prospective students - frequently asked questions

Index

• What kind of preparation is needed?
• What are the possible degrees?
• What jobs are available for Physics graduates?
• What do graduate students do?
• What research options are available?
• Is financial aid available?
• What are the housing options?

• Preparation for Graduate Study: You should have an undergraduate degree in physics or a closely related subject, with a minimum grade-point-average of B or 3.0 (A = best grade = 4.0). Your degree should include undergraduate courses in electromagnetism (level of Griffiths), classical mechanics (Marion), thermal physics (Kittel), and quantum physics (Eisberg or Leighton). If your background is weak in any of these areas, we can arrange for you to spend part of your first year as a graduate student taking some of our advanced undergraduate classes. (return to the index)
  
  
• Graduate Degrees: You can earn a M.S. and/or a Ph.D. in physics or a M.S. in Applied Physics. The M.S. usually takes 2 years, and the Ph.D. takes about three additional years beyond the M.S. The M.S. degree can be earned either through thesis or non-thesis options. Entering students who already have a M.S. degree from another institution can usually begin a Ph.D. program immediately. The department also offers a Professional M.S. degree in Applied Physics, a program which combines a technical curriculum with training in communications and business management.
  
  
• Employment Outlook: Students who earn graduate degrees in Physics find employment in a variety of industries, in government laboratories, and in academia. Our graduates are presently employed by leading industries and universities in the U.S., and many of our foreign students have returned to their home countries to important academic positions.
  
  
• Graduate Program: As a graduate student entering with a Bachelor's degree, you will take 2 years of class work to prepare for Ph.D. thesis research. In the process, you will earn enough credits for a M.S. degree. During this period you will prepare for our comprehensive exam which is offered twice a year, and which must be passed before admission to Ph.D. candidacy. By admitting only a small number of graduate students into the program, we keep our classes small and informal which gives many opportunities for questions and to tailor each student's Ph.D. program to meet any special needs the students may have.  Special opportunities are offered to enhance professional preparation including a teaching seminar, a teaching apprentice program, and a seminar in the techniques of professional communication.
  
  
• Research: The most important part of any Ph.D. program is the research project, which forms the basis for the Ph.D. dissertation. Usually, active full time research begins in the third year, but there are many opportunities for part time or summer participation in research projects during the first two years. We have four research specialty areas:
  • Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics: We have experimental, theoretical, or computational programs in nanophotonics, nanoplasmonics, negative refractive index materials, femtosecond spectroscopy, organic photonics, and optical tweezers trapping of nanoparticles. A new effort in femtosecond spectroscopy is studying high speed dynamics and nonlinear responses in semiconductor nanostructures. (return to the index)
    
    
  • Nuclear and Particle Physics: The structure of nuclei is studied through nuclear reaction and radioactive decay experiments at accelerators such as the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory cyclotron and the TRIUMF cyclotron and isotope separator in Vancouver, BC.  In addition to gamma-ray spectroscopy, angular correlation and low-temperature nuclear orientation methods provide information on nuclei and their excited states.  In other experiments, the OSU reactor is used to measure neutron capture cross sections, including some that are needed for producing radioisotopes employed for medical diagnosis and therapy. (return to the index)
    
    
  • Solid State Physics: We have active experimental research programs in metals, ceramics, and semiconductors. An interdisciplinary program in Physics, Chemistry, and Electrical and Computer Engineering encompasses wide ranging research on transparent conductors with a view to building a new generation of transparent opto-electronic devices.  In physics, the focus is on thin film deposition, electrical and optical studies of basic phenomena, and nuclear magnetic and quadrupole resonance studies.  Neutron diffraction is being applied to the study of semiconducting magnetic superlattices.  Optically active impurities in semiconductors are investigated with nuclear magnetic resonance combined with in situ optical excitation.  Femtosecond laser technology is applied to the study of high speed dynamics and nonlinear responses in semiconductors. Theoretical research is performed to study basic electronic, magnetic, optical, and structural properties of metals, alloys and ceramics, magnetic anisotropy of transition metals, and properties of semiconducting magnetic superlattices. Many-body and electronic structure calculations are done using advanced departmental computational facilities.  The department has a tradition of research on novel high temperature superconducting materials. (return to the index)
    
    
  • Computational Physics:  While nearly everyone uses computers in their research, Computational Physics researchers have the use and understanding of computing at the very heart of their work. Computational Physics research is being conducted on a number of important problems in physics.  These  include, for example,  magnetic anisotropy in transition metals, many-body and electronic structure calculations in solids, or chaos and quark effects in few-body systems. The department also participates in a national partnership that is researching the development and use of new approaches and technologies in Computational Science Education. (return to the index)
    
    
  • Physics Education:  As a department, we are actively engaged in examining how students learn. Since 1996, the Paradigms in Physics project has been transforming our entire upper-division curriculum for Physics and Engineering Physics majors; the CPUG program (Computational Physics for Undergraduates) is developing curricular materials for an interdisciplinary B.S. degree in computational physics; and just recently, we have been chosen as one of six U.S. sites for the PhysTEC (Physics Teacher Education Coalition) project to prepare elementary and secondary science teachers.  These projects provide many research opportunities for Masters and Ph.D. students in Curriculum Reform or Physics Education.  Examples of current interests include the use of visualization in problem-solving and development of the concept of eigenfunction expansions in upper-division quantum mechanics.   Recent graduate students have also benefitted from expert mentoring and formal courses offered by OSU's Department of Science and Mathematics Education. (return to the index)
  
  
  
• Financial Aid: We offer teaching assistantships to first and second year students. Duties usually involve 15 hours per week of laboratory work and exam grading in our beginning physics classes. Beyond the second year, students are usually supported by research assistantships under the research contracts of the major professor or thesis advisor. All assistantships include a full waiver of tuition.  Additional employment during the summer months is generally available. (return to the index)
  
  
• Housing: There is dormitory housing available on campus, and special housing is available for married students. Off campus, there is an abundance of apartments and rooming houses available within walking or bicycling distance from campus. The University has a Student Housing Office to assist you. (return to the index)