2010-2011 University Catalog
Physical Sciences, PhD
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Banner Code: SC-PHD-PSCI
The interdisciplinary doctoral program in Physical Science is offered jointly by the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The goal of the program is to prepare scientists as members of interdisciplinary science teams, primarily involving astronomy, biochemistry, biophysics, chemistry, and physics. The main emphasis is on theoretical, experimental, and/or laboratory research. The program is not intended to produce graduates who are scientific generalists; however, the areas of specialization often cut across traditional disciplines.
The program is built on a foundation of several interdisciplinary courses that expose students to fundamental research problems in modern science and provide them with an introduction to physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, and astronomy. The program curriculum has been designed to provide enough flexibility to accommodate students seeking a fully interdisciplinary program, as well as those with interests more closely aligned with one specific scientific discipline. Students who seek a program with a heavy emphasis on computational methods may alternatively consider the doctoral program in Computational Sciences and Informatics (CSI) . The CSI program includes concentrations in computational physics, computational space sciences, and computational astrophysics. See the Computational and Data Sciences section for degree and admission requirements.
This program of study is offered by the College of Science.
Admission Requirements
The physical sciences PhD program is intended for students who (1) have completed an undergraduate program of study in one of the physical sciences, (2) have taken math to the level of differential equations, and (3) are computer literate.
Applicants are expected to have a BS degree with minimum GPA of 3.00 and acceptable GRE and TOEFL scores. The undergraduate degree should be in a scientific field, such as physics, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, or engineering. Applicants with insufficient undergraduate records may be accepted provisionally and required to successfully complete selected remedial courses, some of which may not be applicable to the 48-credit total for the PhD course work requirement.
Interested students should submit a completed Mason graduate application, three letters of recommendation, official reports of GRE and TOEFL scores, and a goals statement reflecting their general research interests and career plans. Mason’s Educational Testing Service code is 5827. |
Degree Requirements
Students must satisfy all requirements for doctoral degrees expressed in the Academic Policies section of this catalog.
The Physical Sciences PhD program requires 72 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree. All students in the program are required to take 48 credits of course work and 24 credits of dissertation research. For students entering the doctoral program with previous graduate work, the 48 credits of course work may be reduced by a maximum of 30 credits.
Students are encouraged to undertake research under close faculty supervision in a number of potential areas, including the following examples:
- Analysis of complex dynamical systems
- Studies of the role of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere
- Modeling astrochemical processes in star-forming regions
- Searches for extrasolar planets
- Modeling the production of high-energy gamma rays from cosmic sources
- Analysis and prediction of space weather
- Quantum computation: theory and applications
- Solid state physics, including applications to materials science
- Interaction of organic molecules with solid surfaces
Science Core (9 credits):
Note: PSCI 703 is taken three times for a total of 3 credits. Contract Core (15 credits):
A three-member predissertation faculty committee will be formed by the student as soon as possible after admission. The composition of the student’s committee must be approved by the program director. At this point, the student is expected to have selected a rather broad area of future research interest; typically, the area may not yet be specific enough to define an actual dissertation project. Because students entering the program will have diverse backgrounds and goals and the program is explicitly designed to accommodate students preparing for a range of fields of research, it is not possible to have a completely standardized set of degree requirements.
The student and their committee will decide on a set of at least five courses (15 credits) that will best meet the student’s goals and future research direction. This portion of the program will be set up in the form of a contract between the student and the committee. The contract will include courses that the student should take and books and articles that should be read. Fifteen of the contract credits must be chosen from the following list; however, no more than three classes can be taken in any one area, unless the student obtains special permission from the program director. Furthermore, no more than two classes at the 500 level can be selected. Biochemistry and biophysics courses:
Interdisciplinary courses:
Doctoral Committee and Advancement to Candidacy
By the end of the semester when course work is completed, the student must form a doctoral committee, which will supervise the candidacy exam. The exam includes written and oral components. On passing the candidacy exam and submitting an acceptable dissertation proposal, the student is advanced to doctoral candidacy. Research (24 credits):
Note: no more than 24 combined credits from PSCI 998 and PSCI 999 may be applied toward satisfying doctoral degree requirements, with no more than 12 credits of PSCI 998. Doctoral Dissertation
After advancing to doctoral candidacy, the student works on their doctoral dissertation while enrolled in PSCI 999. The dissertation should represent a significant contribution that is suitable for publication in a refereed scientific journal. The dissertation must be defended in a public forum before the dissertation committee and other interested faculty. |
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