Department of Physics and Astronomy

Ph. D. DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph.D.)

For the Doctor of Philosophy Degree, a student must complete a total of 90 hours of graduate credit including the following:

  • Required courses:
    • PHYS 6/7220 (Classical Mechanics)
    • PHYS 6/7250 (Classical Electrodynamics I)
    • PHYS 6/7320 (Quantum Mechanics I)
    • PHYS 6/7450 (Statistical Mechanics)
    • PHYS 8040 (Physics and Astronomy Professional Development Seminar).
  • 18 additional hours of credit in Physics courses numbered higher than 6100 as approved by the student's committee.
  • 30-60 hours of PHYS 8960 (Ph.D. Thesis Research).
  • Credit in PHYS 6/8010, 6/8020, 6/7030, or 7910 will not count toward degree requirements.

Beyond coursework, the Ph.D. degree requirements include the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination, the Comprehensive Examination, and preparation and defense of a thesis (Thesis Defense). Formal candidacy for the Ph. D. degree requires passing the Qualifying Examination. The Qualifying Examination are normally taken at the beginning of the fall semester, one year after entry, and may normally be repeated once, the following January. The complete policy on the Qualifying Examination is available here.

After passing the Qualifying Examination, the Ph.D. candidate selects a field of specialization. A faculty committee is formed, chaired by the research adviser, to evaluate the student's progress in these matters and to establish an appropriate program of coursework. This committee then administers the Comprehensive Examination, which must be completed no later than the end of the summer after the student's third full year in the Ph.D. program. The Comprehensive Examination is an oral exam designed to: 1. assess the student's grasp of physics at the 6000 level, especially (but not exclusively) the physics needed for dissertation research in the chosen area. 2. assess the student's preparedness to do dissertation research. The time spent in the exam should be divided approximately equally between these goals.

The purpose of the Comprehensive exam is to make sure that the student has a set plan for finishing their thesis work, as well as the background knowledge and skills required for their project. Aside from the topics listed above, the exam usually consists of a roughly hour long presentation of your current work, as well as the work needing to be done that will encompass your thesis project. This includes the number of papers that the student expects to publish, as well as a timeline of major milestones from current day to graduation. The exam is given to the student’s committee members who then decide if any adjustments or additional work are required. Once the committee is satisfied with the student’s plan of action, the comprehensive exam is complete. The student will then have their advisor email the main physics office about their successful comprehensive and that will be the last step. There is no official paperwork to be filled out other than informing the main office of your completion. 

After the student completes the Comprehensive Examination, only the research requirement and Thesis Defense remain. The graduate program ends with the Thesis Defense:  a presentation of the dissertation and its satisfactory defense during an oral examination.

The university has the official Graduate Plans of Study Forms and the Graduate Degree Requirements.

Graduate Student Responsibilities

  • Design a Plan of Study during your first year to fulfill your degree requirements (see below for examples for each concentration).
  • Follow the instructions from the Graduate Graduation and Retention Committee regarding annual student
    progress reports. Include in the relevant section the courses and number of research credits you will take in the
    upcoming year.
  • Update your Plan of Study with grades and course selections for the upcoming year regularly. (Do not send to
    College of Graduate Studies, this is for you, your advisor, and your committee to reference). Discuss your
    projected graduation date with your advisor and committee.
  • Do not register for PHYS 6010, 6020, 8010, or 8020. These credit hours do not count toward degree
    requirements. You are required to attend colloquium and your respective seminars, when offered, throughout
    your degree program.
  • For Years 1 – 3 for PhD you will register for 9* credits in the Fall, 9* credits in the Spring, and 1 credit in Summer
    (19 credits total per academic year). *If taking a 4 credit course with two 3 credit courses, you can register for 10
    credit hours.
  • Year 4 and onward for the PhD, choose a distribution of credit hours which will help you reach 90 credits by the
    time you intend to graduate while maintaining appropriate status. This may be slightly different for everyone
    based on your circumstances.
  • Avoid exceeding 90 credit hours for the PhD. Either the department or research grants will need to pay money for
    any extra credits above 90. If you are on TA, you are responsible for any fees associated with those credits even if
    tuition is covered (some grants supporting RAs do not cover fees as well).
  • If you reach 90 credit hours but need an extra semester beyond your anticipated graduation date, register for 1
    credit only. Delays sometimes happen.
  • As per the College of Graduate Studies, students are considered full time if taking 9 credit hours in Fall or Spring
    semesters and half time at 5 credit hours in either of those semesters. You are responsible for determining the appropriate number of credit hours you need to register in order to maintain your financial aid status. This may be an important consideration if you have undergraduate student loans. Check the Financial Aid Office for more information related to financial aid and programs.
  • Brad and Lisa are not involved in the review of Plans of Study; please contact your advisor for all questions on developing your schedule.

