Program Overview
The University of Toledo Department of Physics and Astronomy offers M.S., M.S.E. (Master of Science and Education), and Ph.D. degrees in physics with specializations in astronomy and astrophysics, atomic and molecular physics, biophysics, condensed-matter physics and materials science, medical physics, and photonics. The M.S. in physics is a professional master’s degree, preparing students for responsible positions in industrial and academic/government research support. It has flexible course requirements, requires a thesis, and usually requires two years of full-time study to complete. A joint Ph.D. in physics/M.S. in electrical engineering is also available. The Ph.D. has a number of required courses and takes five to seven years to complete. Requirements include residence for at least two consecutive semesters, successful completion of a qualifying and a comprehensive examination, completion of a thesis, and successful defense of the thesis.
A major graduate research focus is in experimental and theoretical studies of thin films, especially photovoltaics, magnetic nanostructures, and surface growth. A second major focus is in astronomy/astrophysics, with studies of stellar atmospheres and envelopes, star formation, interstellar matter, and climate on Mars. The atomic and molecular physics focus includes studies of quantum-condensed phases, Rydberg state lifetimes, and accelerator-based optical spectroscopy. The medical and biological physics includes accelerator-based research in radiation oncology and DNA bonding and structure. The plasma physics focus is on the self-consistent kinetic description of low-pressure discharges, especially under external electric and magnetic field influence. The photonics research focuses on the design of optical integrated circuits and waveguides. The department has a collective strength and focus on advanced computational methods in treating astrophysical, atomic, plasma, and materials problems.
Research collaboration on-campus includes chemists and chemical, electrical, and mechanical engineers. Department faculty members serve as the core of UT’s Center for Photovoltaic Electricity and Hydrogen recently established by a major state of Ohio grant with matching support from several industrial collaborators.
Of Special Interest
Thin-film materials laboratories include high- and ultrahigh-vacuum deposition systems using glow-discharge and hot-wire deposition, sputtering, and MBE, and incorporate in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry. Other materials and device characterization include the magnetooptical Kerr effect, Raman, photoluminescence, AFM/STM, SEM/EDS, quantum efficiency, and current-voltage dependence under solar simulation. Ritter Observatory houses a 1-meter reflecting telescope that is used for studies of variable stellar spectra. Some UT astronomers’ research programs are based on observations made at external ground- and space-based facilities. Atomic physics research is done with 300-keV heavy-ion and 80-keV negative-ion accelerators. Lasers are also used for thin-film scribing and thin-film index-of-refraction measurements. Computing facilities include UNIX workstations and three cluster computing systems. Supercomputer access is provided through the Ohio Supercomputing Center via Internet 2.
Curriculum Information
For a degree of Master of Science or Master of Science and Education, a student must complete 30 hours of graduate credit including the following: (a) PHYS 6140 and an additional 15 hours of graduate course credit in Physics, with six of the 15 hours numbered above 6000. Credit in PHYS 5900, 6010, and/or 6020 will not count toward either degree; (b) The student must present a satisfactory thesis based on directed research for no more than eight hours of degree credit; (c) The remaining hours within the 30 total may be chosen from any courses approved for graduate credit not previously elected, with the approval of the student's committee. In some cases students working toward the Ph.D. may earn the M.S. or the M.S.E. degree without formal presentation of the M.S. thesis if they have passed the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination, satisfied the course requirements for the M.S., and completed a research project under the supervision of a research adviser. Students meeting these requirements may petition the department to grant the M.S. without formal presentation of a thesis. For the Doctor of Philosophy Degree, a student must complete a total of 90 hours of graduate credit including the following: MATH 6730; PHYS 7220, 7250, 7260, 7320, 7330, and 7450; at least 18 additional hours of credit in Physics in courses numbered higher than 6200 approved by the student's committee; and 30-48 hours of PHYS 8960 (Ph.D. Thesis Research). Credit in PHYS 6/8010, 6/8020, 6/7030, or 7910 will not count toward degree requirements.
The doctoral degree requirements include a Ph.D. Qualifying Examination, a Comprehensive Examination and a Final Oral Examination. Passing the Qualifying Examination is a prerequisite for status as a Ph.D. candidate in physics. It is normally taken at the end of the summer, one year after entry and may normally be repeated once, the following January. After passing the Qualifying Examination, the doctoral student must select a field of specialization. A faculty committee is formed, chaired by the research adviser, to evaluate the student's progress in these matters and to establish an appropriate program of coursework. This committee then administers the Oral Comprehensive Examination, after which only the thesis research requirement remains. The graduate program ends with the presentation of the dissertation and its satisfactory defense in an oral examination.
Admission Information
The requirements for admission to the graduate program consist of a bachelor's degree in physics or a related field with a grade point average of 2.8 or better on a 4-point scale. Domestic applicants with a lower grade point average must present the Aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Examination, as must all international students. The advanced GRE in physics is recommended. International students must present a score of 550 or better on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in order to qualify for regular admission to the program and for an assistantship. All Foreign graduate students must complete the GRE examination. All applicants are required to take the General GRE examination.
Although some students provide their own support through employment, most students are supported by means of a teaching or a research assistantship. The number of assistantships is always limited, and the selection process is competitive.
Applicants for teaching assistantships are expected to function well in English and to be well prepared to teach introductory physics or astronomy laboratories. Good preparation in undergraduate physics course work and good scores on standardized tests are appreciated. What the admissions committee looks for most particularly, however, is evidence of motivation toward advanced study, willingness to work hard, ability to develop toward independent work, and motivation to remedy deficiencies in preparation, if any.
For assistantships beginning in the fall of 2005, we evaluated about 60 completed applications and made 16 offers, of which 7 were accepted. All available assistantships were thereby filled by 1 June 2005
Fall applicants seeking funding should observe the January 15th priority deadline.