Physics
Department Chair | Dr. Daniel Kroll | |
|---|---|---|
Graduate Coordinator | Dr. Alexander Wagner | |
Department Location | 218 South Engineering | |
Telephone Number | (701) 231-8974 | |
Degrees Offered | Ph.D., M.S. | |
Application Deadline | International applications are due March 1 for fall semester and September1 for spring and summer semesters. Domestic applicants should apply at least one month prior to the start of classes. | |
Test Requirements | GRE required, subject strongly recommended | |
English Proficiency Requirements | TOEFL ibT 79 (GRA), 81 (GTA) |
Program Description
The Department of Physics offers graduate study leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Advanced work may involve specialized training in the following areas: biophysics, computational physics, condensed matter, laser applications, optics, chemical physics, soft matter, statistical mechanics, physics education and polymer physics.
Research and academic programs are tailored to meet individual needs and interests. Soon after their arrival, new students are strongly urged to visit faculty members to discuss research opportunities.
Admission Requirements
The Department of Physics graduate program is open to all qualified graduates of universities and colleges of recognized standing. In addition to the Graduate School requirements, the applicant must have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) in all courses of at least 3.3 or equivalent at the baccalaureate level.
Financial Assistance
The student must apply to the Graduate School and be accepted in full or conditional status before being eligible for an assistantship in the Department of Physics.
Generally, graduate students are supported during the academic year by either teaching assistantships or research assistantships. The 2007-2008 academic year stipend was approximately $14,000 for 9 months. Additional support during the summer is also possible. Graduate tuition (except for student activity fees) is fully waived for all teaching assistants and research assistants.
Degree Requirements
Master of Science
The Graduate Advisory Committee shall assign to each incoming graduate student a temporary advisor, who shall assist in the selection of courses. By the end of the second semester, the student must choose a permanent advisor, who will guide the student in research, and establish an advisory committee.
Each student must earn at least 30 graduate credits, numbered 601-798, of which:
- at least 10 credits are Physics courses numbered 601-689 or 700-789;
- at least 16 credits are didactic courses numbered 601-689 or 700-789;
- between 6 and 10 credits are Physics 798 (Master's Thesis);
- at least one credit must be Physics 790 Graduate Seminar.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Non-terminal Master's students who intend to pursue a PhD require 12 or more credits from Physics courses numbered 700-789.
Students are required to attend all seminars and colloquia. Each student must complete a plan of study soon after beginning thesis research. The student and advisor must agree upon two additional members of the Advisory Committee (in addition to the advisor). One additional member from outside the Physics Department will be appointed by the Graduate School, but suggestions can be made by the candidate.
Doctor of Philosophy
The Ph.D. program requires the completion of at least 90 graduate credits, numbered 601-799. Credits used to satisfy the requirements for the M.S. degree may be included in the total:
- 27 or more must be in letter-graded courses
- 19 are the required physics courses (655, 752, 758, 761, 771, 781, and 790)
- No more than 12 credits are in non-physics courses
By the end of the first year the student must select a graduate advisor and a thesis topic. At this point the student must submit a plan of study. The student and advisor must nominate two additional members for the Ph.D. committee. One additional member will be appointed by the Graduate School. One person on the committee must be from outside department.
Comprehensive examination: in the second half of their second year students
- hand in a report that summarizes their research results so far and details a research plan for the rest of their research work
- give a talk about their research topic;
- after their talk, an oral examination by their thesis committee has to be passed to confirm their doctoral status. This confirmation is a prerequisite for graduation.
If the student fails the comprehensive examination, she/he will be given the opportunity to repeat the examination in the next semester (this examination can be repeated only once). Alternatively, the student may elect to work for a Master's degree instead.
Students should submit their doctoral thesis for examination at the end of their fourth year.
For the comprehensive and final examinations, students must submit the appropriated forms to the Graduate School.
Research Equipment
The following equipment is available for research: global positioning system, picotesla magnetometry equipment, work stations; computer clusters, resources at the NDSU Center for High-Performance Computing; Nd:YAG , and titanium: sapphire lasers; immediate access to scanning electron microscope; low- and high-field NMR; and X-ray powder diffractometer, materials processing lasers and a full complement of materials characterization equipment through the NDSU Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering.
Faculty
Landon Bladow, Ph.D.
North Dakota State University, 2009
Research Interests: Theoretical Chemical Reaction Dynamics, Quantum Chemistry
Warren Christensen, Ph.D.
Iowa State University, 2007
Research Interests: Physics Education Research, Student Content Understanding, Curriculum Development
Andrew Croll, Ph.D.
McMaster University, 2009
Research Interests: Polymers, Diblock Copolymers, Thin Films, Pattern Formation, Mechanics
Alan R. Denton, Ph.D.
Cornell University, 1991
Postdoctoral: University of Guelph, 1991-94; Technical University of Vienna, 1994-95, Research Center Julich, 1996-98
Research Interests: Soft Condensed Matter Theory, Computational Physics
Eric Hobbie, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, 1990
Research Interests: Nanotechology, Nanoparticles, Polymers, Optics and Rheology
Thomas Ihle, Ph.D.
Technical University, Aachen, 1996
Postdoctoral: University of Paris, 1995-96; Grenoble 1997; University of Minnesota 1998-2000
Research Interests: Theory and Simulation of Complex Fluids Kinetic Theory, Pattern Formation
Daniel M Kroll, Ph.D.
Department Head
University of Chicago, 1973
Research Interests: Theoretical and Computational Modeling of Complex Fluids and Biomembranes
Mila Kryjevskaia, Ph.D.
University of Washington, 2008
Research Interest: Physics Education
Sylvio May, Ph.D.
Friedrich-Schiller University, 1996
Research Interests: Physics of Lipid Membranes, Biophysics
Orven Swenson, Ph.D.
Air Force Institute of Technology, 1982
Research Interests: Laser materials processing, optics education
Alexander J. Wagner, Ph.D.
University of Oxford, 1997
Postdoctoral: MIT, 1998-2000, Edinburgh, 2000-2002
Research Interests: Computational Soft Matter, Phase Separation, Diffusion, Interfaces Physics
Emeritus
Ghazi Q. Hassoun, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, 1963
Postdoctoral: University of Michigan, 1963-65
Research Interests: Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
Charles A. Sawicki, Ph.D.
Cornell University, 1975
Postdoctoral: Cornell University, 1975-79
Research Interests: Acoustics, Biophysics, Geophysics
Mahendra K. Sinha, Ph.D.
Pennsylvania State University, 1961
Postdoctoral: National Research Council (Ottawa), 1964-66
Research Interests: Field Emission and Field-Ion Microscopy
Adjunct
Stuart Croll, Ph.D.
University of Leeds, UK, 1974
Research Interests: weathering durability, film formation, internal stresses in films, modern art conservation, and history of paint technology
Andrei Kryjevski, Ph.D.
University of Washington, 2004
Research Interest: High Energy Partical Theory, Nuclear Theory, First-Principles Numerical Techniques for Fermi Systems
Kenneth Lepper, Ph.D.
Oklahoma State University, 2001
Research Interests: Applied Solid state physics (geologic materials) and materials characterization
Konstantin Pokhodnya, Ph.D.
Morcow Institute of Science and Technology, 1977
Research Interests: materials, thin film fabrication, spintronics
Gary D. Withnell, Ph.D.
North Dakota State University, 1980
Research Interests: Biophysics
