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If you are a graduate student who has been admitted to our Ph.D. program, you have already demonstrated the potential to develop into a scientist of high caliber. The Department will provide many research opportunities, and will do its best to maintain an environment in which you can realize your potential. Please keep in mind, however, that the factors most important for success in this endeavor are your own initiative, intelligence, creativity, and capacity for hard work. The resources provided here are intended to aid you in this journey.


The Red Book (pdf) is your complete guide for navigating graduate studies in the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy. If you have questions, chances are you will find your answers in this handbook.


  Graduate School Journey

The typical steps for a graduate student seeking a Ph.D. in Physics or Astronomy are:

  • Learn about the fundamentals of physics and astronomy in formal courses, and about current research activities in seminars and colloquia and through personal contact with faculty.
  • Learn to teach physics and/or astronomy by serving as a teaching assistant
  • Join a research group, begin conducting research.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in the fundamentals of physics in the qualifying examination.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in a specialty area, and a capability for performing research, by passing the General examination.
  • Conduct extensive research, write and publish articles describing the work, and identify as soon as possible a specific thesis subject that would require independent and original work that could be included in a dissertation.
  • Write and defend a dissertation, a substantial and original contribution to knowledge in physics or astronomy.

It usually takes 5-7 years to travel this trajectory. Along the way, one gradually masters a research specialty, and develops into a professional scientist: an independent and critical thinker, capable both of conceiving and conducting innovative research programs that advance the frontiers of physics or astronomy, and of disseminating the resulting knowledge widely and effectively.


  Checklists

The following checklists will guide you through the steps necessary to receive a master’s degree, to take the graduate college general exam, and to earn a Ph.D. These checklists must be maintained and filled out as you progress through each of these phases of your graduate school career, and the completed checklist must be returned to the chair of the Graduate Studies Committee according to the timeline outlined in each checklist.


  Important Forms

This section is intended as a first stop resource that will guide you to the appropriate forms you need to fill out in order to complete the degree path of your choice. Regretfully, we are unable to provide you with any direct links to the forms themselves on account of how the Graduate College handles the posting and availability of the forms required. You may use the link to the Graduate College Forms page below, with the list of forms here to guide you.

The Physics Master's Degree with an emphasis on Astronomy does not have an approved Non-Thesis option so the forms necessary for that program will be found under the Thesis Master's section.

Non-Thesis Master's Forms

  • Addition/Change of Program Form: This form must be completed online before any of the supporting documentation for the degree is submitted.
  • Program of Graduate Work/Admission to Candidacy Form: This form must be completed by the student and approved, i.e. signed, by the student's committee members.
  • Advisory Conference Report (ACR) Form: Must  be completed by the student and approved by their committee.
  • Prior to taking the General (Specialist) Exam, you must also have the graduate liaison submit the Request to Take the General Exam Form.
  • After taking your General Exam/Specialist Exam you must submit the Authority Report Form for the General Examination within the first 72 hours.

Thesis Master's Forms

  • Addition/Change of Program Form: This form must be completed online before any of the supporting documentation for the degree is submitted.
  • Program of Graduate Work/Admission to Candidacy Form: This form must be completed by the student and approved, i.e. signed, by the student's committee members.
  • Master's Thesis Topic and Committee Membership Form must also be completed by the student and approved by their committee.
  • Prior to beginning work on your thesis, the Graduate Liaison must contact the Graduate College to request permission for your first enrollment in Research for Master’s Thesis (5980).
  • A Request for Authority for Thesis Defense Form must be submitted to the Graduate College, no later than 5 days prior to your planned defense date.
  • No later than 72 hours after your thesis defense you must submit the signed Authority Report Form to the Graduate College.

Doctoral Thesis Forms and Process

  • At least 1 month (4 weeks) before your defense, you must submit the online Request for Degree Check Form to the Graduate College.
  • The department reccommends that you give your Dissertation to your Committee 4 weeks before you defense date.
  • At least 2 weeks (10 business days) before your defense you must submit the signed Request for Authority for Dissertation Defense Form to the Graduate College.
  • No later than 72 hours after your thesis defense you must submit the signed Authority Report Form to the Graduate College.
  • Your dissertation must be deposited at the Graduate college no later than 60 calendar days after your defense. The semester deadline is listed on the Graduate College website which can be found at the top link.
  • An electronic copy must also be submitted at OKSHARE.com at the same time you deposit your dissertation with the Graduate College.  The deadlines are the same as for the printed copy.

