate student meets the requirement at point B by repeating one core course and replacing that course's grade, as long as this is completed before the end of his or her second year in the program.

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10. TEACHING REQUIREMENT

Training in teaching is an integral part of the graduate program. To accomplish this, M.S. candidates are required to teach at least one laboratory section for one semester and Ph.D. candidates are required to teach either two laboratory sections for one semester or one laboratory section for two semesters.

Teaching Assistants who are assigned the duty of grading homework papers in a course cannot use these duties to satisfy the Teaching Requirement.

Students who have had an equivalent amount of teaching experience at another school may request an exemption from the above requirement. Such a request should be in writing to the Physics Department Director of Graduate Studies, and should state the exact nature of the previous teaching experience.

The above teaching requirement must be fulfilled in the first two years of graduate study.

Occasionally an additional Teaching or Paper Grading Requirement is imposed on a student to help him or her overcome some deficiency in his or her preparation.

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11. RESEARCH

Students should become acquainted as early as possible with the various research activities of the department. It is to a student's advantage to reach a tentative decision about his or her research interests before the first Summer semester. This permits the student to spend a Summer in a research area, normally as a Research Assistant, and to determine the extent of his or her interest in that area before a firm commitment is made.

To introduce incoming students to the research in Physics being done at Florida State University and to help them decide on a research area to pursue, a weekly introductory seminar on Research in each of the available fields is offered in the Fall semester. All first year students are required to attend these seminars.

Students will also find it helpful in making these decisions to attend seminars and group meetings in the various research groups, as well as departmental colloquia. Notices of colloquia and seminars are generally posted. The time of group meetings and unpublished seminars can be found by checking with someone in the group or with the Physics Graduate Office.

Students should also talk to individual faculty members about their research. They should also get to know more advanced graduate students, and question them about the areas of research in which they are working.

Students who have decided on a particular area of research and a particular faculty member with whom they would like to work should discuss the matter with the faculty member and find out if he or she is willing to undertake their direction.

In early February of their first year, each student will be asked by the Physics Department Director of Graduate Studies to indicate the faculty member with whom he or she plans to work during the Summer semester and if he or she will be supported by a research group. This information is necessary in order for appointment papers to be completed prior to the Summer semester.

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12. MAJOR PROFESSOR AND SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE

12.1. Major Professor

When a student has chosen an area of research and a member of the faculty with whom he or she wishes to work, the student together with the faculty member should arrange to have the faculty member officially appointed as his or her Major Professor. To serve as a Major Professor for a master's degree student, a faculty member must have master's directive status. To serve as Major Professor for a doctoral student, a faculty member must have doctoral directive status. The necessary forms that must be filled out and approved in order for a faculty member to be appointed as Major Professor for a particular student are available in the Graduate Studies Office.

Neither the commitment of a student to conduct research under a given faculty member nor the commitment of a faculty member to serve as Major Professor for a particular student is a binding commitment. Should the arrangement at any time prove unsatisfactory to either of the involved parties, other arrangements should be made.

12.2. Mechanism for changing research groups

The mechanism for changing research groups will be the following: The student should discuss his or her situation and research interests with the Chair of the department and/or with the Graduate Affairs Committee Chair, who will make suggestions about which professors to talk to in order to find a major professor who is able to provide support. In the unlikely event that this fails, the student will, subject to acceptable academic performance, be temporarily supported by a teaching assistantship.

12.3. Supervisory Committee

After a Major Professor has been appointed, the Major Professor together with the student should arrange to have a Supervisory Committee formed and officially appointed. The necessary forms that need to be filled out and approved in order for a Supervisory Committee to be officially appointed are available in the Graduate Studies Office. Constraints on the formation of the committee are discussed below.

12.3.1 Master's Supervisory Committee. The Master's Supervisory Committee: (i) must have at least three members including the Major Professor; (ii) must have at least two members from the Physics department; (iii) may include one or more members from other departments in the College of Arts and Sciences; (iv) cannot include faculty who do not hold at least Master's directive status.

12.3.2 Ph.D. Supervisory Committee. The Ph.D. Supervisory Committee: (i) must have at least five members including the Major Professor; (ii) must include one theoretical and one experimental physics faculty member; (iii) must include a representative of the College of Arts and Sciences from a department other than Physics; (iv) must have three members including the College representative who hold Doctoral directive status; (v) must include one member of the physics department outside of the students research area. (vi) Must have at least three members from the Physics Department.

