康奈尔大学光学博士申请要求
分类:院校介绍2019-11-29
The Ph.D. Program
The program is designed for the student who wants to become a professional physicist. It has two main ingredients: (a) mastery of at least a core of advanced general physics, and (b) original research in a specific area of physics. The core mastery component is intended to provide the students with the foundational knowledge enabling them to pursue a broad range of employment options upon graduation, including teaching physics at a four-year college level or higher, and/or conducting research in areas different than that of the thesis. The research component provides the student with an in-depth knowledge of a particular area of active physics research, along with significant research experience in that area culminating in production of a thesis based on original scientific findings.
Most students begin the program by taking Core Courses, while also being funded as Teaching Assistants. The advising seminar, PHYS 7685, is offered in the fall semester to help new students integrate into the program and learn about physics research at Cornell. The Qualifying Exam is taken at the beginning of the student’s 2nd semester at Cornell. Students should start actively looking for a research group in their first year and should plan on spending the summer after the first year on campus, either doing research full-time or pursuing reading projects directed by a faculty member. Second-year students generally split their time between taking advanced courses relevant to their chosen research field and doing research. The time spent on each activity may vary widely depending on the area of specialization. By the end of the second year, the student should identify the faculty member who will supervise the thesis, i.e. serve as the Ph.D. advisor. The mutual commitment between the student and the advisor is formalized by the formation of the permanent special committee. From that point on, the student’s efforts are primarily directed towards research and the thesis advisor serves as the main source of guidance. The A-Exam (Advancement to Candidacy) is taken in the third year and is devoted to subjects in the area of the proposed thesis topic. After a sufficient body of original research results has been produced, the student prepares a thesis, which is approved by the advisor and the permanent Special Sommittee. Finally, the student takes the B-Exam, also known as “Thesis Defense”, and completes the program. The typical time spent in the program is about six years.
Ph.D. and M.S. Degrees
Students admitted to graduate study in physics at Cornell are enrolled in the Doctoral program. There is no Master’s program in Physics. Most students are awarded a Master’s degree at the time of advancement to candidacy, as an in-progress degree. Occasionally, a terminal Master’s degree will be awarded, if a student, along with his or her Special Committee, decides that further study is not warranted.
