PhD Program

Our PhD program emphasizes research from the first semester; writing a submittable paper is a candidacy requirement (candidacy is the examination, usually taken at the end of the second year, that allows the student to begin dissertation research).  Students interested in the PhD should apply directly to the PhD program and not to the MS program. Applicants should (1) identify one or more projects they would be interested in pursuing as a potential dissertation topic, (2) contact faculty or sponsored researchers who might advise them, and (3) discuss their specific project interests in their applications. Students can always change projects once in the program, provided that another project is available.

Applications received by 15 January will receive full consideration for funding, and fellowships are unlikely for applications received after this date.  We evaluate applications in January - March each year and make most admissions decisions and funding commitments (GRAs and GTAs) then.  Officially, we can admit as late as June for Fall enrollment, and we can admit for Spring enrollment, but such cases are atypical.  Since June is UCF's official cutoff for Fall, that is listed as the application deadline, but those seeking financial support should apply by 15 January.

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

Here is a link to the Physics Department's info about graduate degrees.

Curious about what it's like to be in our graduate program? Read the interviews with some of our current grad students!

Planetary graduate-level course sequence:

Other electives are added as teaching schedules permit.

Every Fall ('12, '13, '14, '15,...)

• AST 5765 Advanced Astronomical Data Analysis (though note that this course is not offered in Spring '12).

Even Falls ('12, '14, '16,...)

• AST 5154 Advanced Planetary Geophysics

Odd Falls ('13, '15, '17,...)

• AST 5145 Advanced Asteroids, Comets, Meteorites

Odd Springs ('11, '13, '15,...)

• AST 6112 Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems

Even Springs ('12, '14, '16,...)

• AST 5165 Planetary Atmospheres
• AST 5263 Advanced Observational Astronomy

Example Planetary PhD Track course schedule:

If entering in Fall of an odd year ('11, '13, '15,...):

Fall of first year

•  PHY 6246 Classical Mechanics
•  AST 5765 Advanced Astronomical Data Analysis
•  PHY 6918 Directed Research, or an elective, for 3 credits

Spring of first year

• AST 5165 Planetary Atmospheres
• AST 5263 Advanced Observational Astronomy
• AST 5xxx Asteroids Comets Meteorites

Fall of second year

• AST 5154 Advanced Planetary Geophysics
• PHY 6918 Directed Research, or an elective, for 3 credits
• 3 more credits of PHY 6918 Directed Research, or another elective

Spring of second year

• AST 6112 Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems
• PHY 5524 Statistical Physics
• PHY 6918 Directed Research, or an elective, for 3 credits

If entering in Fall of an even year (e.g. '12, '14, '16,...):

Fall of first year

• PHY 6246 Classical Mechanics
• AST 5765 Advanced Astronomical Data Analysis (though note that this course isn't offered for Spring '12)
• AST 5154 Advanced Planetary Geophysics

Spring of first year

• PHY 5524 Statistical Physics
• AST 6112 Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems
• PHY 6918 Directed Research, or an elective, for 3 credits

Fall of second year

• PHY 6918 Directed Research, or an elective, for 3 credits
• 3 more credits of PHY 6918 Directed Research, or another elective
• yet 3 more credits of PHY 6918 Directed Research, or another elective

Spring of second year

• AST 5165 Planetary Atmospheres
• AST 5263 Advanced Observational Astronomy
• AST 5xxx Asteroids Comets Meteorites

NOTE: This is a draft of what became the approved Track proposal.  We keep it here because some of the text (e.g., regarding details of exam procedures) was removed from the actual Graduate Catalog text and will be put into a policy manual for the track that does not exist yet.  This page is thus PURELY A GUIDELINE.  The Catalog supercedes anything written here.  This page will be replaced by the policy manual when it exists.

Planetary Sciences Graduate Track

Introduction: The University of Central Florida has rapidly grown to become a center for research and teaching in the planetary sciences. Our goal is to create a vibrant planetary science research environment that can attract top students, researchers, and faculty and contribute significantly to the exploration of space. The Planetary Sciences Graduate Ph.D. and Masters Tracks are designed to prepare students to be competitive in the global planetary sciences research community.