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13. PROGRAM OF STUDIES

At least one month before taking the oral portion of the Preliminary Exam, the student should submit to his or her Major Professor a Program of Studies, that is, a complete plan of courses taken and to be taken. Forms for listing these courses are available in the Graduate Studies Office of the Physics Department. A student's Program of Studies must be approved and signed by each member of the student's committee, and by the chairman of the Physics Department. The student should keep one copy of his or her program of studies, provide his or her Major Professor with one copy, and see that a signed copy is placed in his or her file in the Graduate Studies Office.

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14. MASTER'S THESIS

To obtain a thesis Master's degree a student must carry out, under the direction and supervision of his or her Major Professor, an independent research project, and prepare a thesis, that is, a written account of the research and its results.

14.1. Thesis content

The question as to whether the content of a specific thesis meets the standards of the Physics Department is the responsibility of the student's Supervisory Committee. However, a well written thesis should generally contain the following information: (i) A clear statement of the problem addressed by the thesis and its significance. (ii) A review of previous related published work. (iii) Definitions of any specialized technical terms employed. (iv) A review of the theoretical, computational, and/or experimental techniques to be used in solving the problem. (v) A thorough presentation of the student's solution of the problem. (vi) A discussion of the results of the thesis and an analysis of the impact of the results on the body of Physics. (vii) A summary of what was original and significant in the research, and suggestions for future research in the area.

14.2. Abstract

14.2.1 Thesis Abstract. Every thesis must include an abstract, that is, a concise but complete and independently intelligible summary of the contents of the thesis normally placed just prior to the first page of text. As long as it is concise, there is no limit to the length of the abstract.

14.2.2 FSU Abstract. In addition to the above abstract which forms an integral part of the thesis, a second independent abstract limited to 250 words must be submitted to the University Graduate Office for use by Florida State University. If the Thesis Abstract is 250 words or less in length, then with appropriate reformatting it may be used for the FSU Abstract.

14.3. Format and style

The particular form and style of the thesis customarily follow the guidelines in the American Institute of Physics Style Manual. The Major Professor may allow variations from these guidelines. However, whatever style is chosen must be consistent with the University clearance guidelines, as described in the brochure Guidelines and Requirements for Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation Writers, a copy of which may be obtained from the Graduate Dean's Office.

14.4. Thesis credits

A student working on a thesis must register for thesis credits each term in which a substantial amount of work is being done on the thesis. A student who has completed the required course-work and continues to use campus facilities and/or receive faculty supervision but who has not made a final thesis submission shall include in the required full-time load of twelve (12) hours, a minimum of two (2) thesis hours per term. Those with underload permission must register for at least two (2) hours of thesis credit per term. The exact number of hours shall be determined by the Major Professor based on the proportion of faculty/staff time, facilities, and other resources needed to support the student. At least six (6) thesis hours must be earned to qualify for a thesis Master's. (See Section 8.1.2).

14.5. Departmental approval of thesis

When a student's thesis has been completed, he or she should submit a copy to each member of his or her Supervisory Committee. This should be done at least three (3) weeks prior to the time he or she plans to take the Master's Oral Comprehensive Examination. After a minimum of two (2) weeks, the student should check with all members of the committee for any criticisms they may have. After any changes suggested by the committee are made the student should provide each member of the committee with a revised copy of the thesis. The revised copies should be in the hands of the committee at least one (1) week before the date set for the Master's Oral Examination (see Section 15). If, after reviewing the revised thesis and questioning the student on the thesis at his or her defense in the Master's Oral Examination, the committee approves the thesis, then the student should have each member of the committee register his or her approval by signing in black ink one copy of the title page of the thesis. The signed title page should be in a form specified by the Graduate School.

If a student wishes to graduate at the end of the semester in which he or she has obtained approval of his or her thesis, then it is necessary for him or her to make sure that all of the above has been completed in ample time to meet the pertinent University deadlines, which are described in the following subsection. 

14.6. University approval of thesis

After approval by the oral examining committee, the student should submit the final version of the thesis electronically to the manuscript clearance adviser. The final approved version of the thesis must be submitted electronically to the university manuscript clearance adviser in The Graduate School within 60 days of the defense date or the student must be re-examined. A manuscript processing fee is charged. If the student wishes University Microfilms International, Inc., to register the copyright, an additional fee must be paid. Consult the Registration Guide for the deadline dates.

As a condition of undertaking a thesis master's program, the student agrees that the completed thesis will be archived in the University Libraries system. The student will make the electronic thesis available for review by other scholars and the general public by selecting an access condition provided by The Graduate School. A fourth copy of the thesis must be submitted to the Physics Graduate Office, Room 307 Keen.

