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Ph.D. Program in Optical Sciences
Summary of requirements
Graduate Credits Required:
The number of units of graduate credit required for the Ph.D. is not specified explicitly; the requirement is for the equivalent of six semesters of full-time study. The normal rule of thumb is that 72 units of graduate credit beyond the B.S. is required; of these 72 units, a minimum of 18 units of dissertation and 54 units of coursework with grades of B or higher is required. Of the 54 units of coursework, up to six units may be independent study.Course Requirements:
All students must include at least two optics laboratory courses (defined as Optical Sciences courses with an “L” suffix) as part of their plan. At least one of the two labs must be a hands-on optics lab. Students who can demonstrate that they have had equivalent hands-on laboratory experience in optics may request a waiver through the Associate Dean of Academic Programs, to reduce the requirement to one optics lab course. Lab wavier requests should be completed during the students first semester.All Ph.D. students must take at least one graduate course in each of eight topic areas, and the Comprehensive Examination will be based on the material in six of those courses.
There is no specified maximum number of units a student may transfer; it depends on one’s background and chosen study program. Subject to department approval, as many as 12 to 18 units may be transferred (usually from math, physics, or engineering), but it may be more for some individuals and fewer for others.
Doctoral Plan of Study:
Working together with one’s major professor, each student develops a written study plan. This plan must be filed with the department at the time the written portion of the comprehensive examination is taken. Approved transfer courses are entered in the transfer section of the Plan of Study.GPA Requirement:
A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required for funding and to be eligible to graduate.Qualifying Examination:
This exam is administered in the form of an interview with a faculty member during the student's first semester in residence. Graduate students are required to complete a progress interview once a year with either a faculty member of their choice or the Graduate Academic Advisor.Minor Field:
Students may both major and minor in Optical Sciences which is most common; however it is also possible to minor in another department. Students taking courses outside Optical Sciences for credit toward a minor in that department must meet with the Graduate Advisor of the other department to ensure all requirements for their minor are met. In particular, students interested in the quantum optics track of Optical Sciences may wish to consider a minor in Physics. Nevertheless, students are welcome to take courses in other departments even if they wish to minor in Optical Sciences—we are flexible enough that virtually all of the courses in an outside minor field (related to Optical Sciences) may be taken without formally selecting it as a minor. The Associate Dean of Academic Programs can advise you if there is any question about whether a specific course is suitable for your degree program.Foreign Language Requirement:
There is no language requirement for Optical Sciences students.Comprehensive Examination:
The comprehensive examination consists of a written examination followed by an oral examination. The written portion is administered near the beginning of the fall and spring semesters, and consists of two 3.5 hour exams covering material in the core courses. Upon passing the written examination, an oral examination is given later in the same semester. The examining committee consists of the student's dissertation advisor plus three or four additional professors chosen from other areas of optics. The comprehensive examination may only be taken by students in the Ph.D. program who have passed a minimum of 32 units of graduate coursework (including transfer units from other institutions, but not including dissertation units). Most students take this exam during their fifth or sixth semester in residence, although it may be taken earlier or later, depending on the circumstances. See the appropriate Optical Sciences and Graduate College documents for more details.Dissertation Proposal:
The dissertation examination is an oral examination administered by the student’s dissertation committee. This committee consists of the student's dissertation advisor plus two additional members nominated by the student in consultation with his or her advisor, and approved by the Associate Dean of Academic Programs. Its purpose is to determine if the coursework and other studies undertaken by the student in their area of specialization has adequately prepared them for their proposed dissertation research. This examination is taken after the student has passed the written and oral comprehensive examinations and substantially completed their coursework. It typically lasts one to two hours. For most students, this will be near the end of their third year of full-time study, but it may not be later than one year prior to the completion of the dissertation and/or the student’s final oral dissertation defense. It is preferable that this examination be taken as near to the beginning of a student’s dissertation research as possible. Upon completion the Advancement to Candidacy Form is submitted to Degree Certification.Advancement to Candidacy:
The “Advancement to Candidacy” form must be approved by the Graduate Degree Certification Office before scheduling the Final Oral Defense Examination. It may be submitted only after completion of the Oral Dissertation Proposal Examination, and the University requires that it not be submitted later than six months prior to the oral defense examination.Oral Defense Examination:
This examination is commonly referred to as a defense of the dissertation, although general questioning related to the field of optical sciences may naturally develop during the course of the exam. It is administered by the student’s dissertation committee. The dissertation committee is comprised of at least 3 tenure or tenure track faculty. If appropriate to the student’s dissertation research, one non tenure or tenure track faculty can be approved by Degree Certification. The time and place must be scheduled about two weeks in advance and a Notice of Final Oral Examination must be submitted to Degree Certification at least 7 business days prior to the exam date. It is open to the public. See the appropriate Optical Sciences and Graduate College documents for more details.Time Limits:
Degrees must be completed within five years of the student’s completion of his/her Oral Comprehensive Examination. The Graduate College will grant extensions to complete degrees only in exceptional circumstances and may require students to retake the Comprehensive Examination.Transfer Units:
With approval of the Associate Dean Graduate work completed at another graduate-accredited institution may be transferred, provided these courses received a grade of A or B, are comparable to a UA course and were not used toward an undergraduate degree. Students should complete An Evaluation of Transfer Credit before the end of their first semester.