graduate_handbook:the_ph.d._requirements [School of Physics and Astronomy Wiki]

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====== Ph.D. Degree Requirements ======

^  Requirements                                          ^ Ph.D.                                                                                                                                                                         ^
^ Total Credits Required (not including thesis credits)  | Major courses plus at least 6 credits from 8000 level classes, and 2 credits from research seminars                                                                               |
^ Thesis Credits Required                                | 24 (should be taken after passing the Oral Preliminary Exam - even if it is a pass with reservations- and within two semesters).                                              |
^ Major Courses Required                                 | 5001/2, 5011/2, 5201, and 5072 for TAs (unless equivalent courses have been taken at another institution, and and the substitution is approved by the DGS in writing).        |
^ Minimum GPA                                            | 3.0 in the required courses. 3.0 overall GPA. Only courses with grades of A, B, (including B-) and S may be counted toward the degree.                                                                                                                                                    |
^ Graduate Written Exam                                  | Pass by the Spring of the second year. A second attempt in the second year is conditional on prior completion of all credits and other requirements for a M.Sc. Plan A or B.  |
^ Preliminary Oral Exam                                  | Pass by end of 3rd year                                                                                                                                                       |
^ File Graduate Degree Plan   (if started before Fall 2020), or submit GPAS Planner (if started Fall 2020 and later)                         | Before taking the Preliminary Oral Exam                                                                                                                                       |
^ Time Limits                                            | *Must complete the degree and have the degree awarded within eight calendar years after the year of initial enrollment in the graduate program                                           |
^ Transfer credits<sup>(+)</sup>                                       | No limit, must be approved by DGS                                                                                                                                             |
^ Preliminary and Final Oral Committee                   | At least 4 members: 3 from major field (adviser plus an experimentalist and a theorist in the same subfield of physics) and 1 with an appointment outside physics.            |
^ Thesis reviewers                                       | 3 reviewers, including committee member from outside physics. Thesis must be approved one week before defense                                                                 |
*Applies to students admitted after 1/1/13. Students admitted before 1/1/13 will follow old time limit policy of not more than 5 years after completing the Preliminary Oral Exam. \\
<sup>(+)</sup> Credit from courses that have been a part of undergraduate degree requirements cannot be transferred, even if listed as graduate courses. Graduate degree credits, on the other hand, can be transferred into our program.

==== Additional considerations ====

**Minor Field:** 12 credits. If the student declares a formal minor, these credits must be in the graduate program corresponding to that minor. Final authority for the designation of what courses can be counted toward this requirement is the Director of Graduate Studies.

**Course Level:** Courses that count towards a Ph.D. degree must be at the 4000, 5000 or 8000 level anywhere within the University. In the case of 4000 courses, undergraduate core courses such as Physics 4001, 4002, 4101, 4201, and 4303, which are considered to be remedial as far as the graduate program is concerned, do **not** earn graduate credit. On the other hand, other 4000 level classes ("Introduction to" courses) that are an introduction to a specific discipline: PHYS 4041, 4211, 4511, 4611, 4623, 4811, and 4911 earn graduate credit. A maximum of nine 4000 level course credits may be used to satisfy the doctoral credit requirements. At least 6 credits of the courses in the sub-field and 8 credits total (not counting thesis credits) must be at the 8000 level.

**Foreign Language Requirement:** No formal requirement. However, the adviser may require a reading knowledge of a particular foreign language when that is necessary for the writing of the dissertation.

**Writing and Defense of Thesis:** Ph.D. candidates must write and defend a thesis in a final oral examination.
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