Department of Physics and Astronomy

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.
• Please contact your advisor for all questions on developing your schedule.