14.7. Expenses

Expenses for duplicating, and binding of the thesis must be borne by the student.

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15. MASTER'S ORAL COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

To qualify for a Master's degree a student must take and pass an Oral Comprehensive Examination administered by his or her Supervisory Committee or satisfy one of the requirements listed below.

15.1. Content

15.1.1. Non-thesis degree. The exam will cover the subjects of mechanics, statistical mechanics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics at an advanced undergraduate level.

Alternative 1: Take and pass the written Preliminary Exam.

Alternative 2: Pass with a grade of B or better in four of the following six courses.

15.1.2. Thesis degree. For a student seeking a thesis Master's degree, the exam will consist primarily of a defense of his or her thesis. The first portion of this examination is in open session and the second portion is open to graduate faculty only.

15.2. Schedule

If the Major Professor and the other members of the Supervisory Committee consent to the exam, then the student should arrange an exact time and place for the examination. The Physics Graduate Office will be glad to help the student schedule the examination, however it is the student's responsibility to insure that the oral schedule is satisfactory to every committee member. Once a time has been established, the Major Professor should inform the Physics Graduate Office that the examination will take place and when it will take place.

15.3. Grade

15.3.1. Non-thesis degree. Two weeks after the conclusion of the written exam, the student will be informed that he or she (i) passed the exam, or (ii) passed the exam conditionally, or (iii) must retake the exam at some later date.

15.3.2. Thesis degree. At the conclusion of the oral exam the student will be asked to step out of the room and the Supervisory Committee will discuss and evaluate his or her performance. The student will then be recalled and informed whether or not his or her thesis and the defense of the thesis were satisfactory. The Supervisory Committee may at this time also indicate if further changes should be made in the thesis.

15.4. Certification of results

15.4.1. Non-thesis degree. After the written preliminary exam is completed, the members of the preliminary exam committee should certify the results of the examination on the appropriate form and should provide the Physics Graduate Office with a signed copy of the form so that it can be permanently placed in the departmental files.

15.4.2. Thesis degree. After the defense of the thesis is completed, the members of the Supervisory Committee should certify the results of the examination on the appropriate form and should provide the Physics Graduate Office with a signed copy of the form so that it can be permanently placed in the departmental files. In addition if the committee approves the thesis, then the student should have each member of the committee register his or her approval by signing in black ink one copy of the title page of the thesis. The signed title page should be in a form acceptable to the Graduate Office. The student must then obtain University approval of his thesis as discussed in Section 14.6.

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16. RESEARCH REPORT REQUIREMENT

To determine early in a student's quest for a Ph.D. whether he or she possesses a genuine potential for research, and also to assure that the student begins research at an early date, a Research Report, that is, a formal presentation at an acceptable level of some explicit research accomplishment, is required of every doctoral student sometime in his or her first two years. Normally this condition is satisfied after the student has passed the Preliminary Examination for the Ph.D. and before the end of his or her second year. If a student has not satisfied this condition within two calendar years of the time he or she entered, his or her support will be discontinued until the condition is satisfied.

A Master's student who has passed the Preliminary Examination and seeks to be supported beyond two years must also satisfy the above requirement.

The exact nature of the Research Report is subject to prior approval by the student's Supervisory Committee. Examples of possible presentations satisfying the Research Report Requirement are: (i) a Master's Thesis; (ii) a substantial contribution to a published paper; or (iii) a comprehensive written report on research progress. The student's Supervisory Committee is responsible for determining whether the presentation is at an acceptable level. The fact that a student wrote a Thesis at Florida State University or elsewhere or was the author or coauthor on a published paper, does not automatically constitute satisfaction of this condition. Each case will be considered on an individual basis by the student's Supervisory Committee.

When a student has fulfilled the above requirement he or she should submit a written statement to the Physics Department Director of Graduate Studies indicating how the condition was fulfilled. This statement must be signed by all of the members of his or her Supervisory Committee. A student will not be considered to have formally satisfied the Research Report Requirement until this statement has been approved by the Physics Department Director of Graduate Studies and placed in the student's file.

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17. DOCTORAL PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

To qualify for a Ph.D. degree, a student is required to take and pass at an acceptable level the Doctoral Preliminary Examination. The purpose of this examination is to determine whether or not a student has the preparation and potential needed for carrying out original research in physics at an advanced level.

