The goal of the graduate program is to prepare you to be a physicist. It is primarily an apprenticeship system in which you learn from those with more experience and teach those with less experience. This intense system of instruction relies on the community of physicists to which you are linked. In this regard, the graduate program is much different from your previous undergraduate experience. Your success in graduate school depends on your active interaction with others in the community. The emphasis is as much on asking the right questions and engaging in enlightening discussion as it is on finding the answers. Besides a solid knowledge of physics, you will need to adopt approaches that are considerably different from those required to solve problem sets from a textbook.

The first year acts as a transition period between the undergraduate and graduate experience. You should expect to take two or three courses per semester, each of which will have weekly problem sets plus examinations. In addition, you will take the Graduate Research Seminar to introduce you to the research being done in this School and the people doing it. If you are a TA, you will take the course Best Practices in Physics Teaching. This course explores techniques designed to make your teaching more efficient and successful. In addition to all of this, you will be studying for the Graduate Written Examination (GWE). You should spend about three months preparing for this exam. Possible ways to prepare include (i) review undergraduate textbooks on classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, and statistical/thermal physics, (ii) work past exams (copies are available), (iii) form study groups.

In later years, you will take advanced courses in your field of research, and you will increasingly focus on your research. Research is the most important part of the Ph.D. program. It is easy to forget that during the first year, when you will be very busy taking courses, preparing for the written exam, and probably being a TA. Do not lose sight of your priorities and make sure you do not neglect important research related activities such as attending the Colloquium and group seminars, and getting informed and involved with the research activities of the School.

Before classes begin at the University, you will have an extensive formal orientation period. This time is to give you the opportunity to become familiar with your new environment, colleagues, and duties before you enter the daily routine of studying, going to classes, attending colloquia and seminars, and teaching. During this period, you will take care of the bureaucratic requirements of filling out necessary forms, getting your office space and keys, getting your picture taken, and arranging for your computer account. We will make clear what the School expects of you and what you should expect of the School. Classes, credit requirements, exams, and research opportunities will be discussed so please bring any questions you have. You will be assigned a faculty adviser who will help you plan an initial course schedule. In addition to formal orientation sessions, there will be informal opportunities to meet members of the faculty and experienced graduate students to help you become more familiar with the School.

The Teaching Assistant portion of the orientation is designed to give you the background necessary to be an effective and efficient instructor. It is officially a course that you are required to pass if you have a Teaching Assistant appointment or think that you might like one anytime during the year. During the TA orientation, you will be introduced to the techniques of instruction that you will use to teach your classes. You will get practice teaching laboratories and recitation sections and evaluating students' written work to determine their learning difficulties. The orientation will also address typical student learning difficulties in physics, classroom management techniques, and how to handle difficult situations such as those involving discrimination or dishonesty. You will also be introduced to the experimental and theoretical basis for the teaching techniques used. The entire orientation program occurs during the two weeks prior to the beginning of classes for about 6-8 hours per day. Teaching assignments will be made during this time.

Teaching Assistants whose native language is not English are required to take an additional three-week (CHECK) University Orientation earlier in the summer. This program provides intensive instruction in communication skills and basic teaching strategies geared to American students. To be qualified to teach you must pass a communications test given during that time. If you do not pass the test at a sufficiently high level, you will be required to take a communications skills course during your first term. At the end of that course you will again take the communication test. If you again do not pass the communication test, you must re-take the course. The School will pay your tuition for the course the first time you take it. For any additional term the tuition will be your responsibility.

The course numbering system at the University of Minnesota is as follows: 1xxx, 2xxx and 3xxx courses are undergraduate courses that are not open for graduate credit. Courses numbered 4xxx and 5xxx are open for both undergraduate and graduate credit. 4xxx courses are primarily for undergraduates, while 5xxx courses are primarily intended for graduate students. 8xxx courses are only for graduate students. You and your advisor will plan your coursework for the first year during the orientation period.

Generally, incoming graduate students will take three courses: a quantum mechanics course, a classical physics course, and one elective.

