UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE FORMS
Academic Program Approval
This form is a routing document for the approval of new
and revised academic programs. Proposing department should
complete this form. For more
information, call the Faculty Senate Office at 831-2921.
Submitted by: Norbert Mulders__________________________phone
number x3517___
Action: Revision of the degree
requirements of the Ph.D.. in Physics and Astronomy
(Example: add major/minor/concentration, delete
major/minor/concentration,
revise major/minor/concentration,
academic unit name change, request for permanent status, policy change,
etc.)
Effective term_06F___________________________________________________________________________
(use format 04F, 05W)
Current degree Ph.D. in Physics and
Astronomy________________________________
(Example: BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA,
Proposed change leads to the
degree of: Ph.D. in Physics and
Astronomy_______________ (Example: BA, BACH,
BACJ, HBA,
Proposed name: __________________________________________________________
Proposed new name for revised
or new major / minor / concentration / academic unit
(if applicable)
Revising or Deleting:
Undergraduate major / Concentration:_________________________________
(Example: Applied Music – Instrumental degree BMAS)
Undergraduate minor:_______________________________________________
(Example: African
Studies, Business
Administration, English, Leadership,
etc.)
Graduate Program Policy statement change:____See attached statement______
(Attach your
Graduate Program Policy Statement)
Graduate Program of Study:_Ph.D. in Physics and Astronomy_________
(Example: Animal Science: MS Animal Science: PHD
Economics: MA Economics: PHD)
Graduate minor / concentration:______________________________________
List program changes for
curriculum revisions:
1) Binging forward the PhD
candidacy exam while reducing its scope, while at the same time introducing an
oral/research component. Students must pass the written part of the exam within
3 semesters rather than the current 7 semesters.
2) To ensure that all students
have competence at the PhD level in the core material, students have to pass a
set of required courses with a B or better. Previously, this material was
covered in the PHD qualifying exam.
List new courses required for
the new or revised curriculum:
(Be aware that approval
of the curriculum is dependent upon these courses successfully passing through
the Course Challenge list. If there are no new courses enter “None”)
None
Other affected units:
(List other departments affected by this new or revised
curriculum. Attach permission from the
affected units. If no other unit is
affected, enter “None”)
None
Rationale:
(Explain your reasons for creating, revising, or deleting the
curriculum or program.)
At one time, the M.S. degree was the main research degree of
the physics and astronomy program at UD, with only few students following up
with a Ph.D. This has not been the case for a long time. Most students enter
the graduate program, with or without a master’s degree, with the intention to
obtain a Ph.D. Therefore, it is important to have a mechanism in place that
early on determines if the student has the capabilities to eventually obtain a
Ph.D. or should be advised to leave the program, possibly after having obtained
an MS degree. In the current situation, with a Ph.D. qualifying exam that can
be take as late as at the end of the 7th semester in the program,
and only after extensive course work, this determination is made far too late.
The proposed revision introduces a Ph.D. candidacy exam which is reduced in
scope, but which students will have to pass at the latest by the end of their
third semester. To ensure that all students have competence at the PhD level in
the core material, students have to pass a set of required courses with a B or
better. (Previously, this material was covered in the PHD qualifying exam.)
It should be
noted that this would bring our graduate program in line with current practice
in most other physics or astronomy graduate programs
Program Requirements:
(Show the new or revised curriculum as it should appear in the
Course Catalog. If this is a revision,
be sure to indicate the changes being made to the present curriculum.)
proposed requirements:
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PH.D. DEGREE
Students
may enter the Ph.D. program after successfully completing an M.S. degree program,
at the
Course requirements
Students
on the regular track must satisfy the
following course requirement:
-
Taking and passing, with an average grade of 3.0 or better, 30 credits of
course work within the first five semesters after entering graduate school. At
least 18 of these credits must be from among 800-level PHYS courses. Of these
18 credits at the 800 level, 15 credits must come from the following group of 6
courses. These courses have to be passed with a grade of B or better.
PHYS 809, PHYS 810, PHYS 811,
PHYS 812, PHYS 813, PHYS 815.
Students
following the fast track must meet
the following course requirements to remain on that track:
-
Taking at least 12 credits of PHYS classroom courses at the 800-level within
their first year.
Ph.D. Candidacy Examination
The
written part of the candidacy exam: All
students in the Ph.D. program must attempt the written part of the Ph.D.
candidacy exam at the latest at the end of their second semester in the
program. Students must pass all four parts of the exam separately, but will
have one opportunity, at the end of their third semester, to retake those parts
they failed. No student may take the exam more than twice.
If a
student on the fast track has not passed the written part of the exam after two
semesters, the Graduate Review Committee will promptly review the student’s
progress and issue a determination whether the student should remain on the
fast track or should shift to the regular track.
The written
part of the examination is given twice per year. It is an exam covering four
subjects, mechanics, electricity and magnetism, statistical mechanics and
thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics (coinciding with the course content of
PHYS 620, Classical Mechanics, PHYS 603/604, Electricity and Magnetism, PHYS
616, Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, and PHYS 610, Quantum
Mechanics). Passing anyone of the four sections of
the exam requires a score of at least 65%.
The oral candidacy examination: Within 18 months after passing the written part of the
Ph.D. candidacy exam, a Ph.D. candidate shall make an oral presentation on the
proposed thesis research to a committee consisting of the members of the Ph.D.
thesis committee and two additional members appointed by the director of the
graduate program. This committee shall examine the students in matters
regarding the proposed research program. A student who fails the examination
has one opportunity to retake the exam. This has to take place within 6
month of the original examination.
Ph.D. Thesis: Upon
successful completion of a research program, the PhD candidate will write a
dissertation showing originality of thought and scholarship, properly expressed
in English. The dissertation is defended in an oral examination administered by
the student's dissertation committee.
Current version (from the course catalog):
rospective Ph.D. candidates are frequently chosen from among
those who have successfully completed a master's degree program either at
I. Taking and passing
the Ph.D. qualifying examination within two years of entering graduate work
(two and one-half years for students admitted in January), and
2. Taking and passing, with a grade of B
(3.000) or better, 30 credits of course work within the first five semesters
after entering graduate work. At least 21 of these credit hours must be from
among PHYS 607/8, and 800-level physics courses.
A student entering the department with a master's degree must
either:
I. Take at
least 12 credit hours of course work during the first year,
including 6 at the 800 level, and take the qualifying exam
within one year, and pass it within two years;
OR
2. Satisfy the
bypass option mentioned above.
All Ph.D. students must take a minimum of
12 credit hours of classroom course work beyond the core
curriculum. These courses must be at or above the 600 level and be in physics
or physics-related areas.
The qualifying examination, which is based
on a core of graduate-level courses, is given twice per year, in late August
and in early February. The Ph.D. candidate must pass this examination within
three and a half years after arriving at
Upon successful completion of a research
program, the candidate is required to pass a final oral examination that
includes the defense of the dissertation and discussion of relevant material.
Progress of a student through the graduate program is reviewed regularly by a
departmental review committee.
ROUTING AND AUTHORIZATION: (Please do not remove supporting
documentation.)
Department Chairperson Date
Dean of College Date
Chairperson, College Curriculum
Committee___________________________________Date_____________________
Chairperson, Senate Com. on UG or GR
Studies Date
Chairperson, Senate Coordinating
Com. Date
Secretary, Faculty Senate Date
Date of Senate Resolution Date
to be Effective
Registrar Program
Code Date
Vice Provost for Academic Programs
& Planning Date
Provost Date
Board of Trustee Notification Date
Revised