Degree Checklists

Most of the consolidated information provided here can also be found in the Degree Checklist for your particular degree and can offer additional information if you have any questions.

View the Programs & Courses page  

Steps to Degree

The Graduate College offers a breakdown of the general steps you must take for the degree you have chosen to pursue. They also provide instruction packets for both thesis and non-thesis graduate pathways.

View the Steps to Degree page  

Graduate Advisor

 

Our appointed advisor in the Graduate College can change from one semester to another, but you can find out the name and contact information of the current advisor by logging into iAdvise from the Graduate College webpage.

 

View the iAdvise page  


  Teaching and Research Assistantships

Teaching and Research, Assistants are expected to be present for duties during the entire period of their appointment, even when classes are not in session. This appointment period typically extends from roughly one week before classes start in the fall until one week after commencement in the spring.

While state law does not allow us to guarantee departmental support to any student, historically every student making adequate progress towards degree has had some form of support. Adequate progress includes good performance in classes and on the Preliminary Examination; good performance in research; timely scheduling and good performance on the Qualifying Examination; and steady progress in the composition of the Doctoral Dissertation.

It is the policy of the department that no student supported by the department, either in the form of a TA or RA shall have employment outside the department. Please consult the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee if you have any questions about this policy.

Those who have a .5 FTE appointment for six months or more are eligible to participate in the Oklahoma Teachers’ Retirement System (OTRS), which provides a defined lifetime income to participating members who become eligible for retirement. OTRS is administered by the State of Oklahoma and Oklahoma laws establish the rules and procedures governing OTRS. Visit the OU Human Resources OTRS page for more information.

Teaching Assistantship

A minimum of one year of service as a Teaching Assistant (TA) is required for a Ph.D. degree in our Department. This requirement is usually satisfied early in one’s graduate career (most incoming students are supported financially through Teaching Assistantships). The basic duties of a TA, already familiar to most of you, include running recitation or laboratory sessions, offering office hours for consultation with students, and grading homework and examinations, all under the direction of a faculty member teaching the course. Faculty teaching supervisors may also ask TAs to assist in curriculum development. Curriculum development tasks include the upgrade of laboratory experiments, upgrade of laboratory manuals, preparation of any computerized homework problems, preparation of standard homework solutions, preparation for laboratory session by doing practice experiments, and participation in the training of new teaching assistants. Curriculum development activities can take place during the week before classes begin in the fall, during the four-week period between semesters, and during the three weeks after the end of classes in the Spring term.

Teaching Assistants are required to spend the first week prior to the start of fall classes participating in the Universities TA Training Program. Students who are registered for nine credit-hours of non-research courses are expected to work an average of 15-20 hours a week on their teaching responsibilities.

Research Assistantship

Students who are granted a Research Assistantship (RA) are expected to focus their efforts on research, as well as coursework if this has not yet been completed. You should switch from a TA to an RA if circumstances permit. For example, your research director may pay you for your work on research if they have an externally funded grant to support their work. Stipends for RAs are expected to be somewhat higher than for TAs.

First-year graduate students are required to enroll in PHYS 5000: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Physics, which is an introduction to research in general as well as specific research done within the department. Attendance at the associated weekly Faculty Research Seminar is expected, where students are introduced to the faculty in the department and the research with which they are involved. This will give you the opportunity to contemplate the research group you would like to join .

Physics & Astronomy Research at OU

The Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics & Astronomy conducts research with the goal of expanding the frontiers of knowledge and training the workforce of the 21st century.


