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Degree Requirements Information for New & Prospective Graduate Students
Astronomy & Astrophysics
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Official Degree Requirements 2009 - 10 For the incoming class of 2009-10, The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics has implemented revisions to the Ph.D. requirements with the intent to improve upon:
Students matriculating in a given graduate program will select the UCSC General Catalog they will follow to meet their requirements to be either the one published the year they enter the program, or any subsequent catalog published prior to the year they are awarded the sought degree. Specific details on "Catalog Rights" and how this policy affects you may be found at the UCSC General Catalog. Please click here for the 2008-09 Official Degree Requirements. Graduate instruction is built upon a two-year cycle of 11 one-quarter courses in astronomy and physics that are required of all students. Seven courses are specifically required: Astronomy 202, Radiative Processes and four additional courses are chosen from the list of electives given below. In addition, students must fulfill the following requirements: Students must meet at least quarterly with an assigned advisor. Each student must also be a teaching assistant for at least one quarter. By the end of their second year, students must
By the end of the third year, students must complete a Qualifying Exam that presents and defends a proposed thesis topic. After passing the Board Review based on the above-mentioned requirements and the Qualifying Exam, students pursue independent research leading to the doctoral dissertation. Upon completion of the Ph.D. dissertation, students must pass an oral Dissertation Defense. A completed draft of the thesis must be submitted to the dissertation committee at least two weeks before the date of the defense, and the defense itself must occur at least two weeks before the campus deadline for thesis submissions in that quarter. Exceptions to this policy will be granted only under exceptional circumstances and must be approved by the Department Chair, Associate Chair, and the Department Graduate Advising Committee. The Department has established five years as the normative time to degree. Normative time is the elapsed calendar time in years that under normal circumstances will be needed to complete all requirements for the Ph.D. A one year extension may be granted if funding is available. Funding support will not in general be provided beyond six years. Exceptions for extensions beyond six years will be granted only for exceptional extenuating circumstances and will be decided upon by the Department Chair, Associate Chair, and the Department Graduate Advising Committee. Electives (four required) may be drawn from this list: Astronomy 207, Future Directions/Future Missions
Earth Sciences 275, Magnetohydrodynamics Engineering 206, Bayesian Statistics Physics 210, Classical Mechanics (Prior year requirements) Graduate instruction is built upon a two-year cycle of 13, one-quarter courses in astronomy and physics that are required of all students. Six courses are specifically required: Astonomy 202, Electromagnetism and Plasma Physics Seven courses are chosen from the list of electives given below. Students must meet at least quarterly with an assigned adviser. Each student must also be a teaching assistant for at least one quarter. By the end of their second year, students must complete one quarter of independent study with a faculty member and give a department talk on that work. Also toward the end of their second year, students must pass a written examination based on course material, relevant physics, and general astronomical knowledge. After passing a board review based on the above-mentioned requirements and a qualifying exam based on a proposed thesis topic (expected to be taken before the end of the third year), students pursue independent research leading to the doctoral dissertation. Upon completion of the Ph.D. dissertation, students must pass an oral dissertation defense. Students are encouraged to engage in research projects under the supervision of the faculty during the early part of their graduate career. Exceptions are rare and are granted on a case-by-case basis to individual students. Electives may be drawn from this list: Galaxies and Cosmology (at least two): Astonomy 214, Structure Formation in the Universe Stars and Planets (at least two): Astonomy 212, Dynamical Astronomy Other: Astonomy 207, Future Directions/Future Missions |
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