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THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN IS ON A TERM SCHEDULE:
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN IS ON A TERM SCHEDULE:
FALL
FALL
This term typically runs from September through December.
WINTER
WINTER
This term typically runs from January through April.
SPRING/SUMMER
SPRING/SUMMER
This term typically runs from May through August. There are two half-terms within it: Spring (May and June) and Summer (July and August).
Registering for a Term
Registering for a Term
Registration for the Fall term opens in April for continuing graduate students; registration for the Winter term opens in November. Registration appointments are issued based on credit hours by the Office of the Registrar. Your registration time is noted on your Student Business page on Wolverine Access. Graduate students must be fully enrolled before the first day of a term. If you are not fully enrolled, you can accrue late registration fees; these fees will not be paid for by the department.
Precandidate full-time enrollment:
A minimum of 9 credit hours if you are employed as a GSI or GSRA
A minimum of 9 credit hours if you are only on fellowship
Candidate full-time enrollment:
A minimum of 8 credit hours in PHYSICS 995
You can take one additional course in Fall/Winter terms; please see "Additional Coursework and Registration Information" below
Continuous Enrollment Policy
Continuous Enrollment Policy
PhD students at the University of Michigan are held to the Continuous Enrollment Policy. This policy requires students to enroll in every Fall and Winter term from matriculation to defense; Spring/Summer enrollment is not required or supported by Physics unless elected as a student's term of defense. There are few exceptions to this policy, mainly leaves of absence or being approved for extramural study status. More information can be found here.
Where do I find available courses?
Where do I find available courses?
LSA students use the Course Guide to search the classes available in each term. As a graduate student, select the "Browse GRAD Subjects" button at the top of the page; the Course Guide defaults to undergraduate courses that will not qualify for credit for PhD students. The Fall classes are posted in March; the Winter classes are posted in October.
The Physics Curriculum Requirements
The Physics Curriculum Requirements
Our curriculum is designed so that you obtain the following upon completing the program:
Knowledge of the various research and career opportunities available to you at U-M
Tools necessary to perform your dissertation work and meet the expectations of your research advisor
Experience and skill set necessary to succeed in your future career
If you feel that the curriculum design does not best serve your needs, we encourage you to reach out to SSO. Some examples of why someone might be given a different set of curriculum expectations are:
A student did not have the opportunity at their undergraduate institution to prepare for certain graduate level coursework. In this case, a student will have the opportunity to take advanced undergraduate level physics courses to make sure they are adequately prepared.
A student has a prior Masters degree in Physics or has already taken equivalent graduate-level courses at their undergraduate institution. In this case, the student should submit the Plan of Study form (see the Associate Chair for this paperwork) with the syllabus of the equivalent course(s) attached and the course credit requirements will be considered for reduction.
If you fall into a category such as these, we will work with you to make sure your needs are met while still meeting the expectations of your potential research advisor and the requirements set by the Rackham Graduate School.
Additional Coursework and Registration Information
Additional Coursework and Registration Information
Independent Study Options: PHYSICS 515 vs 715
PHYSICS 515: Supervised Research is available to students in a range of 4-6 credits a term and is repeatable for credit. PHYSICS 715: Special Problems is available to students in a range of 1-6 credits a term and is repeatable for up to 12 credits. If conducting research and producing results will be the focus of the independent study, it is recommended that students enroll in PHYSICS 515. Students who are working on understanding/reviewing academic concepts and who will not necessarily be required to produce research results should enroll in PHYSICS 715. Independent study credit is weighted differently than regular course credit. Each independent study credit represents 3 hours of work per week. For example, if a student is enrolled in a 3-credit independent study, they should be devoting 9 hours a week towards it. All independent studies at the University of Michigan require that a proposal be submitted to the department for review and approval. The proposal should include your name, UMID, the term, the faculty supervisor of the independent study, and one to two paragraphs about what you will be doing, the goals of the work, and how you will be assessed (i.e. the work you will be required to produce). The faculty supervisor should sign your proposal or send an email to physics.sso@umich.edu to endorse it. Please submit the independent study proposal to the Graduate Program Coordinator. The Associate Chair will review the proposal and, if approved, the student will be issued an override to enroll.
Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarship
LSA students are required to undertake Responsible Conduct of Research and Scholarship (RCRS) training before achieving candidacy. Physics students meet this requirement by enrolling in PHYSICS 500, a 1-credit mini-course taught in the Fall term by a department faculty member. First-year students are strongly encouraged to elect PHYSICS 500 their first term in the program to complete this requirement early; it can be taken as late as the Fall term of a student's second year when necessary.
English Language Coursework for International Students
International students who would like to improve or refine their English language skills are permitted to take courses through the English Language Institute at the University of Michigan. Courses can be found in the LSA Course Guide under the subject code 'ELI'. Most of the courses are low credit and do not award a letter grade but rather 'S' for Satisfactory or 'U' for Unsatisfactory. The courses can be used to reach full-time enrollment when a precandidate, but they cannot be used for the credits needed to reach candidacy.
Coursework After Candidacy
Once achieving candidacy, students are required to enroll in PHYSICS 995 each Fall and Winter until defense. Candidates can take one additional course each term for no more than 4-credits without incurring additional tuition charges. If you elect to take a course more than 4-credits or multiple courses, please note that the additional tuition will not be paid for by your advisor/the department. If you do not enroll in a course in Fall term, you can enroll in two courses (no more than 8-credits) in Winter term. Any banked courses, however, will not transfer to future academic years.
