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Time Line
First year: Students are usually expected to take a full course load and additionally select and advisor and get started on research. In the first year, students will usually spend more time on courses than on research, but students on research fellowships/assistantships must also meet their research obligations.
Qualifying exam: All students must pass this exam on their first or second attempt to continue in the Ph.D. program. This is a written exam based on material covered by the five courses on the fundamentals of optics:
Students are required to take the Qualifying Exam at the first opportunity, which for full time students starting in the Fall, means in August of the next year. For part time students, this rule means that the exam must be taken at the next opportunity after all of the above listed these courses have been taken. Those students failing on the first attempt must retake the exam at the very next attempt. Failure to take the exam at the required time will be regarded as equivalent to a failure of the exam. The examination committee may, in exceptional circumstances, use a brief oral exam to help them obtain information necessary to reach a decision on a student who has marginally failed the exam at the second attempt.
Second year: Second year students are usually expected to devote a large fraction of their time to research, while also taking about 6 hours of formal coursework per semester. Students should take their candidacy exam by the end of the second year. Prior to scheduling a candidacy exam, the Ph.D. dissertation advisory committee should be formed and approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Programs. Once formed, the dissertation advisory committee may not be changed, unless for some reason a committee member becomes unavailable due to extended or permanent absence. Candidacy exam: This is a written and oral exam administered by the student’s dissertation advisory committee. For the written portion, the student will usually be asked to write a report and literature survey on their planned dissertation research topic, including progress to date. In the oral part of the examination, the student will orally present the report, and the committee will conduct an oral exam on both the research topic and the student’s knowledge of the fundamentals of optics.
Third year: By the third year, an Optics Ph.D. student should be primarily involved with dissertation research and substantially done with courses except for upper level courses that are taught infrequently. Within one year of passing the candidacy exam, the dissertation proposal should be written and examined by the dissertation advisory committee.
Subsequent years: After passing the dissertation proposal students should be entirely engaged in their research. Students must arrange annual progress meetings with their dissertation advisory committees.
Dissertation defense and graduation: In the semester that the student intends to graduate, an “Intent to Graduate” form must be filed. When the dissertation is complete, and the dissertation has been distributed to the committee, the defense may be scheduled by competing and distributing the Abstract and Defense Announcement form. The Abstract and Defense Announcement must be approved by the committee chair and Associate Dean and distributed at least 2 weeks prior to the defense date. After the defense but prior to leaving, each graduate must attend an exit interview with the Director or Associate Dean.
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