Graduate Educationin the Columbia Physics

Department

W.A. ZajcDirector of Graduate Studies

2

                    

OverviewOverview Size

18-19 admits per year (target set by GSAS) ~110 students in program

Ph.D. program Required courses in first two years Qualifying exam Thesis research Dissertation defense Mean time to degree ~6.2 years

Support: Years 1-2: Teaching Fellowship

~ 9 hours per week of teaching obligations $2000 per month (research assistantship in summer)

Subsequent years: Research Assistantship,costs carried by grants

3

                    

Admission StatisticsAdmission Statistics

Clear increasing trend in number of applicants

Increased selectivity Time correlated with

condensed matter recruitments

Conscious effort to increase representation of women in admit poolYear Applicants US Applicants Offers Registered US Women

1992 179 43 15 01993 181 38 16 11994 262 37 13 11995 205 47 17 01996 213 52 17 7 61997 199 53 16 4 11998 169 51 56 18 5 31999 247 82 60 20 9 42000 240 67 59 19 6 62001 327 114 59 18 7 42002 343 123 55 19 5 52003 382 127 53 19 6 62004 387 150 52 20 11 7

Admission Trends

0

100

200

300

400

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Applicants

Offers

Percent Women

0%

20%

40%

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Stormer Pinczuk Arrive

4

                    

Graduate Student Composition

Graduate Student Composition

National origins By undergrad institution… By citizenship ?

mini-CUSPEA CUSPEA CU S Physics E A … Columbia, CCNY, NYU Princeton… Select group determined via

written examination interviews by faculty from participating institutions

1-2 per year

5

                    

TeachingTeaching

Average of 9 hours per week One 3-hour laboratory per week Grading of lab reports : 3 hours per week Preparation for laboratory: 1 hour per week Help room : 1 hour per week Grading of lecture course examinations

(~14 hours per semester) Contact hours contingent upon satisfactory

written +aural + oral competency Internal CU program….

6

                    

Awards and HonorsAwards and Honors

NSF’s…..

Presidential Teaching Awards University-wide competition Three awardees in past N years:

Michael Larkin (199?) Chad Finley (200?) Gabriel Perez-Giz (2003)

Other…..

7

                    

Required?? Courses

Required?? Courses

All five of the following formal introductory courses:    G6037/ 8: Quantum Mechanics I and II    G6092/ 3: Electromagnetic Theory I and II    G6036 : Statistical Mechanics

Two courses from the following phenomenological subject courses:    G6050: Elementary Particle Physics    G6040: Nuclear Physics    G6018: Solid State Physics G6010: Advanced Astrophysics     G6011: High Energy Astrophysics    G6060: Laser Physics

G6070 Biophysics One of the following advanced theoretical courses:

    G8047-8 : Advanced Quantum Mechanics I or II    G8069-70 : Particle Physics I or II    G8040 : General Relativity    G8066 : Theoretical Solid State Physics    G8050 : Advanced Mathematical Methods in Physics   

One of the following special techniques courses OR a second course from the advanced theoretical courses above:    G6099: Physical Phenomena    G6042: Experimental Methods in Nuclear Physics    G6080: Scientific Computing

8

                    

?? Discussion here about ongoing study

by Graduate Committee on course reform? Examined offerings at peer institutions Roughly similar Some emerging sentiment to “modernize”

core offerings: Not yet a proposal, but for example:

Reduce E&M to 1 semester Replace with

- GR + Early Universe ?- Non-linear phenomena?- Computational methods?

Also: rationalize advanced particle physics and field theory offerings

9

                    

Qualifying ExaminationQualifying

Examination Offered once per year (January) Level: ~advanced undergraduate Format:

Three (4 hr) written exams: Classical Physics (Mechanics, E&M) Modern Physics (formal Quantum Mechanics, applied Quantum Mechanics,

and Relativity) General Physics (Thermodynamics, Optics, HEP, Nuclear, Astrophysics,

Atomic, Condensed Matter) Oral Examination by 3-person faculty committee

Pass/Fail status determined in faculty meeting following detailed discussion of each student’s performance on written and oral qualifying exam, and in course work:

Pass complete course requirements, begin research Fail repeat entire exam following year Conditional repeat specific section following year Second failure requested to leave program

Statistics: (Past 5 years): 96 students 22 repeats 2 failed 2nd attempt

10

                    

Typical ProgramTypical ProgramSummerResearch

(full time))

4 5 6

Courses2-3 per Semester

Teaching9 hr/wk

Courses2-3 per Semester

Teaching9 hr/wk

THESIS RESEARCH (full time)

0 1 2 3

M. A.

M. Phil.

Ph.D.

QualifyingExamination

QualifyingExamination(?)

DissertationDefense

11

                    

Distribution of Degrees

Distribution of Degrees

Broken down by Exp/Theory By topic ~10% outside department # stationed off-site?