There are three possible quantum mechanics courses for entering graduate students. The preferred sequence 5001/2 presumes that you have had a junior/senior level course in quantum mechanics, at least one semester in length. For example, you should know how to apply and solve the one-dimensional Schrödinger equation, be familiar with the use of elementary operator techniques (for example, as applied to the harmonic oscillator) and know about the representation of angular momentum in quantum mechanics. Another course, 4101, is for students who are not familiar with these topics, for example, students who have taken only a modern physics course. It may be appropriate for exceptionally well-prepared students to take Physics 8001.

The other course sequence that most students take is 5011/2 Classical Physics. The first semester is classical mechanics and the second covers classical electromagnetism. In our experience, most students have already had the equivalent of 4001/2 (Analytical Mechanics/Electricity and Magnetism) and so can go right into 5011/2.

Your additional course(s) can be selected from a range of choices. You should carefully read the section below about the written examination before making your choice. Some common selections are listed in the table below. You should consider both the major and minor requirements for your degree (see Chapters 4 or 5) in planning your coursework. In satisfying the minor requirements, you may wish to take courses in other departments such as mathematics, astrophysics, electrical engineering, materials science, computer science or chemistry.

Two popular choices for an additional course are 4201 (Statistical and Thermal Physics) or 5041/2 (Analytical and Numerical Methods). As a rule, if students have not had a higher level course in statistical mechanics, they are encouraged to take 4201 (see the section in Chap. 2 on the Written Qualifying Exam). Students who take a one-semester course such as 4201 in the Fall Semester will generally take an introductory course in a specialty area, e.g., 4211 (Intro. to Solid State), 4411 (Intro. to Particle Physics), 4311 (Intro. to Nuclear Physics), 4611 (Intro. to Space Physics), or 4621 (Intro. to Plasma Physics). Some students may also wish to take 4303 (Waves, Optics, and Relativity), which is a course primarily designed for senior physics majors but would be appropriate for those who have only had one semester of classical mechanics and one semester of electricity and magnetism.

Plan 1: (Stronger background)

Plan 2: (Weaker background)

* Courses that might be applied to the supporting program (see Chap. 4 & 5)

Transferring credits: If you have taken graduate courses at another graduate institution, or through the adult special program or University College (Extension) at the University of Minnesota, you can transfer these credits. The official transfer of credits takes place when you submit your degree program form (see below). Credits from another institution can be transferred as long as they are taken after you have received a bachelor's degree. If you have attended college outside of the U.S., you can generally transfer credits earned after 4 years of post-secondary education. For example, some countries have a 5-year baccalaureate program. Generally, only courses from the 5^th year of such a program can be transferred. Adult special students can only transfer courses from their 1^st semester as an adult special student. A maximum of 12 credits earned in graduate courses taken through University College can be transferred.

* Survey courses useful in deciding research specialties

The Graduate Written Exam, or GWE, is currently given twice each year, at the beginning of each semester. All graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. degree are required to pass the written exam by the fall semester of their second academic year of enrollment. Not taking the examination (unless you receive advance permission from the Graduate Study Committee; see Chapter 6) is equivalent to a non-pass. M.S. candidates are required to take the examination once, but they need not achieve the passing score. Students who do not pass the written exam by the fall of their second year may be granted an additional try at the exam by the Director of Graduate Studies if they have arranged a research advisor to advise them for an M.S. degree to be completed by the end of the second year.

The purpose of the examination is to test your knowledge of 'undergraduate 'physics but at a sophistication appropriate to graduate school. While the exam does not cover graduate material, it does demand a high degree of mastery of the undergraduate material. (Graduate material will be covered later during the Oral Preliminary Examination.) The GWE is drafted by a special faculty committee and graded without knowing the names of the examinees by a large number of faculty members, with one person grading a particular problem for all of the students taking the examination. The passing grade varies from year to year depending on the apparent difficulty of the examination. In the past, the passing grade has generally been about half of the total possible points.

The current format of the examination is as follows: It is given in two 3-hour sessions on two successive days. One session consists of short problems, whereas the other consists of long problems. The examinations cover the major areas of physics: classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, quantum mechanics, and thermal and statistical physics. Some of the problems are essentially freshman-level physics problems, while others test relatively sophisticated material that most students would see in their senior year. The grades on both parts are combined; there is no minimal requirement on each part in order to pass.

