INTRODUCTION

Graduate students are expected to know and comply with the regulations of the Graduate School. These are given in the General Catalog. This "Brief Guide" is not intended to supplant in any way the regulations or requirements that are spelled out in LSU's General Catalog. It is, instead, intended to provide a brief overview of topics covered in the Catalog with which students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy are usually most concerned. A copy of the Catalog may be obtained by making a $3.00 check or money order (no cash) payable to "Louisiana State University" and sending it to: Graduate School, 114 David Boyd Hall, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803.

The graduate program is designed to provide a general post-graduate education in Physics and/or Astronomy. At the Ph. D. level, the goal of the program is to develop a professional-level competence in creative research. At the Master's level, the program is intended to provide a general competence in Physics and/or Astronomy suitable either for teaching or for technical employment in a related field. The program consists of two phases. In the first phase, the emphasis is on coursework and the comprehensive General Examination. During this first phase, students are encouraged to participate in research, but are at the same time cautioned to observe the time limitations imposed by other requirements, including in particular examination preparation. The second phase contains a reduced schedule of advanced-level courses and an emphasis on concentrated research under the direction of a major professor, chosen by mutual consent.¹ Advancement from the first phase into the second is accomplished primarily by passing the General Examination, the principal examination of the graduate program. The end of the second phase is marked by the passing of the final oral examination in which the student defends his/her dissertation--the dissertation being the formal, written culmination of the student's research effort.

Most students receive support in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or fellowships. The purpose of these are to allow students to pursue full time studies in Physics and Astronomy without the distraction of seeking outside support, and to provide research and teaching experience. In the later stages of a student's career, a research assistantship or fellowship is intended to allow the student to devote full time to thesis research. Assistantships should not serve as impediments to the progress of a graduate student toward his/her degree. Likewise, graduate students should not think of assistantships as providing semi-permanent employment. Accordingly, graduate assistantships are subject to the following limitations:

1. graduate students pursuing the Master's Degree may retain an assistantship for a maximum of three years;
2. graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. may retain an assistantship for a maximum of six years;
3. graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. after having earned a Master's Degree in the department may retain an assistantship for 78 months, including support while in the Master's program.

Thus no graduate student may hold an assistantship for more than six and one-half years. This is sufficient time for most students. However, if a student is making good academic progress towards completion of his/her Ph.D. research and still needs some additional time, exceptions to the rule may be possible with the consent of the Graduate Advisor and Department Chair.

The procedures, regulations, and required standards of performance are described below under the headings of course-work, examinations, and research. Students interested in astronomy should also read the Appendix to this guide, which lists a few differences between the physics program and the astronomy program.

COURSEWORK

A student on an assistantship may take a maximum of 15 hours per semester. Each student is required to take at least ten hours of coursework each regular semester until the student has passed the General Examination. Students must enroll in the one hour Seminar Course (7857) every semester until they pass the General Examination. After passing the General Examination, the student is required to take at least three hours of coursework each regular semester (unless he/she is exempted from doing so for a particular semester by his/her major professor) until he/she has taken six Group I and II courses as described below. No student on an assistantship or fellowship from Physics and Astronomy may register for more than one course per semester (2 per year) outside the department without special approval from the major professor and Graduate Advisor (not including required English courses for foreign students or Mathematics courses used as preparation for the General Exam). At any point in the student's career, the cumulative number of courses outside the department will always be expected to be less than or equal to the number of courses the students have taken in Physics and Astronomy. In the process of class registration, the student's major professor must approve coursework schedules. All changes in registration must be approved by the student's major professor. Failure to obtain approvals in writing may result in loss of an assistantship or fellowship. Students are required to pre-register.

There is a set of basic Physics courses (Core courses) consisting of Classical Mechanics (7221), Electricity and Magnetism (7231, 7232), Mathematical Physics (7211), Quantum Mechanics (7241,7242), Statistical Mechanics (7225), and Survey of Contemporary Physics (4201, 4202). Students normally are urged strongly to take these courses for credit at their earliest reasonable opportunity and are expected, in any case, to master the content of the Core courses. These courses constitute a general introduction to graduate-level physics, help in preparation for the General Examination and provide an important background for research and for more advanced courses. Many students will also want to take Computational Physics (7411).

In addition, a set of advanced (Group I) courses is offered regularly. These are survey courses at the graduate level in major areas of physics: Advanced Quantum Mechanics, Astrophysics, Atomic Physics, Condensed Matter, High Energy, and Nuclear Physics. The Graduate Lab Course (7398) is required for all students entering the program in January 1993 or later, and should be taken within one semester of passing the General Exam unless a waiver is granted by the course instructor and Graduate Advisor.