Faculty Advisor Responsibilities

  • First year student Plans of Study are approved by Prof. Song Cheng if the student does not have a research advisor.
    After students find a research advisor, the advisor is responsible for reviewing the Plan of Study against the degree
    requirements and the timeline set by the student and their committee.
  • Follow the instructions from the Graduate Graduation and Retention Committee regarding annual student
    progress reports.
  • Following the guidelines above for students, review the Plan of Study to identify semesters where the standard
    credit amounts (9 for Fall or Spring, 1 for Summer) will not be taken. Ensure that students are registering for the
    appropriate number of credits.
  • After Year 3, pay close attention to the number of credit hours taken in a given year. This will save the
    department, your grants, and the students money.
  • Brad and Lisa are not involved in the review of Plans of Study.

Below is a sample plan of study for the generic program. After this you can find more information about the different Ph. D. concentrations (astrophysics, material science, medical physics)

  • Year 1, Fall
    PHYS7220 Classical Mechanics (3cr)
    PHYS7320 Quantum Mechanics I (3cr)
    PHYS>6100 elective  (3cr)

  • Year 1, Spring
    PHYS7250 Classical Electrodynamics I (3cr)
    PHYS7450 Statistical Mechanics (3cr)
    PHYS>6100 elective  (3cr)

  • Year 1, Summer
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 2, Fall
    PHYS>6100 elective (3cr)
    PHYS>6100 elective (3cr)
    PHYS8040 P&A Professional Development Seminar (1cr)
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (2cr)

  • Year 2, Spring
    PHYS>6100 Statistics/GR/other elective (3cr)
    PHYS>6100 Statistics/GR/other elective (3cr)
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (3cr)

  • Year 2 Summer
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 3, Fall
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (9cr)

  • Year 3, Spring
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (9cr)

  • Year 3, Summer
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 4, Fall
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (9cr)

  • Year 4, Spring
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (9cr)

  • Year 4, Summer
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 5, Fall
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (6cr)

  • Year 5, Spring
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (5cr)

  • Year 5, Summer
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 6, Fall
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 6, Spring
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

Ph. D. IN PHYSICS WITH CONCENTRATION IN A SPECIALTY

A degree concentration provides students with certification that they have expertise in a sub-field of physics. A concentration for which a student has satisfied the requirements and for which the student has successfully applied before graduation is recorded in the student's transcript upon graduation. It does not appear on the diploma.

Ph. D. in Physics with Concentration in Astrophysics

The Ph. D. in physics with concentration in astrophysics satisfies all the requirements for the Ph. D. in physics while preparing students for a career in astronomy and astrophysics.

