The second year of graduate school is a transitional period between coursework and the beginning of a Ph.D. research career. M.Sc. degree students, on the other hand, should finish their degree by the end of this year. Ph.D. students should complete the following by the end of the second year: have passed the graduate written exam (GWE), find a thesis adviser, start preparing for the oral exam, finish the required coursework, and start thesis research.

You can also consult a complete guide to degree completion steps. Or a briefer, step by step description.

A Graduate Degree Plan is required for both M.Sc. and Ph.D. students who started their program prior to Fall 2020. It can be entered in a form which is fillable online at https://onestop.umn.edu/sites/onestop.umn.edu/files/forms/otr198_graduate_degree_plan.pdf. For M.Sc. degree candidates, the form should be submitted after completion of 10 credits. For Ph.D. degree candidates the form should be submitted at least two weeks before the Preliminary Oral Examination.

The Graduate Degree Plan lists all the courses that students have taken and will take for the degree. Courses must also be identified as to whether they satisfy the major or minor requirements. Any transfer courses from other graduate institutions should also be listed on the Graduate Degree Plan Form. It is precisely at this point that transfer credits become part of the student official graduate record at the University of Minnesota.

When the form is completed, it must be signed by the adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies, and then submitted to the Graduate School. If there is a designated minor (outside physics), the form must also be signed by the Director of Graduate Studies for the minor field.

The list of courses must satisfy the degree requirements given in Chapters 4 and 5. Unless a course is needed to satisfy some requirement, do not list it in the form even if you are planning to take it. Substituting or deleting courses listed on a signed and approved Graduate Degree Plan requires paperwork (submitting a revised Graduate Degree Plan form to the Graduate School that must be first signed by the adviser and the Director of Graduate Studies).

Submitting a GPAS Planner is required for both M.Sc. and Ph.D students who started their program Fall 2020 and later. You can review the steps for how to complete and submit your GPAS for review and approval here: https://onestop.umn.edu/academics/grad-and-professional/gpas For M.Sc. degree candidates, the Planner should be submitted after completion of 10 credits. For Ph.D. degree candidates the Planner should be submitted at least two weeks before the Preliminary Oral Examination.

The Graduate Planning & Audit System (GPAS) allows graduate students to plan future coursework and view student degree progress. You only need to add coursework to your Planner that you plan on taking because the audit (advisement report) will already track completed coursework and requirements. If you want to add or remove a graduate minor, you will need to submit a separate form. Please review the steps for how to complete and submit your GPAS for review and approval here: https://onestop.umn.edu/academics/grad-and-professional/gpas

Any transfer courses from other graduate institutions should be discussed with the Director of Graduate Studies before this time. If approved, they are entered into GPAS system and become part of the student official graduate record at the University of Minnesota.

If you have been admitted to our Ph.D. program, but wish to switch to a master degree instead, there are a number of steps to be taken.

• Master degree, Plan A. The requirements for this degree are given in the M.Sc. requirements section. Note that you need to register for thesis credits, and complete and defend a thesis. You also need to submit the Add Master’s Degree to Doctoral Degree Form and then submit your GPAS Planner once the degree is added.
• Master degree, Plan B. The requirements for this degree are given in the M.Sc. requirements section. Note that you need to register for PHYS 8500 “Plan B project”, and complete and defend the project. You also need to submit the Add Master’s Degree to Doctoral Degree Form and then submit your GPAS Planner once the degree is added.
• Master degree, Plan C (either terminal degree, or on the way to the Ph.D). There are no new class requirements for this degree, as sometimes students apply for the master degree simply on their way to the Ph.D. program. You also need to submit the Add Master’s Degree to Doctoral Degree Form and then submit your GPAS Planner once the degree is added. Requirements are summarized in the M.Sc. requirements section.

Biophysics: BIOL 4004 Cell biology, 5081 Introduction to Biopolymer Physics, BIOC 6021 Biochemistry, 8300 Biological and Medical Physics Seminar, BMEN 8511 Systems and Synthetic Biology, GCD 8920. Quantitative Fluorescence Microscopy.

Condensed Matter Physics: 4211 Introduction to Solid State Physics, 5223 Quantum Computation and Information, 5701 Solid State Physics for Engineers and Scientists, 8702 Statistical Mechanics and Transport Theory, 8011 Quantum Field Theory I, 8014 Quantum Many Body Systems, 8711 Solid State Physics I, 8712 Solid State Physics II, 8750: Advanced Topics in Condensed Matter Physics, 8700: Condensed Matter Physics Seminar.

Elementary Particle and Nuclear Physics: 4511 Introduction to Nuclear and Particle Physics, 8011 Quantum Field Theory I, 8012 Quantum Field Theory II, 8013 Special Topics in Quantum Field Theory, 8901 Elementary Particle Physics I, 8902 Elementary Particle Physics II, 8950 Advanced Topics in Elementary Particle Physics, 8900: Seminar: Elementary Particle Physics.

Plasma and Space Physics: 4611: Introduction to Space Physics, 4621 Introduction to Plasma Physics, 8601 Plasma Physics I, 8602 Plasma Physics II, 8611 Cosmic Rays and Plasma Astrophysics, 8650 Advanced Topics in Space and Plasma Physics, 8600 Seminar: Space Physics.

Relativity and Cosmology: 4811 Introduction to General Relativity, 5022 Relativity, Cosmology, and the Universe, 8501 General Relativity and Cosmology I, 8502 General Relativity and Cosmology II, 8200 Seminar: Cosmology and Astrophysics.

Note that some of the courses below are not offered every year. This list is only meant as an approximate guide for the second year.