Learn more about our research


  Qualifying Exams

The Qualifying Examinations are written tests offered 2 times a year, just before the start of the Fall semester and just before the start of the spring semester. The prelim exams are the week before classes begin. The content and structure of this examination is designed to demonstrate that a student has the comprehensive grasp of physics required for the successful conduct of research. Most graduates remember the Qualifying Examination as one of the most onerous tasks of their graduate years, but virtually all acknowledge its value: in preparation for the test, one must integrate one’s understanding of several fundamental tools of physics, learn how to use them together, and learn to select the most appropriate tool for solving any problem, rather than rely implicitly upon the narrow scope of textbook exercises to formulate one’s approach.

The fundamental areas of physics - classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermal physics, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics - comprise the subject matter of the Qualifying Examinations. The level of difficulty and sophistication of the examination is roughly 2/3 undergraduate material and 1/3 first year graduate material.

The best way to learn the details of the content and difficulty of the Qualifying Examination is to look at previous exams. Most students find that the optimal way to practice for the Qualifying Examination is to solve as many problems as possible from previous examinations. The Department strongly encourages students to form study groups in preparation for the Qualifying Examination. Studying with one’s peers is a fruitful way to practice problem-solving techniques, and is a means to alleviate the mental stress that inevitably accumulates as the examination approaches. Students will also find most members of the faculty and senior graduate students willing and able to advise and help with the preparation for the Qualifying Examination.

The Qualifying Examination is written and graded by the entire Department’s Faculty. To continue in the Ph.D. program one must pass the exam at the Ph.D. level. To pass at the doctoral level a student must earn half of the total points on the exam and pass half of the problems as well. Normally each student is allowed two attempts to pass each exam.


  General Exam

A General Examination for the Ph.D. degree is required by the Graduate College before a student can be officially admitted to candidacy. After passing the Qualifying Exams, students must pass the Specialist Examination to continue for a doctoral degree. This exam is usually taken once the student has chosen a Thesis Adviser and an area of research (though not necessarily a specific thesis). The function of the Specialist Examination is to demonstrate that the student is ready to proceed with such research.

That examination must consists of two parts, a written and an oral exam. In the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the written portion consists of a critical review of the subject to be discussed in an oral presentation or candidacy exam. This exam tests your competence in an area of special interest to you (other than your dissertation research topic), as well as your general background in physics.

Within the department this exam has been called the “specialist exam” in the past, much to the confusion of both students in the department and administrators in the Graduate College. From the Graduate College’s point of view the exam is “general,” much like our qualifiers. From the department’s viewpoint, the exam is in the student’s chosen subspecialty and is thus a “specialist” exam.

The General Exam must be completed no later than the fall semester of the student’s fourth year. A student may not schedule the General Exam until all three physics Qualifying exams have been passed for non-astrophysics students, and all four Qualifying exams have been passed by Astrophysics students.


  Doctoral Thesis

As soon as possible, graduate students should become familiar with the research programs available in the Department, choose a field of specialization, and arrange with a faculty member to serve as Thesis Adviser and principal Ph.D. supervisor. Many students start graduate school without a definite commitment to any particular field of specialization. During their first year of study, students should attend seminars and colloquia, speak with other students and with faculty members about their work, take reading courses, and in general explore the opportunities in the Department. It is each student’s own responsibility to find a thesis adviser. Usually, one’s adviser will provide financial support (in the form of a Research Assistantship) through some appropriate research grant.

The requirements for the Ph.D. include passing the examinations and required courses passing a total of 90 credit-hours of coursework, including reading and research courses, preparing a dissertation according to academic standards of independence and originality, and defending the work before a committee of professors in a Thesis Defense. The purpose of the Thesis Defense is to demonstrate the significance of the dissertation, and the adequacy of the arguments presented in support of the thesis. As such, the result of the Thesis Defense reflects the quality of each candidate’s contribution to the development of knowledge.


  Mentoring Program

To help facilitate graduate students' success The Homer L Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy has a formal mentoring program for incoming graduate students who are paired with both a more senior graduate student mentor and a faculty mentor. The documents linked below provide an overview of the mentoring program and a more detailed mentoring handbook.

Mentoring Overview

The purpose of the graduate mentoring program is to improve the graduate student experience, promote well-being, and increase retention.

