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Resources for Current Graduate Students

Course Sequence

To aid in planning your courses each semester, please find below the core courses (required for the degree) and places where non-core (e.g. elective) courses can fit into your schedule. We have a predictable course rotation that begins based on the whether the fall semeter lies in an even- or odd-numbered year. This is automatically updated on this page. This sequence was agreed upon by the faculty. If the courses in the sequence are not available, you need to speak with the Director of Graduate Studies to understand what course substitutions are available.

Please note that, according to the course catalog, our department requires 5 "core" and 7 "elective" classes. However, our present curriculum and faculty size does not permit enough electives to be offered each year to meet all possible interests. The DGS can help you to identify courses that meet the requirements of our program.

In addition, our program has a strong historical emphasis on particle physics but has recently expanded into astronomy and astrophysics. Advanced subjects, like Quantum Field Theory, may not be appropriate or necessary for students focused on astrophysics. To aid in planning for your courses, we sketch out a course plan that might suit students interested in particle physics or astrophysics research. This is not prescriptive, and as always you should consult with the DGS to make the best plans for your career goals in the Ph.D.

  • Particle-Physics Emphasis: 6380 (Quarks to Cosmos), 6321 (Classical Mechanics), 6351 (Stat. Mechanics), 6335 (QM I), 6336 (QM II), 7363 (Experimental Particle Detection and Detectors), 7311 (EM I), 7312 (EM II); 7314 (QFT I), 7315 (QFT II); and two additional graduate elective courses.
  • Astrophysics Emphasis: 6380 (Quarks to Cosmos), 6321 (Classical Mechanics), 6351 (Stat. Mechanics), 6335 (QM I), 6336 (QM II), 7363 (Experimental Particle Detection and Detectors), 7311 (EM I), 7312 (EM II); two graduate astrophysics courses selected from 6368 (Foundations of Modern Cosmology), 6371 (Stellar Structure and Evolution), or 6372 (Galactic Structure, Dynamics and Evolution) ; and two additional graduate elective courses.

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First-Year Graduate Students Enroll in...

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For the Academic Year Starting in Fall...


First-Year Graduate Students Enroll in...

Fall


Spring


Second-Year Graduate Students Enroll in...

Fall


Spring