Academics

Planetary Sciences students earn degrees in Physics, with a separate Planetary Sciences Track in the PhD program and an Astronomy Specialization in the Bachelor's program.  As of Spring 2009, the new PhD track is not yet in the UCF catalog or online admissions system.  Apply to the track by applying for the PhD in Physics, and state prominently in your application essay that you are applying to the Planetary Sciences Track.

Our PhD program is research-based.  Students interested in the PhD should apply directly to the PhD program and not to the MS program. Applicants should identify one or more projects they would be interested in pursuing as a potential thesis topic, contact faculty or sponsored researchers who might advise them, and discuss their specific project interests in their applications. Students can always change projects once in the program, provided that another project is available.

A draft of the Physics PhD, Planetary Sciences Track proposal that gives more information than the Graduate Catalog entry on candidacy exams procedures and some other topics.  The Catalog is, of course, official in the event of any conflicts.  (The deleted material will go into a policy document someday.)

Information about Physics degrees (graduate and undergraduate)