Computational Science (Physics), Ph.D.

Program Requirements

All doctoral degrees require a minimum of eighty-four semester hours of coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree or fifty-four semester hours of coursework beyond the master’s degree. A 3.0 GPA is required for graduation. Additional program requirements include those listed below.

1. for students entering the program with only a bachelor’s degree, successful completion of the master of science degree in physics is required.
2. satisfactory completion of required computational techniques courses
3. satisfactory completion of computational physics core courses
4. satisfactory completion of a Ph.D. comprehensive examination covering computational physics (at the level of PHY 710  and PHY 711 ). A maximum of two attempts to pass the Ph.D. comprehensive is allowed.
5. completion of computationally intensive original research of sufficient quality to allow the preparation and successful defense of a Ph.D. dissertation. (12 hours of COS 898  are required)
6. continuous enrollment - Students must meet the requirement specified in the front section of this Bulletin.
7. Residency: Students must meet residency requirements as specified in this Bulletin.
8. Research Tool(s) are required and are determined by the student’s doctoral committee.

Plan of Study. Students must submit their signed, official Plan of Study Form to the Graduate School by the end of the second semester they are enrolled. The Plan of Study Forms are available at www.usm.edu/graduateschool/planofstudy.php - click on the “Plans of Study” link.

Responsible Conduct of Research Training

All faculty holding Regular or Associate graduate faculty status, must complete RCR training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments. All graduate students must complete the RCR training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments the first semester there are enrolled in graduate school. The RCR policy and training information are found on the Graduate School web page – www.usm.edu/graduateschool. Contact the Dean of the Graduate School if you have any questions regarding the policy of training information.