Finally, specialized (Group II) courses at an advanced graduate level are offered. A non-exhaustive list includes:

1. Solid State and Low Temperature Physics
2. Atomic and Optical Physics
3. Nuclear Physics
4. Methods of Field Theory
5. General Relativity and Cosmology
6. Astronomy / Astrophysics
7. Fluid Dynamics
8. Cosmic Ray and High-Energy Physics

For the Ph.D. degree in physics, the department has a course requirement of eighteen hours (twelve for students who passed the General Examination before August 1991) to be drawn from the advanced Physics and Astronomy courses that carry numbers greater than 7300.² A summer research project may count as one of the advanced courses (3 credit hours at >7300) provided that a substantial project is carried out and a written report is submitted and approved by the research advisor and the chairman of the department. Registration in "Independent Research in Physics", PHYS 7996, will be required as a means of obtaining the credit. Students may also elect to obtain a minor requirement in another department (such as Mathematics or Electrical Engineering) in which case the requirement in our department drops to twelve hours from the >7300 courses (six hours for students who passed the General Examination before August 1991) and a minimum of six in the minor department. Additional requirements for an external minor are set by the corresponding department. Students should sign up for a minor prior to taking the General Exam.

For the M.S. degree in physics, 36 hours of coursework are required. These have to be at the 7000 or 4000 level, with at least 18 hours at the 7000 level. A Master's thesis may substitute for twelve of these hours.

Students who opt to take a Master's Degree in a second discipline must conform to the appropriate departmental guidelines for that dual degree program.

Aside from the Core courses, any additional coursework should be selected by the student with the aid and consent of his/her major professor. Such selections may be influenced by the need for orientation to one's major field, by the need to prepare for the General Examination, or simply by the need to further one's intellectual interests. Once a student has passed the General Exam, however, he/she should restrict course work and concentrate on research. Normally, he/she should take one of the >7300 courses every semester till the course requirement is satisfied.

Grades are assigned to describe student performance in courses. The grade of A indicates a good understanding of the material; a B represents acceptable work, but not adequate for recommending the student's entry into a research area for which the course provides an essential basis, until the student demonstrates a better understanding of the material. A grade of C or lower is unsatisfactory. Grades of D and F are uncommon in graduate courses and indicate extremely poor work.

Only graduate students with acceptable academic records may be appointed to graduate assistantships. No student admitted on probation may be appointed to a graduate assistantship until the student has achieved good standing. A student, originally in good standing, whose cumulative grade point average drops below a B (3.0) will be placed on probation.

A graduate assistant who is placed on academic probation during an appointment period may be permitted to retain the assistantship only if the student's department can justify the retention to the Dean of the Graduate School. A student on academic probation may not be appointed or reappointed to a graduate assistantship unless the student's cumulative grade-point average is at least 3.3. For example, a student who is placed on academic probation either for failure to earn a 3.0 semester average or for making a U in research but who has a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3 may be appointed or reappointed to a graduate assistantship for one semester.

EXAMINATIONS

Upon arrival, every student will be given a placement test to determine the background preparation in undergraduate physics. This will serve as the basis for planning what courses he/she should take in the first year and when to take the General Examination.

Although students are encouraged to become involved in research as early as possible, the single most important initial goal for the student should be to prepare for and pass the General Examination. This generally requires extensive independent study. Solving large numbers of problems from past examinations and from books of solved problems is highly recommended. (The Chicago book of Ph. D. exam problems, edited by Telegdi, and the Princeton book are excellent materials for this purpose. The more problems you solve, and the earlier you begin a regimen of extensive practice problem-solving, the better prepared you will be!)

The General Examination is comprehensive in scope (See Appendix). It includes but is not limited to the content of offered Core courses. The student is responsible for preparing for the General Examination not only with coursework, but also by individual study, by interaction with academic and research activities, and by attentive attendance at seminars. Students are invited to study prior General Examinations on reserve in the departmental reference room and to discuss preparation for the examination with faculty and other graduate students.

The examination is given once in the beginning of each semester (Fall and Spring). The examination committee will specify the general format and instructions pertaining to the next examination during the previous semester. Except for special students that may enter on a remedial basis, all students are required to take the General Examination by the beginning of their fourth semester. For students who enter on a remedial basis the deadline for passing the General will be set at the time of their entry. Failure to meet this deadline will result in termination of departmental financial support.