Incompletes
If a student is unable to complete the coursework for a class in a term, they can petition the instructor for an Incomplete. This allows the student to still complete the coursework at a later date and receive a letter grade and academic credit for it. Students should know, however, that an 'I' will always appear on your transcript, indicating that an Incomplete was awarded at one point for that course. Incompletes earned as a pre-candidate should be resolved before the student advances to candidacy; incompletes earned as a candidate should be resolved before the student's defense term. When receiving an Incomplete for a course, it is very important to work out what will be required to resolve it and when the work will be due to the instructor.
Auditing a Course (or enrolling as a 'Visitor')
With permission of the Associate Chair and the course instructor, a student may enroll in a graduate course as a visitor (auditor) rather than for credit. The student should confer with the instructor to reach an agreement on what will constitute satisfactory completion of the course. The student is expected to attend class regularly and may be asked to submit assignments and take examinations. Full fees will be assessed at the current rate of tuition. After registering for the course online, the student must register for this status in person at the Registrar’s Office and present a Drop/Add form with the signatures of both the instructor and the student’s department graduate chair. Students should check their class schedule for accuracy and completeness.
A notation of “VI” appears on the transcript when the course is completed successfully. A visit (audit) is not counted toward degree credit requirements and is not calculated as part of the GPA if completed successfully. A student who fails to complete the course successfully, however, will receive a grade of “E” (failure) which is calculated as part of the GPA. After a grade has been issued, a course will not be changed from letter grade to visit (audit) status, or vice versa.
Can I drop or add a class after the deadline?
Yes! Through the third week of classes in a full term, a student may add or drop a course without a "W" appearing on their transcript. Until the last day of classes in a term, a student may change status from credit to visit (audit), or increase or decrease the credit hours within the range listed on the time schedule. After the third week in a full term, and until the last day of classes, students may request a late course drop or a late add via Wolverine Access.
PHYSICS 990
PHYSICS 990
PHYSICS 990 is a supervised research course for precandidates with a member of the UM faculty, typically a student's advisor. When enrolling in this independent study, it is assumed that you are conducting research complementary to your intended dissertation project. Students do not receive a grade for the work completed; they receive either an 'S' for Satisfactory or 'U' for Unsatisfactory. PHYSICS 990 can be used to reach full-time enrollment, but it cannot be used for the credits needed to reach candidacy. Contact the Graduate Program Coordinator if you would like to enroll in PHYSICS 990 for the term; it requires department approval and a permission to register. Please provide the name of your 990 faculty supervisor when emailing the Graduate Program Coordinator; the supervisor will need to confirm their support of your enrollment in 990 and clarify the expectations of what you will be working on during the term.
PHYSICS 995
PHYSICS 995
PHYSICS 995 is a supervised research course for candidates with a student's faculty advisor/Dissertation Committee Chair. Once reaching candidacy, students are required to enroll in PHYSICS 995 each Fall/Winter until they defend. When enrolling in this independent study, it is assumed that you are conducting research complementary to your dissertation. Students do not receive a grade for the work completed; they receive either an 'S' for Satisfactory or 'U' for Unsatisfactory. PHYSICS 995 is used to reach full-time enrollment when a candidate; you do not need to enroll in any other coursework. Contact the Graduate Program Coordinator if you would like to enroll in PHYSICS 995 for the term; it requires department approval and a permission to register. Please confirm your 995 faculty supervisor when emailing the Graduate Program Coordinator. Sometimes the department is unaware that you've changed advisors and it is a good way for us to confirm our records.
OPT and CPT Registration
As an International Student on an F-1 VISA, you may be required to register for CPT (Curricular Practical Training) or OPT (Optional Practical Training) if you are pursuing an internship or need to extend your I-20 due to more time needed to complete your PhD. This registration is typically 1 credit hour of PHYSICS 998. To register, please email SSO.
CPT is for students who wish to accept employment off campus. CPT is defined as employment which is an integral part of an established curriculum, including: "alternate work/study, internship, cooperative education or any other type of required internship or practicum which is offered by sponsoring employees through cooperative agreements of the school." CPT is available only prior to the completion of your degree program and you must have a job offer at the time of application. CPT employment may not delay completion of the academic program.
OPT is defined in the Federal Regulations as temporary employment directly related to a student's field of study. During OPT, a student remains in F-1 status. The end result of the OPT request process is an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). OPT may be needed to extend your I-20 at the end of your academic career.
When applying for OPT or CPT, please consult the International Center first. Physics Student Services will assist you with any forms that need to be filled out, as well as letters of documentation. Letters of documentation can include a financial statement and employment verification.
Good Academic Standing
Good Academic Standing
PhD students are required to remain in "Good Academic Standing" to continue receiving their guaranteed funding, to apply for Rackham awards or fellowships, or to be considered for GSI positions or other employment. What does this mean? Being in good academic standing requires the student to maintain a 3.0 GPA in their required coursework. It also requires them to make adequate progress towards their degree, meaning that they are participating in research, completing milestones in a timely manner, and conducting themselves in a professional manner. If you are at risk of falling out of good academic standing, you will be notified in writing by either Rackham or the department. Steps to remediate this risk will be identified. Please speak with the Graduate Program Coordinator or the Student Services Manager if you receive such a notice and have questions on what needs to be done.
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