The Doctoral Preliminary Examination is divided into four parts: (i) a written PhD Qualifying Examination (PHY 8969); (ii) the preparation of a tentative Prospectus; (iii) an oral examination; and (iv) the approval of the Prospectus. The time between successful completion of the first part and the last part typically ranges between six months and one year. Each of these parts is considered in detail below. You must register for PHY 8969 in the semester that you plan to take the written portion of your exam. This grade will remain an "I" for incomplete until the time that you pass the oral part of your exam. This course should be registered for once and only once.

17.1. The Written PhD Qualifying Examination (PHY 8969).

17.1.1 Content and level. The Qualifying Examination tests a student's knowledge of general physics. It is based on material covered at the advanced undergraduate/beginning graduate level.

17.1.2 Format. The written exam will consist of 12 questions/problems distributed as follows: two (2) in Classical Mechanics, tow (2) in Thermodynamics/Statistical Mechanics, three (3) in Electromagnetism, and three (3) in Quantum Mechanics. The remaining two questions/problems will be in an area of Physics that is covered in a typical undergraduate program, such as Modern Physics, Optics, and/or Intermediate/Advanced Laboratory.

You are allowed to bring a hand calculator and a book of math tables, but not the one that has a list of physics formulas (e.g. Maxwell's equations or the equations of fluid flow or thermodynamics, etc) or physical constants (e.g. electron mass, acceleration of gravity, etc). If such information should be supplied, it will be included in the statement of the problem (and that is generally the case with numbers like the electron mass, Planck's constant, etc.).

17.1.3 Schedule. The Qualifying Examination will be administered by the PhD Qualifying Committee twice a year during the first week of the Fall and Spring semesters. The exam will be administered over two consecutive days (Thursday and Friday) with each session running for four hours (from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm).

17.1.4. Evaluation Procedure. Each question on the exam is graded independently by two graders. If the two grades on a given answer differ substantially, the graders involved are required to resolve the disagreement. Students will be permitted to see their corrected tests but not the grades assigned. After the exam has been graded, the results are reviewed first by the Comprehensive Exam Committee and then by the faculty as a whole at a special meeting ordinarily held within two weeks after the conclusion of the written exam. The performance of each student is discussed and a decision made as to whether the performance was adequate to allow the student to proceed toward a Ph.D.

17.1.5. Grades. Shortly after the faculty have reached a decision each student who took the exam is notified whether or not he or she passed the exam. No specific grades or rankings are provided.

17.1.6. Students have at most four (4) tries to pass the exam and must fulfill this requirement by the end of their second year at the latest. If student decides not to take an exam when it is offered it is considered as failed attempt.

17.1.7. Students may elect to strengthen their upper-level undergraduate physics background by taking one or more of our cross-listed undergraduate courses. In this case, students still get four tries at the written qualifier exam, but these start after their first year at FSU, i.e. at the beginning of their second year. Students who find out after enrolling in our three "core" graduate courses that they need to strengthen their undergraduate physics background must arrange to switch to one or more cross-listed undergraduate courses before the end of the fourth week of classes, and will thereby switch to the delayed deadline for the written qualifier exam.

17.2. The Tentative Prospectus

After passing the Written Preliminary Examination, the student should strive to obtain a comprehensive grasp of his or her chosen field of research, and then should decide within this field the problem that he or she would like to undertake for his or her doctoral dissertation.

At least one week prior to the Oral Preliminary Exam, which is discussed in Subsection 17.3 below,the student must submit to each member of his or her Supervisory Committee a tentative Prospectus, that is a proposal of a research topic suitable for a Ph.D. dissertation. Copies of past Prospecti are available in the Graduate Studies Office and may be consulted for guidance as to the form and content of the Prospectus. Since this tentative Prospectus will be subjected to critical questioning in the Oral Preliminary Examination discussed in the following section, it is important that considerable effort be devoted to making it as correct, clear, and convincing as possible. The Prospectus is recommended to be about five pages long.

17.3. The Oral Preliminary Exam

Within one year of passing the Written Preliminary Exam the student must take the Oral Preliminary Exam. Students who pass the written portion of the Preliminary Exam during their first year of study should take the oral portion within one year. The purpose of this examination is twofold: (i) to determine whether the student's knowledge of the broad area within which he or she intends to specialize is sufficient to allow him or her to pursue research in that area; and (ii) to examine the feasibility of the student's proposed research topic as presented in his or her tentative Prospectus.

