College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Typical Course Sequence for Ph.D.
Typical course sequence for Physics Ph.D., Physics Track
First Year
Fall Semester
- PHYS:5710 Classical Mechanics
- PHYS:5811 Electrodynamics I
- PHYS:5741 Quantum Mechanics I
Qualifying Exam: January
Spring Semester
- PHYS:5730 Statistical Mechanics
- PHYS:5812 Electrodynamics II
- PHYS:5742 Quantum Mechanics II
Second Year
Advanced physics courses* - two courses
Alternatives:
Some physics students postpone a 200-level course to the second year in order to take a 100-level course the first year. This is can be done to take a 100-level course in a research area (for example, plasma physics). It can also be done to take a course that was not completed as an undergraduate (for example, PHYS:4761/4762 Mathematical Methods of Physics).
Typical course sequence for Physics Ph.D., Astronomy Track
First Year
Fall Semester
- ASTR:6880 High Energy Astrophysics (or another advanced astronomy course**)
- PHYS:5710 Classical Mechanics
- either PHYS:7990/ASTR:79914 Research in Astronomy or a physics course
Qualifying Exam: January
Spring Semester
- ASTR:6781Galactic Astronomy (or another advanced astronomy course**)
- PHYS:5730 Statistical Mechanics I
- either ASTR:7991 Research in Astronomy or ASTR:4770 Radio Astronomy
Second Year
- One advanced astronomy course** each semester
- Special Topics in Astrophysics or a physics course
Third Year
- One advanced astronomy course** each semester
* Advanced physics courses (each taught in alternating years)
- PHYS:6720Nonlinear Optics
- PHYS:7720 Semiconductor Physics
- PHYS:7740Quantum Field Theory
- PHYS:5840 Quantum Gauge Theories
- PHYS:7760 General Relativity and Cosmology
- PHYS:7725 Special Topics in Condensed Matter
- PHYS:7730 Advanced Plasma Physics
**Advanced astronomy courses (two are taught each year in a three-year rotation):
- ASTR:6870 Radiative Processes in Astrophysics
- ASTR:6785 The Interstellar Medium
- ASTR:6790 Stellar Astrophysics
- ASTR:6880 High Energy Astrophysics
- ASTR:6781 Galactic Astronomy
- ASTR:6782 Extragalactic Astronomy