Admission to the Planetary Science Track: Students must be specifically admitted to the Graduate Planetary Sciences track, either for Masters or Ph.D.. External applications and petitions to switch from the existing Physics graduate program are considered by the Planetary Graduate Committee. Admission to the track requires a Bachelor of Science or equivalent, typically in physics, astronomy, geology, geophysics, geochemistry, atmospheric sciences, or planetary sciences. Those without full academic preparation in physics and astronomy, or low scores on the Departmental placement test may be required to complete specified coursework in addition to the core program, as determined by the Planetary Graduate Committee at the time of admission or their Supervisory Committee at a later date. Petitions to switch from the existing Physics graduate program shall be in the form of a letter to the Planetary Science Graduate Committee addressed to Dr. Dan Britt. The letter should include the request to join the planetary sciences track, the students degree goal (Masters or Ph.D.), the name of the students planetary sciences advisor, and a brief description of their expected area of research.

For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions and Registration section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline(s).In addition to the general UCF graduate admission requirements, applicants to this program must provide:

• One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.

• Official, competitive GRE score taken within the last five years.

• The Physics Subject Test of the GRE is recommended, but not required.

• Students entering the Physics graduate program with regular status are normally expected to have completed course work generally required for a bachelor's degree in physics, including mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermal and statistical physics, and quantum mechanics.

• Three letters of recommendation.

• Statement of goals.

• Résumé.

Meeting minimum UCF admission criteria does not guarantee program admission. Final admission is based on evaluation of the applicant's abilities, past performance, recommendations, match of this program and faculty expertise to the applicant's career/academic goals, and the applicant's potential for completing the degree.

Application Deadlines

Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see Financing Grad School, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.

For information on the Planetary Sciences track contact the Planetary Sciences Graduate Advisor Dr. Dan Britt at 407-823-2600 or britt@physics.ucf.edu

Curriculum

Ph.D. Requirements: A minimum of 72 credit hours beyond the bachelors degree or 42 hours beyond the masters degree. This includes completion of 6 core courses (18 hours) listed below, 5 electives (15 hours) of regular coursework selected in consultation with the students Supervisory Committee, a minimum of 15 hours of dissertation, and the remaining 24 hours of appropriately selected research, dissertation, and elective courses. Courses must be selected so that at least one-half of the 72 hours are at 6000 level or higher. No more than 12 hours of independent study may be credited toward the Ph.D. degree. The Ph.D. includes a Candidacy Exam to be taken after the completion of the core courses, a written dissertation, and a dissertation defense before the student's supervisory committee.

Masters Requirements: Master's requirements include at least 33 hours of graduate course work as directed by the student's supervisory committee. This must include at least 15 hours of courses from the planetary core listed below and 6 hours of Thesis Preparation with the remainder being electives and directed research classes chosen in consultation with the supervisory committee. At least half of the total credits must be at the 6000 level. No more than 6 hours of independent study may be credited toward the M.S. degree. The Master's Degree in planetary sciences includes a thesis and its defense. There is no non-thesis Master's degree in the planetary sciences track.

Planetary Sciences Core: The core is designed to give students a broad foundation in the planetary sciences and a rapid training in the data analysis techniques that will be necessary for a successful research and publications.

• Statistical Physics (PHY 5524): A study of physical concepts and methods appropriate for the description of systems involving many particles. Ensemble theory, partition functions. Maxwell Boltzmann, Bose-Einstein, Fermi-Dirac statistics.

• Classical Mechanics (PHY 6246): Variational principles. Lagrange, Hamiltonian, and Poisson bracket formulations of mechanics. Hamilton's principle of least action. Hamilton-Jacobi theory. Perturbation theory. Continuous systems. Chaos.

• Either: Computational Physics (PHZ 5156): Computational methods applied to the solution of problems in many branches of physics; or Advanced Astronomical Data Analysis (AST 5937): Advanced techniques for processing astronomical data including defringing, bootstrap and Markov-chain Monte Carlo analysis, advanced model fitting, wavelets, and numerical recipes.

• Advanced Planetary Geophysics (AST 5930): The physics of planetary surfaces, surface processes, interiors, mineralogy, and reflectance spectroscopy.