17.3.1. Format. The oral examination will be conducted by the student's Supervisory Committee and will consist of (i) a presentation by the student of his or her proposed research topic, as described in the tentative Prospectus, (ii) an examination of the student on the contents of the tentative Prospectus and (iii) an examination of the student on the broad area of Physics within which he or she intends to specialize and which forms the background for all problems in this area and not simply for his or her chosen problem. The exact definition of a particular area of specialization will be determined by the student's Supervisory Committee. Any graduate faculty can attend this examination, otherwise it is closed.

17.3.2. Grade. At the conclusion of the oral exam the student will be asked to step out of the room and the Supervisory Committee will discuss and evaluate his or her performance. The student will then be recalled and informed that he or she (i) passed the exam, or (ii) passed the exam conditionally, or (iii) must retake the exam at some later date. The student will also be informed of any changes which must be made in the Prospectus before it can be considered as satisfactory.

17.3.3. Retake policy. If the Oral Preliminary Examination is not passed on the first attempt, the conditions under which it may be retaken will be determined by the student's Supervisory Committee. There is no limit to the number of times the Committee may administer the exam to a given student. However, the examination must have been passed and the prospectus submitted and approved within one calendar year from the time at which the student passed the written portion of the Preliminary Examination. An exception to this rule is made for a graduate student who passes the Written Preliminary Exam within twelve months of entering the graduate program at Florida State. Such a student will be required to take the oral exam for the first time within twelve months, rather than six months, of passing the written exam, and will be required to have passed the oral exam and submitted an approved prospectus within eighteen months, rather than twelve months, of passing the written exam.

17.3.4. Certification of results. When a student has successfully passed the Preliminary Oral Examination, the student's Major Professor should provide the Graduate Studies Office with a statement signed by all members of the student's Supervisory Committee attesting to this fact. This statement will be placed in the student's file. Forms for certifying the above result are available in the Graduate Studies Office.

17.4. The Prospectus

Within two weeks after passing the Oral Preliminary Examination the student must present for approval to each member of his or her Supervisory Committee a final version of his or her Prospectus. If any of the Committee members find corrections which are still needed, then the student should make the corrections and resubmit the Prospectus. When the Prospectus is approved by the Supervisory Committee, it should then be submitted to the Chairman of the Department for his or her approval. The student will not be considered to have passed his or her Preliminary Exam until the Prospectus has been finally approved by the Supervisory Committee and the Chairman of the Department. When all members of the Supervisory Committee and the Chairman of the Department approve the Prospectus, the student should have them indicate their approval by signing the title sheet. A sample title sheet of a Prospectus with a place for signatures can be obtained from the Graduate Studies Office. The student should submit a signed copy to the Physics Graduate Office. He or she should also give a final copy of the prospectus to each committee member.

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18. ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY

Once a student has passed the Doctoral Preliminary Examination, the Physics Graduate Studies Office will certify this fact to the Office of the Registrar, on an Admission to Candidacy Form. The student is then considered a Candidate for the Doctoral Degree and is eligible to register for dissertation credits.

A student must be admitted to candidacy at least six months prior to the granting of the degree. The purpose of this requirement is to assure a minimal lapse of time for effective work on the dissertation after acquisition of the basic competence and after delineation of the problem and method of attack. More realistically the student should expect to spend two years or more of work on the dissertation.

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19. ANNUAL EVALUATION.

All graduate students need to have their progress reviewed annually. Those with last names that start with A through L will need to do so in the Spring semester, and those with last names that start with M through Z will need to do so in the Summer semester. Students and their major professors and supervisory committees will need to:

19.1 Prepare a document (about one page) outlining their accomplishments in research during the previous year.

19.2 Complete the annual review form and attach to it the outline from (19.1).

19.3 Send a copy of the documents from 19.2 to their supervisory committee at least two weeks in advance of a short research seminar (about half an hour) such as the regularly scheduled seminar to their research groups.

19.4 Invite everyone on their committee to the research seminar, pointing out that this is being given in part to fulfill the annual review requirement of the Department and Graduate School; the student is responsible for making sure that at least three members of their committee can and do attend.

19.5 Gather the required signatures on the document to be transmitted to the Graduate School.

For students who have not yet passed the oral part of their qualifying exam ("prospectus defense", to be passed before the end of their seventh semester in the program), only the student's Graduate Affairs Committee faculty advisor (and research supervisor if they have one) will be required to sign the form.

20. DISSERTATION

To obtain a doctoral degree, a student must complete a dissertation on a theoretical, experimental, or computational topic in his or her area of specialization. To be acceptable it must be an original research achievement, constitute a significant contribution to knowledge, and display a substantial scholarly effort on the part of the student.