The examination is in two parts, written (80 points) and oral (20 points). The written examination will consist of four papers (20 points each), administered on successive days in a week early in the semester. The papers, equivalent courses, and textbooks to suggest the level of the examination are:

The oral examination will follow early in the next week. Each student will first present a 15 minute talk on a topic of current research interest in physics or astronomy. This will typically be based on recent publications, the topic and title of the talk to be decided at the time of signing up for the examination (in the previous semester) by the student in consultation with the exam committee. This talk is to judge the student's ability to read and digest papers from the literature, integrate the material into what has been learned in the Core courses, and present it in a coherent fashion. After the talk, the committee will ask questions to probe how well the basic ideas have been understood. The exam committee may also ask questions on some of the answers by the student on the written papers which will have been graded by then.

The written and oral parts will be considered together when determining a passing grade. The General Exam Committee sets the exam and is ultimately responsible for pass/fail/partial retake decisions following the guideline detailed in the Appendix. Briefly, an overall grade of 60 out of 100 is considered sufficient for passing at the Ph.D. Level. At the Committee's discretion, a student may pass at the Ph.D. level with a grade of 50-60, but this will be considered on an individual case-by-case basis.

The student may pass the exam at either the Master's or the Ph.D. level, as outlined in the Appendix, and subject to the judgement of the General Exam Committee with input from the faculty. If the student fails at the Master's level the whole exam must be taken the next time it is offered. If the student passes at the Master's level but fails at the Ph.D. level, a second attempt is possible the next time it is offered. This second attempt may be partial if the student qualifies as stipulated in the Appendix. If a student fails a second time, he/she may not take it a third time (unless two-thirds of the faculty consent) and he/she will not receive departmental support beyond the end of the semester in which he/she fails the second time. (NOTE: Upon failure the first time, each student should anticipate the financial consequences of a second failure). Passing the General Examination at the Ph.D. level is a requirement for the Ph.D. degree. When a student is taking the General Examination, he/she may use the examination simultaneously as the final examination for a course work Masters. For a Master's degree with a thesis option, the General Examination is not required.

Once a student has satisfactorily passed the General Examination, he/she is eligible for candidacy for the Ph.D. Degree. When a student becomes eligible, he/she should request the department to apply to the Graduate School for his/her candidacy. The department will then conduct the "final part" of the General Examination by examining the student's record to determine whether the student's performance in the first phase of the program has been satisfactory and whether all requirements of the Graduate School have been satisfied. If the outcome is favorable, the student is considered then to have passed the General Examination, and the department will apply to the Graduate School for the student's candidacy. Upon approval of the application by the Graduate School, the student officially becomes a Ph.D. candidate. The student must become eligible for candidacy by the beginning of his/her fourth year, at the latest; otherwise, his/her progress is considered too slow, and the department will immediately withdraw any financial support it may be supplying.

The Final Oral Examination is confined for the most part to areas pertaining closely to the student's dissertation. However, some questions of a general character may be asked and, as a tradition, any question whatsoever is allowed.

RESEARCH

Immediately after passing the General Examination, a student should begin by the end of that semester a concentrated research effort under the supervision of a selected major professor who has agreed to serve as the student's research director and faculty advisor. The student is responsible for producing a meaningful, original contribution to the field of his/her research.

Within one year after passing the General Examination, the student should meet with his/her Thesis Committee to review progress in courses and in research. After that, during the time a student is involved with his dissertation research, he/she and his/her major professor will prepare a progress report on the student's work at the end of each academic year. This report will be reviewed by each member of the student's committee and will be placed in the student's departmental file. In lieu of a written progress report, the student may make an oral presentation to the committee. For senior students especially, an oral presentation is recommended. If it is decided by a student's committee that he/she is not making satisfactory progress in his/her research, the committee will present the student with a formal written notice to this effect, and financial aid may be terminated. The committee will make recommendations to the student and to the department head concerning the resolution of the problem. (A possible recommendation is that the student should be dropped from the Ph.D. program).

It is a departmental degree requirement that a major part of the results of the dissertation research must have been accepted for publication in an appropriate refereed professional journal. The student must also produce a Ph.D. dissertation which clearly describes his/her research work in a manner which complies with the instructions of the Graduate School and with high scholastic and professional standards (See the A.P.S. Style Manual and the Graduate School's instructions for dissertation preparation). The dissertation must be submitted to the student's committee at least two weeks prior to the final dissertation oral examination (which the department will arrange upon request). The committee may accept or reject the dissertation, or may require modifications of it. Except for minor ones, modifications may result in postponement or repetition of the final oral. In any case, it is a degree requirement that the dissertation in an essentially finalized form be defended by the student in an oral examination, and be approved by the student's committee (with no more than one dissension). Committee dissatisfaction with one's dissertation usually may be avoided by sufficient consultation with the committee members during the preparation of the dissertation.