Learn more about our Mentoring Program (pdf)

Mentoring Handbook

This handbook provides a detailed look into the mentoring process and offers advice for those wishing to participate in the program.

Read the Mentoring Handbook (pdf)


  Parking

  • There are strict rules to parking on campus and OU parking will enforce these rules.  A complete list of rules can be found on the OU Parking website or in the most recent regulations.

  • General Rules for Parking on/near Campus

    • Graduate Students are eligible for commuter permits which means you can park in any of the commuter lots, multipurpose lots, or in either parking structure.
    • The department is allotted a few faculty/staff permits for TA's only good for a single semester. If you are interested, be sure to talk to the office staff.
    • On weekends and holidays, you can park in any of the university lots without being ticketed.  This does not apply to game day parking.
    • During game days, it is best to avoid parking on campus for there are many rules on who and where you can park.  If you must come to campus, you can park in the Elm Street garage for free with a valid permit, however, these spots are first come first serve and are sold to the general public as well.
    • After 4 pm on weekdays, if you have a commuter permit you can park in faculty/staff lots without being ticketed
    • Always pay attention to any signs near lots because that is the final word on the official rules
    • There are a few streets on the east side of campus that you can park on but keep in mind you can only park on one side of the street.  Check for signs and yellow curbs/tow zones!
    • There are churches south of Lindsey and Elm that will allow you to buy a permit to park in their lot or they have a lot that can be parked on a first-come basis. 

  Housing

There are a variety of housing options available to students in the department, including on and off-campus housing.

  • You will always find the most up to date housing info for off-campus apartments by using an online apartment finder (i.e. apartments.comapartmentlist.com, or rent.com) and contacting the apartment complex directly
  • Students looking for roommates should check the GPSI Facebook page to find other students looking for roommates. Be sure to leave a post so others know you are looking.
  • The University supplies graduate student housing through its two Traditions complexes and Kraettli Apartments. The Traditions complexes are two-bedroom or four-bedroom suite-style units while Kraettli Apartments are more traditional two-bedroom apartments. Both complexes fill up quickly, so be sure to apply early.
  • For the most current information about on-campus housing, check out the OU Housing & Food website

  General Information for New Students

Most of the information below is designed to serve simply as a static resource and to help direct you to locations where you can find time-sensitive or changing information.

  • Nielsen Hall Network (NHN) access: This is handled through Dr. Andy Feldt who can be found in room 115. When you arrive in Norman please see him to set up a departmental profile and to get set up on the NHN cluster if you have need of the RedHat Linux systems while you are a graduate student.

  • Airport Transportation: Being in a new place can be stressful and sometimes intimidating, so we are here to help! If you are arriving in Norman via airplane and would like to be met at the airport by one of our graduate students please send GPSI a message on Facebook and we will make sure someone is there to meet you. You are also more than welcome to make other arrangements in which case we would advise you either rent a car or utilize the Airport Shuttle to either drop you off at the department or at your chosen place of residence. 
  • Weather Awareness: This is a major topic for anyone who lives in this area and is especially important for individuals who may not be familiar with our weather patterns. Norman is unique in a number of ways when it comes to weather, such as the types of weather you may encounter here and the presence of the National Weather Center right here on campus! The National Weather Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) based out of our south campus keep us up to date with current and future weather patterns that we might encounter and offer information on both preparedness and forecasts through their website and YouTube channel: NWSNorman. For additional information and weather history for the novice or advanced weather, buffs check out mesonet.orgwhich also includes radar and forecast information. In case of inclement weather such as tornadoes please pay attention to the sirens on campus! The OU Police department tornado information document (pdf) has additional safety information for such cases on campus.
  • Identification and Licensing: Information regarding the identification process can be found including a list of tag agencies where you can get a new license or license tag if you meet the necessary requirements. If you need to take/retake your driver's test you can find out where to go from the list of local testing offices (pdf) including hours of operation.

  • Social Security: The local Social Security office for Norman residents is actually located in Moore Oklahoma at 200 Northeast 27th Street, Moore, OK. Information about the application process and the necessary documentation for domestic students can be found for international students. Be sure to budget at least 1-1.5 hours for your appointment.