Graduate Programs - Engineering Physics PhD Program

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PhD Program Requirements

Advisory Committee | Residency | Grades | Course Work | Qualifying Exam | Preliminary Exam | Dissertation and Oral Exam

In our PhD programs at MTU, we stress student research involvement, presentation of results at national meetings, and publication in refereed journals (for which the participating departments typically pay some or all travel and publication expenses, subject to availability of funds); internships with industry, and hard work. Our program is tough and assumes a level of dedication to physics at the highest level; our faculty take professional pride in working with future scientists who will shape the destiny of our country.

The information below is intended to serve only as a guide. More details are available from in the Graduate School Bulletin and from the Engineering Physics Graduate Studies Committee.

Advisory Committee

Students will initially be assigned the Chair of Engineering Physics Graduate Studies Committee (composed of graduate faculty from participating departments) as their advisor who will prepare with each student an initial course of study during orientation before the start of the first semester. The D3 form will be completed and filed with the Graduate School.

By the end of the second term in residency, each student selects a research advisor (with consent) who will serve to guide and direct the student's subsequent course of study and research, and to chair the student's Advisory Committee.

After choosing a research advisor the D2 form should be filed with the Graduate School. By the end of the second semester in the program a four or more member advisory committee should be formed whose purpose is to assist in the guiding and monitoring of the research work of the student. In addition to the research advisor, the Advisory committee must consist of three other members, including at least one member of the graduate faculty from the Physics Department, and at least one member of the graduate faculty from a cognate Engineering department. The Advisory Committee will ultimately serve as the student's examining committees (preliminary examination and thesis defense). Committee members are chosen by the research advisor and the student, with approval of the Department Chair. A D4A form naming the Advisory committee should be filed with the Chair of the Engineering Physics Graduate Studies Committee and with the Graduate School. Note that the D4A form is required for students in the Engineering Physics PhD program sooner than may be required by other programs.

Residency

University policy requires that doctoral students spend at least 4 semesters (including Summer) on campus at MTU beyond attainment of a Bachelor's degree or 2 semesters on campus at MTU beyond attainment of a Master's degree in a formal program of study and research under direct supervision. In special preapproved instances, this residency requirement may be waived.

Grades

All grades must be B or higher in the major subject area. Every graduate students is required to maintain, at the end of each term, a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0. Failure to do so will result in the student being placed on academic probation and may result in the loss of funding.

Course Work

Certain courses in engineering physics are considered foundational for all students seeking graduate degrees in Physics, irrespective of intended research specialty. Course work is not limited to preparation for specific research work, but has been selected to provide a general physics education to act as a foundation for future study and a career in physics or engineering. At least two-thirds of the course work must be completed at MTU.

A grade of B or better is required in the following core courses:

Exemptions from taking any of the required core courses on the basis of prior graduate work are to be determined by the Chair of the Engineering Physics Graduate Studies Committee.

In addition, a grade of B or better is required in at least three courses at the 4000-level or higher, and including at least one course at the 5000-level or higher, as approved by the student's advisory committee, in the student's chosen area of specialization. Additional courses may also be required by the student's advisory committee (D3 and D5 forms). Typical courses could include the following disciplinary courses (course descriptions):

A minimum of 30 course and/or research credits beyond the MS degree (or its equivalent), or a minimum of 60 course and/or research credit hours beyond the Bachelor's degree is required for the PhD degree.

After all required courses are completed, and no later than the term prior to the final oral examination, the D5 form should be completed, reviewed by the Chair of the Engineering Physics Graduate Studies Committee, and filed with necessary signatures with the Graduate School.

Once students select a research advisor they may enroll in Doctoral Research (EE6990, MY6990, PH6999).

Qualifying (Comprehensive) Exam

Students accepted into the Engineering Physics PhD program must pass the Qualifying Examination, which is composed of physics components and an engineering component.

The physics part of the Qualifying Examination will cover three out of four of the following topics, to be chosen in advance by the student: classical mechanics (including special relativity), electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, and general physics. Each of these areas will be covered in a separate two-hour written examination given by the Physics department. Classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and quantum mechanics problems can be solved using techniques taught at the advanced undergraduate level. The general physics exam will consist of short questions covering all areas of physics normally taught at the undergraduate level, including mechanics, relativity, electromagnetism (including AD and DC circuits), quantum and atomic physics, thermal and statistical physics, optics, and laboratory techniques including data analysis.

The engineering member(s) of the Advisory Committee shall formulate the engineering component of the Qualifying Examination that is two to three hours in length and appropriate to the student's chosen area of engineering physics interest-focusing on fundamentals and not on the student's current research. The format of the engineering component of the qualifying examination shall be determined by the student's advisory committee. The engineering component of the examination should be taken by the end of the fall semester of the student's second year. Students may have two attempts to pass this exam before the end of their second year in the program.

Form D4 should be filed with the Graduate School through the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee after passing the qualifying exam.

Preliminary Examination

The Preliminary Exam is taken after the Qualifying Exam has been passed. It is administered by the student's advisory committee for the purpose of reviewing the student's proposed plan for research. Once a student has identified a research problem in consultation with his or her research advisor, has become familiar with the related literature and has devised a plan for research, the Preliminary Exam should be scheduled. A paper describing the proposed research, not exceeding fifteen pages in total length should be distributed to the advisory committee one week prior to the scheduled exam. The student should prepare a 30-minute talk outlining both the problem and the proposed research methods. The remainder of the exam will be devoted to questions and answers. No special form is needed for scheduling the Preliminary Exam, although the Chair of the Engineering Physics Graduate Studies Committee should be informed of the examination and of the Committee members. Please see the department coordinator to schedule a room. Form D6 should be filed with the Graduate School through the Chair of the Engineering Physics Graduate Studies Committee upon successful completion of the Preliminary Examination.

Doctoral Dissertation and Final Oral Examination

The final examination may be scheduled any time after a period of two academic terms following the successful completion of the Qualifying Examination, passing the Preliminary Examination, and upon completion of the dissertation in satisfactory form. Two weeks prior to the final examination a completed draft of the dissertation prepared in accordance with the manual "Instructions Concerning the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations" must be distributed to the examining committee. The examining committee consists of the student's Advisory Committee and an additional member chosen from a cognate department or program. Form D7 is used to schedule the final oral examination, and it is the responsibility of the student to obtain all necessary signatures and file it in the Graduate School Office. The student should see the department coordinator to schedule a room for the defense and to request necessary audio-visual equipment.

The student should bring a D8 form to the defense. Corrections and suggestions of the examining committee should be incorporated into the final dissertation. Also, an expanded abstract, not exceeding 350 words, is to be prepared. Once the dissertation and abstract assume their final forms, the student should pay the graduation fees at the cashier's window in the Administration Building. With evidence of this payment, at least two unbound copies of the dissertation and three copies of the expanded abstract must be submitted to the University Library.