Once the dissertation has been approved by the student's committee, it may be submitted to the Graduate School in partial fulfillment of degree requirements. Students who wish to be graduated at the end of a given term must take the responsibility for meeting the corresponding deadlines specified in the academic calendar.

INTRODUCTION

Students wishing to pursue their graduate studies in the areas of Astronomy and Astrophysics may do so within the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Upon successful completion of their program of study, the student will receive a Ph.D. in Physics. Such students are required to satisfy most of the regulations given in A Brief Guide to Graduate Studies in Physics and Astronomy. The exceptions and additional requirements are discussed in the following sections.

COURSEWORK

Students seeking admission into the department without deficiencies must have at least thirty hours of fundamental undergraduate courses in physics including General Physics, Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, Optics, and more advanced topics such as Quantum Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, Atomic Physics, and Nuclear Physics. Courses in mathematics through differential equations are also required. Students with deficiencies in physics or mathematics will be required to make up these deficiencies.

No formal background in undergraduate astronomy is required. However, a new student should have a working knowledge of the basic facts of astronomy such as is obtainable from one of many elementary textbooks.

Students pursuing studies in the areas of astronomy and astrophysics are strongly encouraged to master material that is covered in the basic graduate-level physics courses; such courses are called Core courses in physics because they provide an important background for advanced courses and for research. The following list identifies these Core courses as covering five fundamental areas of physics grouped into four different course sequences:

1. Electricity and Magnetism
2. Mathematical Physics
3. Quantum Mechanics
4. Classical Mechanics and Statistical Mechanics

In addition, students are expected to master material covered in the basic graduate-level astronomy and astrophysics courses. Henceforth, the following courses will be referred to as the "core courses in astronomy and astrophysics:"

1. Stellar Astrophysics I, II
2. Galactic Astrophysics I, II

In order to satisfy the department's course requirement, students must take at least six of the advanced courses in physics or astronomy with numbers larger than 7300. The advanced and specialized courses in physics and in astronomy and astrophysics serve to broaden a student's preparation for research.

EXAMINATIONS

Guidelines for preparing for the General Examination, and rules governing successful passage of the examination at both the Ph.D. and the M.S. degree levels are given below.

The examination for students interested in astronomy and astrophysics is similar to the exam for physics students. The first three written segments are as in physics (Classical and Statistical Mechanics, Electromagnetism, Quantum Mechanics). The fourth written paper, however, will be in Astronomy, covering material equivalent to the "core courses in astronomy and astrophysics" as listed above.

The exam will consist of four written papers: (1) Quantun Mechanics, (2) Electromagnetism and Optics (including Relativity), (3) Classical & Statistical Mechanics & Thermodynamics, (4) Special Topics I (Condensed Matter and Atomic) or II (Nuclear and Particle) or III (Astronomy). All are weighted equally.

There is also an oral exam for which students will be provided with a list of research papers/review articles. Graduate Students are expected to select one article for the oral exam or may present a report on their summer research project in lieu of selecting an article from the list (*). The oral exam score will be weighted the same as each written exam score.

Concerning the evaluation of the exams, the General Exam Committee and the faculty will proceed according to the following guidelines:

1. Two attempts will be allowed and the first attempt, at least, must encompass the complete general exam.
2. An overall score (written + oral) of 60 or above, plus passing at least two of the problems in each written section will guarantee passing the exam at the Ph.D. level.

3. An overall score (written + oral) of 50 or above, plus passing at least one of the problems in each written section will guarantee passing the exam at the MS level.

4. A student who passes the exam at the MS level and who obtains a score of 60 or above, and passes at least two of the problems, in any of the 4 written papers will not have to repeat these sections on the next attempt, but may nevertheless choose to retake the whole exam.

In exceptional circumstances, a student may petition the faculty for a third attempt (approval requires the consent of two-thirds of the faculty).

NOTE: (*) As approved in the Faculty Meeting of 11-04-97, this option is possible only if the student (1) submits a proposal outlining the research plans (with approval from a faculty advisor) before the summer, and (2) submits a full report of the research (again approved by the faculty advisor) at the end of this summer.