Instead of the requirement of 18 hours of credit in physics courses numbered above 6100, this concentration requires:

  • PHYS 6/7810-20-30-40 (Stellar Astrophysics I and II, Galactic Astronomy I and II)
  • Two related elective courses, which may include: PHYS 6/7710 (Atomic Physics), PHYS 6/7720 (Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy), PHYS 8860 (General Relativity), PHYS 8870 (Cosmology), or other appropriate courses

 In addition, the Astrophysics concentration requires:

  • Three hours of PHYS 6/8980 (Special Topics)
  • A satisfactory dissertation in astronomy or astrophysics with a supervisor who is a member of the Ritter Astrophysical Research Center

The following is the suggested plan of study for 6 years that meets the requirements without extra credit hours:

  • Year 1, Fall
    PHYS7220 Classical Mechanics (3cr)
    PHYS7320 Quantum Mechanics I (3cr)
    PHYS7810 Stellar Astrophysics I (3cr)

  • Year 1, Spring
    PHYS7250 Classical Electrodynamics I (3cr)
    PHYS7820 Stellar Astrophysics II (3cr)
    PHYS8870 Cosmology (3cr)

  • Year 1, Summer
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 2, Fall
    PHYS7830 Galactic Astronomy I (3cr)
    PHYS8980 Special Topics (3cr)
    PHYS8040 P&A Professional Development Seminar (1cr)
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (2cr)

  • Year 2, Spring
    PHYS7450 Statistical Mechanics (3cr)
    PHYS7840 Galactic Astronomy II (3cr)
    PHYS>6100 Statistics/GR/other elective (3cr)

  • Year 2 Summer
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 3, Fall
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (9cr)

  • Year 3, Spring
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (9cr)

  • Year 3, Summer
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 4, Fall
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (9cr)

  • Year 4, Spring
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (9cr)

  • Year 4, Summer
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 5, Fall
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (6cr)

  • Year 5, Spring
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (5cr)

  • Year 5, Summer
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 6, Fall
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

  • Year 6, Spring
    PHYS8960 Ph.D. Thesis Research (1cr)

Ph. D. in Physics with Concentration in Materials Science

The Ph. D. in physics with concentration in materials science satisfies all the requirements for the Ph. D. in physics while preparing students for a career in materials science.

 This concentration requires:

  • Two core courses in the fundamentals of materials science:

    -PHYS 8540 Structure, Defects and Diffusion
    -PHYS 8550 Thermodynamics and Phase Transformation in Condensed Systems;

  • Two additional elective courses, approved by the student's committee, in the area of materials science and engineering; and
  • A dissertation in a materials-related field with a supervisor who is a member of the Center for Materials Science and Engineering.

The following are the courses that meet the requirements for the degree program without extra credit hours:

  • Required courses
    • PHYS7320 Quantum Mechanics I (3cr)
    • PHYS7250 Classical Electrodynamics I (3cr)
    • PHYS7450 Statistical Mechanics (3cr)
    • PHYS7220 Classical Mechanics (3cr)
    • PHYS8040 P&A Professional Development Seminar (1cr)
  • Core courses
    • PHYS8550 Thermodynamics and Phase Transformation in Condensed Systems (4cr)
    • PHYS8540 Structure, Defects, and Diffusion (4cr)
  • Four additional elective courses
    • PHYS8640 Fundamentals of Solar Cells (3cr)
    • PHYS7140 Fundamentals of Modern Physics (3cr)
    • PHYS8630 Semiconductors I (3cr)
    • PHYS7280 Photovoltaic and Device Lab (3cr)
  • Remaining courses to bring the total of credit hours up to 90
    • PHYS8960 Ph. D. Thesis Research (30-60cr)

Ph. D. in Physics with Concentration in Medical Physics 

The Ph. D. in physics with concentration in medical physics satisfies all of the degree requirements for a Ph. D. in physics while preparing students for a career in medical physics. The medical physics-related courses, which total at least 27 credit hours, are provided through the UT College of Medicine. The student’s faculty advisory committee will consist of faculty members from the department of physics and astronomy and the medical physics fields. The committee may also include other members appropriate for this degree. A dissertation research project is chosen that will have relevance to both physics and medical physics. The Ph. D. requirement of 18 additional credit hours outside the core courses will be satisfied by the specified additional graduate courses in physics and in medical physics (College of Medicine).

Last Updated: 3/15/24