The requirements of the Ph.D. degree are: completion of the core course work, satisfactory performance on the Preliminary and Qualifying Examinations, completion of the Dissertation, and satisfactory performance on the final Oral Dissertation Defense. Students can usually complete the course requirements of the Ph.D. degree within two or three years of obtaining a baccalaureate degree in physics. Obtaining a Master's degree is not a prerequisite for the Ph.D.
The Preliminary Examination is satisfied at the M.S. level by earning 10 points on the departmental Cumulative Examinations given six times a year. Exam questions cover the topics of classical mechanics (Newtonian and Lagrangian), electrodynamics, and modern physics at the level found in a thorough undergraduate curriculum.
The Qualifying Examination for Ph.D. candidates includes both written and oral components. The written part of the exam tests the student's ability to solve graduate-level problems in the fields of electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, and statistical physics, and is satisfied by satisfactorily answering the advanced level questions on the Cumulative Examinations. The oral component of the Qualifying Exam is largely on phenomenological physics and is administered by the student's Advisory Committee.
All graduate students are required to teach in the introductory physics curriculum at some time. This activity plays an important role in the education of a graduate student, and is valuable training for both academic and research careers.