20.1. Dissertation content

The question as to whether the content of a specific dissertation meets the standards of the Physics Department is the responsibility of the student's Supervisory Committee. However, a well written dissertation will normally though not necessarily contain the following material which for presentation purposes is divided into hypothetical generic chapters:

20.1.1. Introduction. A dissertation should begin with a clear statement of the problem addressed in the dissertation, its significance, the scope and originality of the solution presented, and some indication of the organization of the dissertation.

20.1.2. Review of the literature. A thorough survey of pertinent previous published papers on the subject not only places the problem addressed in context, but also provides some criteria for judging the originality of the dissertation results.

20.1.3. Terminology. Careful definitions of specialized technical terms employed in the dissertation not only makes the dissertation easier to comprehend for the reader, but in their composition also help the author clarify his or her own conceptual comprehension of the material.

20.1.4. Theoretical, Experimental and Computational Background. Not all who read the dissertation are as familiar as the author with the theoretical, experimental, and/or computational methods which are employed in the dissertation. A brief introductory exposition of those methods which provide the foundation for the developments in the dissertation is generally in order and never out of place.

20.1.5. Presentation of original work. The development of the student's original contribution is the heart of the dissertation. New results should be clearly identified as they arise and differences with previous related work stressed.

20.1.6. Discussion of the Results. Whether experimental, theoretical, or computational, a dissertation will ultimately be judged on the basis of the insight it stimulates and the impact it makes on the surrounding body of Physics both experimental and theoretical. Hence the implications of the original contributions of the dissertation research for experiment and theory should be explored as thoroughly as practicable.

20.1.7. Summary. A dissertation should conclude with a succinct summary of the important results of the research, again differentiating what is original in the research from what was previously available. An evaluation of the experiment, project, simulation, or calculation should be provided whenever feasible and the outlook for further applications and developments of the dissertation project made.

20.2. Abstract

Every dissertation must include an abstract, that is, a concise but complete and independently intelligible summary of the contents of the dissertation normally placed just prior to the first page of text. As long as it is concise, there is no limit on the length of the abstract.

In addition to the above abstract which forms an integral part of the dissertation, two additional independent abstracts must be submitted to the University Graduate Office. The first is for use by Florida State University and is limited to 250 words. The second is for publication in Dissertation Abstracts International and is limited to 350 words. If the Dissertation Abstract is 250 words or less in length, then with appropriate reformatting it may be used for the FSU Abstract and for the DAI Abstract.

20.3. Format and style

The particular form and style of the dissertation customarily follow the guidelines in the American Institute of Physics Style Manual. The Major Professor may allow variations from these guidelines. However, whatever style is chosen must be consistent with the University clearance guidelines, as described in the brochure Guidelines and Requirements for Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation Writers, a copy of which may be obtained from the Graduate Dean's Office.

20.4. Dissertation credits

A student who has been admitted to candidacy must register for dissertation credits each term in which a substantial amount of work is being done on the dissertation. A student who has completed the required course-work and continues to use campus facilities and/or receive faculty supervision but who has not made a final dissertation submission shall include in the required full time load of twelve (12) hours (the required number of credits for students with assistantships is nine (9)), a minimum of two (2) dissertation hours per term. Those with underload permission must also register for at least two (2) hours of dissertation credit per term. The exact number of hours shall be determined by the Major Professor based on the proportion of faculty/staff time, facilities, and other resources needed to support the student. The minimum number of dissertation hours for completion of a doctoral degree shall be twenty-four (24) semester hours.

20.5. Departmental approval of the Dissertation

When a student's dissertation has been completed, he or she should submit a copy of the dissertation to each member of his or her Supervisory Committee. This should be done at least four (4) weeks before the time he or she intends to defend the dissertation. After a minimum of two (2) weeks, the student should check with all members of the committee for any criticisms they may have. After any changes suggested by the committee are made the student should provide each member of the committee with a revised copy of the dissertation. The revised copies should be in the hands of the committee at least one (1) week before the date set for the Defense of Dissertation. If, after reviewing the revised dissertation and questioning the student on the dissertation at his or her Defense of Dissertation (Section 20), the committee approves the dissertation, then the student should have each member of the committee register his or her approval by signing in black ink one copy of the title page of the thesis. The signed title page should be in a form acceptable to the Graduate Office.

If a student wishes to graduate at the end of the semester in which he or she has obtained approval of his or her dissertation, then it is necessary for him or her to make sure that all of the above has been completed in ample time to meet the pertinent University deadlines, as described in the following subsection.

