Formal Exams

1. Students shall attempt both parts of the Qualifying Examination no later than January of their second year and pass it by May, also of their second year.

2. Upon passing the Qualifying Exam, each student will be provided an individual schedule indicating their deadlines for meeting all remaining requirements for the Ph.D.

3. International students who do not receive a passing grade in the English Language Proficiency test must remain continuously enrolled in ESL courses until a passing grade is obtained. Failure to attend ESL classes will result in the termination of Teaching Assistant support. International students are expected to attain at least a Level 1 evaluation in English communication by the end of their second semester.

 

Research Advisor and Dissertation Committee

1. Students shall acquire a thesis advisor no later than eight months after passing the Qualifying Examination. The research advisor will notify the Graduate Program Director (or Graduate Program Office) when this requirement has been satisfied either by e-mail for with a form. (Note: If a student wishes to choose a thesis advisor outside of Physics for physics related research, approval must be received from the Graduate Program Director.)

2. Students shall form a dissertation committee no later than twenty months after passing the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination and submit to the Graduate Program Office.

 

Indication of Progress

1. Students shall submit a dissertation prospectus to the Graduate Program Director by twenty-four months after passing the Ph.D. Qualifying examination. Part of the process of preparing the prospectus will include an oral presentation to the dissertation committee.

2. Students shall meet briefly each year with the Graduate Program Director to discuss plans, progress and deadlines. A summary of the meeting will be sent to the student and advisor.

3. If, due to a need to change research advisors, or some other major problem, the above schedule may be revised by the Graduate Program Director.

4. Students must fulfill the Research Area Course requirement and accrue 18 thesis credits.

 

Impact of Schedule upon Status and Financial Support

1. Assistantship forms for reappointment will only be processed for students making satisfactory progress as outlined above.

2. Before a request is made to extend a student’s Statute of Limitations (SOL), a justification and confirmation of satisfactory progress must be received from the student’s research advisor.

 

Timeline for PH.D. Requirements

 

RESESARCH ADVISOR Appointed                  Due 8 months after passing Quals

DISSERTATION COMMITTEE Appointed         Due 20 months after passing Quals

Dissertation PROPOSAL                                  Due 24 months after passing Quals

(Defended and Submitted)

11/07