Program Requirements

Program Requirements

Course and milestone requirements should be reviewed on the UCSC Academic Catalog. See below for specific requirements and example schedules:

Track Your Progress

Make a copy of the PHYS Grad Academic Tracker to track your degree progress, see upcoming milestones, and plan our future years.

PhD Program

The objectives of the P Ph.D. program are to prepare students for a career in academia, industry, or teaching. At the end of their studies, students will possess the ability to solve problems and communicate solutions in rigorous mathematical language, to communicate mathematical concepts effectively, and to conduct independent research. Ph.D. students are expected to obtain their Ph.D. degree within six years. Students admitted to the Ph.D. program may receive a master's degree en route to the Ph.D.

The following is an example academic plan for a Ph.D. student:

Physics Special Seminars

In addition to the courses above, students are encouraged to enroll in optional 2-credit specialized seminars/courses you find interesting. They are not offered every quarter:

• PHYS 291A : Cosmology

• PHYS 291B: X-rays and Magnetism

• PHYS 291C: Developments in Theoretical Particle Physics

• PHYS 291D: Experimental High-Energy Collider Physics

• PHYS 291E: Applied Physics

• PHYS 291F: Experimental High-Energy and Particle Astrophysics Seminar

• PHYS 291G: Condensed Matter Physics Research Seminar

• PHYS 291H: Physics Education and Communication Seminar

Program Learning Outcomes

During the course of the program, students will demonstrate:

• PLO1.: Mastery of the fundamental knowledge in physics; 

• PLO2.: Ability to use analytical and/or computational methods to solve physics problems; 

• PLO3.: Ability to apply physical, mathematical, and statistical methods to a real-­‐world problem in an application area;  

• PLO4.: Ability to communicate concepts and results to both other experts in the field and to people outside the field;  

• PLO5.: Ability to conduct independent research.