20.6. University approval of the Dissertation

Before a student can obtain a Ph.D. it is necessary that his or her dissertation be approved by the Office of Graduate Studies. The procedure which one must go through to receive this approval is described in detail in the brochure Guidelines and Requirements for Thesis, Treatise, and Dissertation Writers, a copy of which may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Studies. The following checklist, which is contained in the brochure, summarizes the procedure:

20.6.1 Apply for Graduation. Submit Thesis, Treatise, Dissertation Research Approval Form before deadline to apply for graduation AND before defense of manuscript. Details can be found here .

20.6.2 Review "Dates and Deadlines" for semester of intent to graduate.

20.6.3 Review Final Term Degree Clearance Forms Checklists. Submit any forms that can be completed BEFORE the defense.

20.6.4 Defend. University Representative must submit University Representative Doctoral Defense Report no later than a week after defense.

20.6.5 Submit Defense Announcement at least two weeks before defense.

20.6.6 Submit manuscript as a PDF to Manuscript Clearance Advisor for review (Format Approval). Ensure you submit before the deadline to submit in the semester of intent to graduate. You do not have to defend first in order to have your initial format approval.

20.6.7 Submit any remaining forms that MUST be submitted after the defense of your manuscript. All forms should now be submitted.

20.6.8 Once the initial format approval has been completed and all required forms and documentation have been submitted, the Manuscript Clearance Advisor will e-mail instructions on how to submit to the electronic drop box. Submit to the drop box before the submission deadline in the semester of intent to graduate.

20.6.9 The Manuscript Clearance Advisor will perform a second formatting check of your manuscript (Final Clearance Check). You will receive an e-mail notifying you of your clearance status. If you are cleared, you will receive an e-mail with fireworks. If your manuscript requires additional corrections, you will receive an e-mail outlining these needed corrections.

20.6.10 A copy of the dissertation must be submitted to the Physics Graduate Office.

20.7. Expenses

Expenses for typing, duplicating, and binding of the dissertation must be borne by the student. If the thesis or portions of the thesis are to be used without substantial modification in a technical report or a research publication, then at the discretion of the student's Major Professor these portions but these portions only may be paid for from funds available to the major professor.

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21. DEFENSE OF DISSERTATION

After a student has completed his or her dissertation, he or she is required to defend it in an oral examination. Responsibility for suggesting the time, designating the place, and presiding at the examination rests with the Major Professor. However, the examination must be completed by a specific University deadline each semester prior to the date on which the degree is to be conferred. The date should be confirmed with the graduate office.

At least two weeks prior to the date of the examination, the Major Professor or student is required to submit an abstract of the dissertation, a list of committee members, and an announcement of the dissertation title and the date and place of the examination to the Office of Graduate Studies. An announcement of the defense will be made to the general University community by the Office of Graduate Studies.

The Supervisory Committee will conduct the Defense of Dissertation. All members of the graduate faculty are invited to attend. The first portion of the defense is open to anyone who wishes to attend.

After the defense the Supervisory Committee must certify in writing the results of the examination: passed, failed, or to be re-examined. One reexamination is allowed. The report of results following a re-examination must indicate the student either passed or failed.

A written critique of the conduct of the examination should be submitted by the representative-at-large member of the Supervisory Committee to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Dean of Graduate Studies within one week after the defense. Suggested forms for the critique are available in the Office of Graduate Studies.

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22. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT

22.1. Master's Degree

A minimum of two semesters must be completed in residence to qualify for an M.S. in Physics.

22.2. Doctoral Degree

After having finished thirty (30) semester hours of graduate work or being awarded a master's degree, a doctoral student must be continuously enrolled on the Florida State University campus for a minimum of twenty-four (24) graduate semester hours credit in any period of twelve consecutive months.

The intent of the residency requirement is to ensure that doctoral students contribute to and benefit from the complete spectrum of educational, professional, and enrichment opportunities provided on the campus of a comprehensive university.

Residency at national or international laboratories, under the supervision of Florida State faculty and registered for dissertation credits is acceptable towards the residency requirement.

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23. TIME LIMITS

23.1. Master's Degree

The work for the Master's degree must be completed within seven years from the time the student first registers for graduate credit. Any graduate work completed by extension or transferred from another institution must have commenced not more than seven years prior to graduation in order for the credits to be applied toward the Master's degree.

23.2. Doctoral Degree

All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within five calendar years from the time the student passed the Preliminary Examination. A student who does not complete the requirements in this time period is required to retake and pass a new Preliminary Examination.

