Admitted Students
Orientation
At the beginning of the fall semester the department will organize a series of events to introduce students to the learning and research activities in the department. This includes a Graduate Orientation and research seminars by faculty aimed at senior undergraduates and first year graduate students. Upon arriving at Boston College all students will be assigned an academic adviser from among the faculty. This faculty member will remain your adviser throughout your time at Ï㽶Ðã and will serve as an independent resource to guide you in your studies.
First Three Years
The first two years of the graduate program lay the foundation for future success. The graduate courses in the first year lay a solid foundation in physics and prepare you for the Comprehensive Exam. The second year courses help introduce you to more specific topics that will be useful in your research. Ultimately, the primary goal of the Ph.D. is to gain the skills necessary to successfully perform and explain research in physics. As such, you should seek to find a research adviser early. An outline of a sample schedule for the first three years is below.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Classical Mechanics Quantum Mechanics I Mathematical Physics I | Spring Electromagnetic Theory I Quantum Mechanics II Statistical Physics I | Summer Start Research Comprehensive Exam |
| Year 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Statistical Physics II Elective 1 (e.g. Solid State I) | Spring Elective 2 (e.g. Solid State II) Elective 3 Physics Graduate Seminar Spring | Summer Research Proposal Exam |
| Year 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Elective 4 | Spring | Summer |