• Advanced Observational Astronomy: Design of scientific observing programs, acquiring astronomical data sets, applied astronomical data reduction, analysis of sources of observational error, publication of results.

• Planetary Atmospheres (AST 5165): The physics and chemistry that govern the behavior of the atmospheres of Earth and other planets including atmospheric dynamics, vertical chemistry, radiative transfer, gas spectroscopy, and cloud microphysics.

Planetary Sciences Electives

• Planetary Astronomy Seminar: Advanced topical course focused on major new developments in planetary astronomy including recent results from NASA/ESA missions. This course would be taught annually with a new topic each year. This course may be repeated for credit.

• Origins of Solar Systems (AST 6112): Formation of planetary systems beginning with the proto-stellar clouds, collapse, condensation, particle-disk interactions, accretion models, formation of satellites, what has been learned from observations of extra-solar planets, and the physics of magnetic fields generated by planetary bodies.

• Extra-Solar Planets: An advanced course on the physics of substellar-mass objects, their formation, evolution, dynamics, detection, and environments. This includes the gravitational collapse of molecular clouds, the dynamics of planetary evolution in extrasolar systems, the evolution of Brown Dwarfs, and the habitability of extrasolar worlds.

• Astrobiology (AST 5937): Interdisciplinary branch of science that deals with the origins, development, and fate of life on Earth and in extraterrestrial environments.

• Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors: Small bodies in the solar system, including geophysics, chemistry, dynamics, and evolution of asteroids and comets

Other Potential Electives:

• Plasma Physics (PHZ 5505): Introduction to theory and experimental basis of both weakly and highly ionized plasmas. Instabilities, plasma waves, nonlinear effects, controlled thermonuclear fusion.

• Electrodynamics I (PHY 5346): Boundary value problems in electrostatics and magnetostatics. Maxwell's equations. EM fields in matter, wave generation and propagation; wave guides, resonant cavities

• Electrodynamics II (PHY 6347): Dynamics of charged particles in electromagnetic fields. Antennas; radiation by moving charges; magnetohydrodynamics; multipole radiation and electrodynamics of materials.

• Quantum Mechanics I (PHY 5606): Basic postulates of quantum mechanics, operators, eigenvalues, parity, potential wells, harmonic oscillator, time dependent and time independent Schrodinger equation, matrix formulation, and time independent perturbation theory.

• Quantum Mechanics II (PHY 6624): Time dependent perturbation theory, exchange symmetry, Dirac Equation, second quantization, and scattering theory

• Introduction to Wave Optics (OSE 5041): Electromagnetic foundation of light waves as applied to reflection, diffraction, interference, polarization, coherence, and guided waves.

• Image Processing (EEL 5820): Two-dimensional signal processing techniques; pictorial image representation; spatial filtering; image enhancement and encoding; segmentation and feature extraction; introduction to image understanding techniques

• Fundamentals of Optical Science (OSE 5312): Microscopic theory of absorption, dispersion, and refraction of materials; wave propagation, introduction to lasers and non-linear optics.

Supervisory Committee: Within the first half-semester of admission to the planetary sciences graduate track, each student must select, by mutual agreement, a faculty advisor and two other faculty members to serve on his or her Supervisory Committee. One of the faculty members who is not the advisor must be from an area in the department other than planetary science. UCF faculty and self-funded research scientists are eligible to serve on supervisory committees. Changes in the membership of a Supervisory Committee must be approved by the Planetary Graduate Committee. The advisor is expected to meet regularly with the student. The full committee shall meet with the student at least once per semester to review and make recommendations regarding the student's academic progress. At the time of the Candidacy Exam, a non-UCF planetary scientist shall be added to the Supervisory Committee.