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24. APPLICATION FOR A DEGREE

During the semester in which a student expects to receive a degree, and prior to the deadline listed in the Directory of Classes, application for the degree must be made at the Office of the Registrar, Graduation Section. At this time the student will be given instructions on conditions that must be fulfilled to be officially awarded a graduate degree. If it becomes obvious that the student will not complete the requirements by the end of the semester, the Registrar should be notified as soon as possible. A student who does not complete the requirements in a given semester must reapply within the appropriate period of the following semester or the semester in which he or she plans to graduate.

Registration is required in the final term in which a degree requiring a thesis or dissertation is granted and must consist of a minimum of one (1) semester hour of thesis or dissertation credit even if the student has completed the requirements for the degree in previous semesters. This is to reimburse the University for the administrative costs of manuscript clearance and final degree clearance procedures. If the student has not been enrolled for the previous two terms, readmission is required before registration.

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25. READMISSION

If the student has not been enrolled for the two previous terms, readmission is required before registration. Also, if a student is receiving a non-terminal M.S. degree then he or she must apply for readmission to continue their studies.

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26. GRADUATION

At least four weeks before graduation, cap and gown, and hood for the Ph.D. should be rented from the Bookstore.

If students find that they will not be here to receive their degrees, they should inform the Physics Graduate Office near the end of the term and they will automatically receive their degrees in absentia.

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27. SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS

27.1. Summary of requirements for non-thesis M.S.

To qualify for a non-thesis Master's degree, a student must:

1. Complete at least thirty-three hours of acceptable course work, complete three graduate core courses, including at least one in Quantum Mechanics.
2. Maintain a 3.0 grade point average.
3. Teach one laboratory section.
4. Take and pass the Written Preliminary Examination OR one of the alternatives.
5. Be in residence a minimum of two semesters.
6. Complete all requirements within seven years.
7. Make formal application for the degree with the Registrar.

27.2. Summary of requirements for thesis M.S.

To qualify for a thesis Master's degree, a student must:

1. Complete at least thirty hours of acceptable course work, complete three graduate core courses, including at least one in Quantum Mechanics.
2. Maintain a 3.0 grade point average.
3. Teach one laboratory section.
4. Have a Major Professor and Supervisory Committee appointed.
5. Registar for at least six hours of thesis credit (PHY 5971)
6. Take and pass the Defense of Thesis (PHY 8976)
7. Prepare and submit an acceptable Thesis.
8. Have a Thesis approved by the University Graduate Studies Office.
9. Be in residence a minimum of two semesters.
10. Complete all requirements within seven years.
11. Make formal application for the degree with the Registrar.

27.3. Summary of requirements for Ph.D.

To qualify for a Doctoral degree, a student must:

1. Complete all six core graduate courses: Theoretical Dynamics (PHY 5246), Statistical Mechanics (PHY 5524), Classical Electrodynamics A&B (PHY 5346 and PHY 5347), and Quantum Mechanics A&B (PHY 5645 and PHY 5646). Students must fulfill this requirement by the end of their second year at the latest.

2. Take at least two of the following courses: AST 5416, PHZ 5305, PHZ 5315, PHZ 5354, PHZ 5491, PHZ 5715. (If AST 5416 and PHZ 5315 are chousen then the tird course from this list must be taken.)

3. Take at least one of the following courses: PHY 5667, PHY 5670

4. Take at least one of the following courses: AST 5245, PHZ 5307, PHZ 5355, PHZ 5492, PHZ 5716

5. Take at least one of the following courses: AST 5745, AST 5760, PHY 5669, PHY 5846C, PHY 6937, PHY 6938

6. Maintain a 3.0 grade point average.

7. Teach two laboratory sections.

8. Take and pass the PhD Qualifying Examination (PHY 8969) at an acceptable level.

9. Have a Major Professor and Supervisory Committee appointed.

10. Prepare and submit an acceptable Prospectus.

11. Take and pass the Oral Preliminary Examination. (Prospectus Defence)

12. Be admitted to candidacy.

13. Have your progress evaluated annually. Those with last names that start with A through L will need to do so in the Spring semester, and those with last names that start with M through Z will need to do so in the Summer semester.

14. Prepare and submit an acceptable Dissertation.

15. Make a successful Defense of Dissertation (PHY 8985)

16. Have Disseration approved by the University Graduate Studies Office.

17. Register for at least twenty-four hours of dissertation credit (PHY 6980).

18. Be in continuous residence as a full time student for one year after finishing thirty semester hours of graduate work.

19. Complete all requirements within five years of passing the Preliminary Examination.

20. Make formal application for the degree with the registrar.