Milestones

You should monitor your progress towards your degree.  Here are the Milestones that you need to complete in order to earn your Ph.D.

Faculty Advisor

As you make the transition from being a student to becoming a scholar perhaps the single most important milestone is to find a faculty advisor.  To that end, you should get involved in research as early as possible in your career.  Yes - you need to pass your Quals (next section) and you need to complete your required coursework otherwise you cannot obtain your MS and proceed in the program.  However, by the start of the Winter of your second year you will be done with these requirements and it is expected that you have a faculty advisor and that you are participating in research.  This is the most important relationship that you will cultivate in your young academic career.  More details concerning program requirements can be found here, https://www.physics.ucsc.edu/academic-programs/grads/requirements.html 

Written Qualification Examinations

Prior to the start of the Fall you will take five three-hour examinations. We will be administering these examinations September 13th - 20th , 2021.

These written qualifying examinations are required for completing the MS (four out of five) and you must eventually complete all five in order to move on to the PhD program. More information concerning this can be found in the Physics Graduate Student Handbook,  https://www.physics.ucsc.edu/academic-programs/grads/handbook/qualifying-exams.html) 

1.     Classical Mechanics

2.     Electricity and Magnetism

3.     Math Methods

4.     Quantum Mechanics

5.     Statistical Mechanics

All students in the Ph.D. program must pass a qualifying examination consisting of five written tests in the areas of Mathematical Methods for Physics, Classical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, and Electricity and Magnetism. Students have a first opportunity to take these five tests at the Fall Quarter of their first year. Once a student passes an examination in any one of the five areas they do not need to take an exam in that area again. If necessary, each student has a second opportunity to pass the written tests at the beginning of the second year. Students with at most one or two failed tests have a third opportunity to pass their remaining tests at the beginning of the Winter Quarter of their second year. Students who fail any of the remaining tests at this third and last attempt, and students who have not passed three or more of the five written tests after two attempts can either transfer to the terminal MS program (the MS degree is automatically awarded to students who passed at least ⅘ sections, and it requires an additional written research thesis for those who only passed ⅗ sections), or appeal to the Graduate Committee to continue on the PhD route. In this latter case, the Graduate Committee considers whether there is evidence of likely success in the PhD program.   The Graduate Committee evaluates and reviews the student’s progress towards candidacy, including performance in courses and progress in research, and recommends possible remedial coursework or an oral examination, or recommends that the student transfer to the terminal MS route. (Updated June 2021)

Required Coursework

In you first year you are required to register for:

Fall 

• • PHYS 210: Classical Mechanics

  • PHYS 212: Electromagnetism 1

  • PHYS 202: Introduction to Teaching 

Winter

• • PHYS 214: Electromagnetism 2

  • PHYS 215: Intro. Non-Rel. Quantum Mech

  • PHYS 205: Introduction to Research in Physics

Spring 

• • PHYS 216: Advanced Topics in Non-Rel Quantum Mech

  • PHYS 219: Statistical Physics

In addition, you are required to register for PHYS 292 Colloquium and, if appropriate, a PHYS 291x that you are attending.

All of our graduate courses are taken “Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory”.  Students can request a letter-grade, but that is not required in order to meet you M.S. requirements.  

In addition to these required courses you must complete two additional 5-unit electives.  These electives needn’t be taken in the Physics Department, many of our students take courses in Chemistry, Astronomy & Astrophysics, and Engineering.  However, you should consult your faculty advisor about which two electives to take, as they should aid in your preparation to conduct research.  Courses outside of Physics do require the approval of the Graduate Chair in order to count towards the MS.

Apply for the MS Degree

During the quarter in which you believe that you will complete your MS requirements, you should submit an application for the degree.   https://graddiv.ucsc.edu/current-students/pdfs/app_mas.pdf

Please make sure that the address listed in my.ucsc.edu is up to date, as this is where your physical diploma will be sent.  If you don't receive your diploma then you can get it resent... for a fee. https://registrar.ucsc.edu/forms/students/diploma-reorder.pdf 

International students- please note that there are only two times in your graduate career when you can apply for OPT.  This might impact your decision to apply for a MS degree, please discuss with your ISSS Advisor, Graduate Advisor, and/or Faculty Advisor. 

Oral Qualifying Examination

Oral Qualifying Examination: an oral exam where students present their research progress and outline a path to successful completion of their dissertation work.

• Committee Composition- the qualifying examination committee shall consist of at least four examiners, one of whom is not a member of the student’s department. The department shall submit (Committee Nomination of Ph.D. Qualifying Examination memo, which can be found on the Graduate Division website) to the Graduate Division at least one month prior to the proposed examination a list of four qualified person who are willing to serve on the examination committee, and who meet the following conditions:

  • Committee chair (typically the faculty advisor) who must be tenured

  • The outside member must be either a tenured faculty member from a different discipline on the University of California, Santa Cruz, campus, a tenured faculty member of the same or a different discipline from another academic institution involved in research and graduate education, or a qualified person outside of academia with significant research experience.

  • Two additional members, typically but not necessarily faculty members from the Physics Department

  • PLEASE SUBMIT THIS FORM ONE MONTH PRIOR TO YOUR DEFENSE

    • https://graddiv.ucsc.edu/current-students/pdfs/qe_nom.pdf

  • PLEASE BRING THESE TWO FORMS WITH YOU TO YOUR DEFENSE

    • https://graddiv.ucsc.edu/current-students/pdfs/QE.pdf

    • https://graddiv.ucsc.edu/current-students/pdfs/drc_nom.pdf

  • You will be charged $90 at the start of the next quarter after you ATC. 

Dissertation Defense

Doctoral candidates work closely with their faculty advisor while completing the research and writing necessary to complete their PhD dissertation.  Whereupon the faculty advisor and the dissertation reading committee agree that the doctoral candidate has completed work worthy of awarding a Ph.D. in Physics, students should complete the requirements listed below (https://graddiv.ucsc.edu/current-students/applications-forms/index.html#seven the Graduate Division has provided an excellent Dissertation and Thesis Checklist which provides essential information)