Masters Defense: The Planetary Sciences Track Masters requirement includes a written thesis and its oral defense after the completion of the Masters course work and research. The thesis is a journal-level research paper. The oral defense is a two parts: (1) A public presentation of the research contained in the paper; and (2) private questioning on the detail of the presented research as well as the topics covered in the student's preparation and course work. The written and oral components will be administrated by the student's Supervisory Committee. A student must submit the written Thesis to the Supervisory Committee 14 calendar days before the scheduled oral defense. Committee members are expected to read it and give a preliminary indication as to its acceptability four days after receipt. The preliminary indication of acceptability for a written examination paper is noncommital. Rather, it is intended to avoid obvious failures. By the start of the eighth day before the examination, the official version of the thesis is due, and the Committee must decide whether to allow the oral defense to proceed. If the defense does not proceed, either due to decision of the Supervisory Committee or that of the student, the student is deemed not to have defended. The following outcomes are possible for the defense:

Pass

Pass conditioned on revisions (both) or additional coursework

Retake

Retake after additional coursework

Fail

Passes conditioned on revisions are handled as follows: all committee members sign the appropriate paperwork except the advisor. The advisor signs the paperwork when satisfied with the revisions. Students may only retake a defense once, and must do so within one year, or immediately after the next offering of a required course, whichever occurs later. If the student fails examination a second time or fails to retake the examination within the specified period, the student is dropped from the program.

Ph.D. Candidacy Exam: The astronomy track requires a Candidacy Exam to be taken after the completion of the core courses. This exam is composed of a written component and an oral exam. The written component is a journal-level research paper. The oral component is a two parts: (1) A public presentation of the research contained in the paper including the traditional question and answer period of a scientific presentation; and (2) private questioning on the detail of the presented research as well as the topics covered in the student's preparation and course work. The written and oral components will be administrated by the student's Supervisory Committee. A student must give the written examination paper to the Supervisory Committee 14 calendar days before the scheduled oral examination. Committee members are expected to read it and give a preliminary indication as to its acceptability four days thereafter. The preliminary indication of acceptability for a written examination paper is noncommital. Rather, it is intended to avoid obvious failures. By the start of the eighth day before the examination, the official version of the paper is due, and the Committee must decide whether to allow the oral examination to proceed. If the examination does not proceed, either due to decision of the Supervisory Committee or that of the student, the student is deemed not to have taken either part of the examination. Both the written and oral Candidacy examinations are deemed to take place at the time of the oral examination. Written results including comments on the paper are due within three days of the examination. The following outcomes are possible for either examination:

Pass

Pass conditioned on revisions (both) or additional coursework

Retake

Retake after additional coursework

Fail with option for Master's Degree

Fail without option for Master's Degree

Passes conditioned on revisions are handled as follows: all committee members sign the appropriate paperwork except the advisor. The advisor signs the paperwork when satisfied with the revisions. Students may only retake an examination once, and must do so within one year, or immediately after the next offering of a required course, whichever occurs later. If the student fails examination a second time or fails to retake the examination within the specified period, the student is dropped from the program.

Dissertation Proposal: The Dissertation Proposal may be presented simultaneously with the Candidacy Exam or in a separate meeting not more than one semester thereafter. Before substantial work is done on the dissertation, the Supervisory Committee must approve the proposal and must also assess whether additional coursework is necessary to begin the dissertation. Such coursework should be completed at the earliest opportunity and before substantial work is done on the dissertation.

Dissertation Defense: The Dissertation Defense is the final requirement for the PhD. It consists of a public presentation of the dissertation typically lasting 45-60 minutes including the traditional question and answer period of a scientific presentation, followed by private questioning by the Supervisory Committee. Procedures are similar to the Candidacy exam. A student must give the dissertation to his or her Supervisory Committee 14 calendar days before the scheduled defense. Committee members are expected to read it and give a preliminary indication as to its acceptability four days thereafter. The preliminary indication of acceptability for a written examination paper is noncommital. Rather, it is intended to avoid obvious failures. The student must then post notices of the presentation in a manner similar to that for a department colloquium. Written results including comments on the dissertation are due within three days of the defense. The following outcomes are possible:

Approval of the dissertation

Approval subject to revisions to be approved by the advisor

Required redefense

A redefense must occur within one year. At the second defense the redefense option is replaced by options for a Master's Degree or failure and removal from the program without a conferred degree.

Participating Faculty:

Professor H. Campins

Associate Professor Y. Fernandez

Associate Professor D. Britt

Associate Professor J. Harrington

Associate Professor J. Colwell