PH.D. QUALIFYING EXAMINATION
General description
The purpose of the qualifying exam is to determine whether students have the grasp
of basic physics that is needed for successful completion of the Ph.D. requirements. It
is not intended to be a comprehensive exam. It is an oral exam at the level of advanced undergraduate (4000/5000) courses. Written approval of a student graduate adviser is required for all exam takers;
the standard forms will be provided a few days before each exam.
The oral exam normally takes 1 hour. It is administered for each student individually
by a committee of three faculty. The oral exam is more wide-ranging covering any topic
in physics or astronomy. Its purpose is to identify strengths and weaknesses in students’
background and to assess students’ ability to think and respond like scientists in
a logical manner explaining concepts in purely qualitative as well as semi-quantitative
and semi-empirical reasoning. The oral exam normally starts with a self-introduction
in which the student is asked to briefly describe any prior research experience and
its related physics. The committee members typically then ask the student questions
related to that introductory part as well as more general questions to explore the
student’s understanding of physics. It is expected that the examinee will be able
to write on a black- or white- board in order to answer questions.
Exam timing
The oral qualifying exam is offered in the first half of each fall and spring semeste. With their adviser’s approval, students are allowed two attempts to pass each part,
timed as follows.
0. At entry. This attempt is “free,” not counting against the two allowed attempts,
but the exam can be passed at this time. Therefore, all entering students are strongly
encouraged to take benefit of this opportunity to pass.
1. One year after entry.
2. The following January, a year and a semester after entry.
Notes:
- For students who enter the program in January, this policy’s timetable starts the following fall. In that case, therefore, the zeroth attempt takes place the fall semester after entry.
- The zeroth and first attempts may not be made in January, except by students who entered the program with previous post-bachelors level academic experience in physics. With their adviser’s approval, they may accelerate the standard timetable above.
- In order to be eligible to take the qualifier at any of the three attempts, students must sign the form that will be provided, obtain the signature of their advisers, and submit the form to the chair of the Exam Committee by the appropriate deadline.
- Students whose highest goal is the M. S. are not required to take the qualifier. If, after receiving the M. S., a student is admitted into the Ph. D. program, he or she will be treated in the same way as a student who enters with an M. S. obtained elsewhere. The first required attempt is a year after entry into the Ph.D. program.
Exam studying tips
Topics in the oral qualifying exam include those in introductory physics classes (classical/theoretical
mechanics, electricity & magnetism, quantum mechanics) and questions related to the
student’s previous research experiences. The rubric used to assess students in these
exams is linked here.
The following books represent the degree of difficulty and topics covered on the oral
qualifying exam:
- “Classical Dynamics of Particles and Systems” by Stephen T. Thornton and Jerry B. Marion
- “Analytical Mechanics” by Fowles and Cassidy
- “Introduction to Electrodynamics” by David J. Griffiths, first 9 chapters
- “Introduction to Quantum Mechanics” by David J. Griffiths, first 6 chapters
- Other books of comparable content will also suffice
Additional topics in Modern Physics include, but are not limited to, special relativity,
quantum statistics, blackbody radiation, multi-electron atoms, basic concepts of quantum
and classical mechanics encountered in introductory and intermediate physics classes,
and interaction of electrons with magnetic fields (Zeeman effect, Stern-Gerlach experiment).
A thorough knowledge and understanding of the contents from the books “Quantum Physics
of Atoms, Molecules, Solids, Nuclei and Particles,” by Robert M. Eisberg and Robert
Resnick and “Modern Physics” by Kenneth Krane will help to prepare for the oral exam.
Other sources of equivalent content will also suffice.
Current graduate students typically run practice oral qualifying exams to help students
prepare.