Preparing for the examination is very important for first year students. Previous versions of the examination are available from the Graduate Secretary in Physics 145. The book A Review of Undergraduate Physics by Bayman and Hamermesh is based on the Minnesota written exam and, therefore, is a useful study guide. Students often work in groups in order to review the relevant subject material. We also offer a one-credit seminar course to help in the preparation for this exam. You will be notified of the time and place that it will be offered.

The specific strategy for exam preparation depends on your academic background. If you received a low score on the GRE Advanced Physics test, you will need to prepare especially well for the qualifying examination. Most students find that their undergraduate preparation is reasonably complete in classical physics (mechanics and E&M). More common is an inadequate background in quantum mechanics and statistical physics. If you have not previously studied at least one semester of thermal/statistical physics at the senior level, you should strongly consider taking Physics 4201.

You should make every effort to study hard so that you can pass the qualifying examination as soon as possible. With the examination over, you can concentrate on becoming involved in research. Although you should find a tentative research advisor even if you do not pass the examination the first time, faculty members will be more likely to offer you a full Research Assistantship after you have passed the exam.

If despite all your efforts you don't pass the first time, don't get discouraged. With serious study, most students pass the exam on the second try.

Whether you have passed the GWE or not, you should look seriously for research opportunities before the end of your first year. There are several factors that you need consider. One is whether you are interested in theoretical or experimental research. This choice often depends on your skills and your temperament. Theoretical research is more abstract. It requires very good mathematical skills. It may have long periods in which no progress, even in the form of short-term goals, seems to be made. Experimental research is more concrete requiring the visualization of how a theoretical idea can be tested using real measurements. It requires very good skills at system design. Modern experimental work typically requires the use of electronics and computer programming and sometimes requires skill in machining, plumbing and other not very academic subjects. If you are in doubt as to whether your interests lie in experiment or theory, you should talk to faculty members and other graduate students in both areas in order to help you decide.

A second factor is the choice of a specialty area within physics. The specialty areas represented at the University of Minnesota include condensed matter physics, elementary particle physics, nuclear physics, space physics, particle astrophysics and cosmology, biophysics, and physics education. You can get a better idea of the interests of each faculty member by reading the booklet 'Graduate Physics at the University of Minnesota, 'which is available from the Physics Graduate Secretary or by browsing the physics Web site at http://www.physics.umn.edu.

A third factor to consider is the personal characteristics of individual faculty members. Graduate education is very individualized. It is extremely important that you have a good relationship with your advisor. In this area, your best method of gathering information is to talk with faculty members and other graduate students, particularly with the more advanced students who have had experience in thesis research.

When you have narrowed your choices, you should make appointments to talk with several faculty members about doing thesis research with them. It is best to begin these discussions as soon as possible once you have identified your research interests. It is very advantageous to your graduate career if you can get started in research during the summer after your first year. Some faculty members may not be able to take on additional students at the moment. They will generally tell you so right away. Some may have openings now or in the near future. These people will usually ask you questions about yourself and your background in physics. They will also generally check with the faculty members teaching courses that you are taking or have taken and those for whom you have been a Teaching Assistant. Of course, your desirability as a Research Assistant is considerably increased if you have good course grades and, particularly, if you have passed the written examination. You should also continually check your e-mail account, since sometimes research opportunities are advertised through an e-mail to all graduate students.

In general, if you and a particular faculty member decide to proceed with thesis research, you will do so on a trial basis. You can expect to do an initial project that will possibly not be related directly to your eventual thesis. You may not be appointed as a Research Assistant or RA immediately, although you should ask about an RA appointment for the summer. Sometime in your second year, if your initial project has proceeded well, you should expect to make and receive a definite commitment as a thesis student. From that point on, your financial support will be either an RA or some combination of RA and TA as worked out by you and your advisor. If your experience with your first advisor does not work, you may change at either your initiative or that of the advisor. You will probably lose some time by changing advisors, but if it is necessary, it is best to do so as soon as possible. The effects of changing an advisor are much more serious late in your graduate career.