The graduate curriculum in Physics is designed to provide students with the mastery of advanced subject matter required to function as independent researchers and to serve as resources of technical expertise in various professional settings. Central to achieving this objective is the core curriculum, which normally occupies a significant portion of the first two years of graduate work. The core curriculum consists of the following courses: A one semester course in theoretical classical mechanics; a two semester course in electromagnetic theory; a three semester course in quantum mechanics, including one semester devoted to many-body theory; one semester of statistical mechanics. A course called ``Modern Physics'' is also provided to help introduce graduate students to the major developments in experimental and theoretical physics from the conceptual revolution at the dawn of the twentieth century to the issues confronting researchers at the present time. Many students also take a two semester course in the mathematical methods of theoretical physics during their first year of graduate work.
Upon admission to the Physics Department, each student is provided with a Major Advisor, who is normally chosen to reflect the student's research interests. With the advice of the Major Advisor, the student then assembles an Advisory Committee of at least three faculty members; the Major Advisor serves as the chair of the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee assists the student in formulating a Plan of Study, which takes full account of his or her prior academic preparation. At a later stage of the student's graduate career, the Advisory Committee guides his or her thesis research, as is discussed in the section titled Degree Programs and Requirements.
In addition to the core curriculum, the Physics Department offers a number of one-semester courses that introduce students to broad subject areas on a level that does not require prior completion of a graduate-level quantum mechanics course. These courses cover material in solid state physics, in nuclear and particle physics, in laser physics, in relativity, and in astrophysics. A variable credit course in the methods of experimental physics is also available and recommended for many students.
Various courses in research specialties represented in the Physics Department, on a level that requires prior completion of a graduate-level quantum mechanics course, are also offered, although not every one of these courses is necessarily available every year. These courses include Solid State Physics, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Quantum Theory of Fields, Quantum Optics, and Nuclear Physics. A complete list of courses, and detailed descriptions, are given in the Graduate Catalog. Information about which of these courses is to be offered in any one semester is available in the Physics Department office, generally a few months before the course is due to be given.