Visitation Weekend

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Visitation Weekend

• Kathie Newman
• Director of Graduate Studies
• University of Notre Dame

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Agenda

• Degree Programs
• Courses
• Typical Life of a Graduate Student
• Hurdles
• Summer Opportunities
• Why is Notre Dame special?

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Degree Programs

• Masters Degree
• An option to earn along the way to earning a
  Ph.D.
• Doctor of Philosophy Degree

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Course Work Requirements

• Core Curriculum (12 courses, 36 credits)
• 9 required courses
• PHYS 70003 Methods of Theoretical Physics
• PHYS 70005 Theoretical Mechanics
• PHYS 70006 Electromagnetism
• PHYS 70007 Quantum Mechanics I
• PHYS 70008 Quantum Mechanics II
• PHYS 71010 Methods of Experimental Physics
• PHYS 80001 Electrodynamics
• PHYS 80002 Statistical Thermodynamics
• PHYS 80003 Quantum Mechanics III
• Electives (take three of the following)
• PHYS 70201 Astrophysics
• PHYS 80301 Atomic Physics I or PHYS 80303
  Quantum Optics
• PHYS 80701 Nuclear Physics I
• PHYS 80501 Solid State I
• PHYS 80601 Elementary Particles I

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Curriculum is Under Review

• Which Way Forward?
• http//www.aps.org/programs/education/conference.c
  fm
• Review of Core Requirement
• Mathematical Methods
• Experimental Methods
• QM I, II, III
• EM I, II
• Classical Mechanics
• Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics
• Review of Elective Requirement

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Other Courses

• Special and General Relativity
• Quantum Field Theory
• Nuclear II
• Quantum Optics
• Soft Condensed Matter
• Condensed Matter II Quasiparticles
• Many Body Physics
• Cosmological Physics

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Typical Life of a Graduate Student
First Year
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Graduate School Transition
Short Sharp Shock?
Gradual?

• Student
• Teacher
• Researcher

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Teaching Assistants

• Average 15 hours/week
• Typical Assignments
• Two labs, one test grading
• Tutorials, help session, test grading
• Observatory
• Homework Grading
• Evaluations once per semester
• Teaching Awards

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Research Orientation Seminars

• Start middle of fall
• Advertise faculty looking for students
• ROS scheduled weekly (5)
• Food
• Interviews with faculty
• Tentative choice of advisor by beginning of
  spring semester

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Research Transition

• Research
• Part-time
• during second semester
• during second year
• Full-time
• during summers
• after completion of courses
• Support
• T.A. teaching assistant (paid by the
  department)
• R.A. -- research assistant (paid by a research
  group)
• Fellowship
• Our goal is that you be on R.A. when you are
  doing research full-time.
• Experimental groups put students on R.A. earlier
• You will want to choose a research group with
  good funding
• Third year
• Research becomes your primary responsibility

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Professional Development

• Set post-graduation goals
• National labs
• Industry
• College
• University
• Identify skills required
• Communication (oral and written)
• Analytical skills (problem solving)
• Technical skills (experimental, computer)
• Knowledge

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Obtain Experience

• Learn physics more deeply (courses, teaching)
• Learn a field of physics (courses, research
  group)
• Problem Solving (research projects)
• Communication
• Writing Papers, proposals
• Oral Teaching, group meetings, conferences
• Network (visitors, conferences, summer schools)

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Time to Degree

• Theory 5 years
• Experiment
• Atomic Experiment 5 to 6 years
• Astrophysics 5 to 7 years
• Condensed Matter 5 to 7 years
• High Energy 6 to 7 years
• Nuclear 5 to 7 years

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Hurdles

• Courses
• Maintain 3.0 GPA
• Time Limits
• 2 years, qualifier
• 4 years, candidacy
• 6 years, TA
• 8 years, PhD

• Examinations
• Qualifying Exam
• Part I
• Part II
• Candidacy Exam
• Written
• Oral
• Defense of the Dissertation

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Summer Opportunities

• Qualifier preparation course
• http//www.nd.edu/newman/phys_qual_prep/home_qual
  _prep.htm
• Part I Monday, June 2 through Friday, June 27
• Part II Monday, July 7 through Friday, August 1
• Tuition support
• Stipend support (for up to two months) available
  on first-come first-served basis

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Qualifying Exam

• Tests on basic undergraduate physics
• Halliday, Resnick, and Krane (HRK) Physics (5th
  edition)
• Parts I and II taken from books I and II of the
  series
• Based on
• sample problems
• end-of-chapter exercises
• end-of-chapter problems
• Offered twice a year.
• Must pass by end of second year.

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Summer Course

• Follows intense schedule.
• Attendance required.
• Free try at end of course of exam.
• Mornings, 9 AM to about 11 AM
• Students present problems at the board.
• Instructor helps with difficult problems and
  reviews material as necessary.
• Afternoons, evenings, and weekends Students
  work next set of problems, generally in groups.

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Pass Rates(Before Summer Course)

• Fall 2002
• 27 pass Part I
• 44 pass Part II

• Spring 2003
• 50 pass Part I
• 55 pass Part II

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Summer Pass Rate Average around 80.
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Outcomes

• Chance to pass the qualifier exam before starting
  graduate school
• Form working relationships with other students
• Practice in problem solving at the board (and
  learn how to teach)
• Chance to scope out the research groups

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Why is Notre Dame Special?

• Ask a student
• Ask a member of our staff
• Ask a member of our faculty
• We hope to have you as a member of our community!
• Questions? Email newman_at_nd.edu