12

                    

Time To DegreeTime To Degree Results from monitoring over past decade:

Times to Degree: All (100%): Avg = 6.25y, Median = 6 y Experiment ( 54%): Avg = 6.29y, Median = 6 y Theory ( 46%): Avg = 6.21y, Median = 6 y

Time to DegreeMedian = 6 years Average=6.25 years

0

5

1015

20

25

30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Years from Admit Date

13

                    

Employment DataEmployment Data Relatively good employment prospects for

PhD’s Majority take postdoc Obvious influence of proximity to Wall Street

Year Postdoc Teaching Finance Industry Other Unknown

1998 7 2 4 11999 4 1 1 12000 4 1 6 2 22001 10 2 2 1 1 12002 5 2 12003 8 1 12004 12 1

14

                    

ComparisonComparison

Data from AIP’s link to http://www.gradschoolshopper.com/

Full-Time Grad. Students

First Year Grad Students

Faculty(Full Time)

Faculty(Total)

PhysicsGRE

Median Yearsin Grad Study

Chicago 128 22 41 48 872 6Columbia 107 20 37 41 832 5.76Cornell 204 41 49 72 ~800 min 5.4Duke 67 9 38 61 679 7Harvard 141(?) 22(?) 47 892Illinois 253 40(?) 66 80 766 5.5MIT 249 45 77 77 5.8Princeton 100 24 41 41 5Stanford 150 22 32 45 760 5UC-Berkeley 239 38 51 61 840Yale 89 16 36+10 41+10 590-990 5.9

15

                    

Some Clever Summary

Some Clever Summary

16

                    

Getting Information

Getting Information

Use it!

Ask!

17

                    

Placement ExamsPlacement Exams Offered on Thursday, 02-Sep-04:

10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon: G6092-3 (Electromagnetic Theory I and II) 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM: G6037-8 (Quantum Mechanics I and II)

You are strongly encouraged to take either (or both) of these exams Pass: Credit for the course Fail : No record is kept

Re-visiting material you know well is not a productive use of your time!

18

                    

Ethical Behavior (I)Ethical Behavior (I) Columbia University is an academic community

committed to fostering intellectual inquiry in a climate of academic freedom and integrity. Its members are expected to uphold these principles and exhibit tolerance and respect for others. Thus, the Graduate School condemns all forms of misconduct and works strenuously to assure that its students are accorded tolerance, dignity and respect. Any graduate student who believes that he or she is a victim of misconduct has recourse to the mediation and grievance procedures developed by the Graduate School. Students are encouraged to discuss problems, questions, and grievances with anyone in a supervisory position, such as an advisor, director of graduate studies, department chair or appropriate dean or university administrator...

Full details available at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsas/G_D_Policy2003.pdf

19

                    

Ethical Behavior (II)

Ethical Behavior (II)

Columbia University is an academic community committed to fostering intellectual inquiry in a climate of academic freedom and integrity. Its members are expected to uphold these principles and abide by the regulations of the University. They are also expected to obey local, state and federal laws. Students continue at the University, receive academic credits, graduate, and obtain degrees subject to the disciplinary powers of the University. The Trustees of the University have delegated responsibility for student discipline to the deans of the individual schools or divisions. Students should be aware that academic dishonesty (for example, plagiarism, cheating on an examination, or dishonesty in dealing with a faculty member or other University official) or violence, threatening behavior, or harassment are particularly serious offenses that will be dealt with severely under Dean’s Discipline.

Full details available at http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsas/G_D_Policy2003.pdf

20

                    

Policy on Academic and Personal Misconduct

Policy on Academic and Personal Misconduct

The Graduate School prohibits academic dishonesty or misconduct. Without trying to list every example, the following illustrate the different forms that academic fraud or misconduct can take: 1. Cheating on examinations or tests; also fabrication of data

and/or fabrication of results. 2. Plagiarism, the failure to acknowledge adequately ideas,

language or research of others, in papers, essays, dissertations or other work.

3. Knowingly assisting others in plagiarism, by making one’s papers, essays, or written work available for such use.

4. Misstatement or misrepresentation in connection with any academic matter, such as in an application for admission or financial aid, or during a formal inquiry by University officials.

5. Misuse, alteration, or fabrication of University documents, records and credentials, including transcripts and I.D. cards.

6. Improper use of the library and its resources: theft or purposely hoarding or hiding books or materials.

7. Misconduct in carrying out teaching or research responsibilities. See appendix C for faculty guidelines. These guidelines apply to anyone teaching or conducting research at Columbia.

21

                    

Your RoleYour Role Why this emphasis? Because

You are joining a community of scholars

Whose medium of exchange is individual ideas and research results

The community: Your fellow students The Columbia physics faculty The associated research scientists,

post-docs, and technicians Similar groups at other institutions

22

                    

The Columbia Faculty

The Columbia Faculty

A broad department covering Condensed matter Astrophysics “Particle” theory Experimental particle physics “Nuclear” physics

A department with An illustrious past A bright future (you)

23

                    

Condensed MatterCondensed Matter

Theory Igor Aleiner

electron transport

Allan BlaerLow T phase transitions

Tim Halpin-Healey

phase transitions and critical phenomena

Andy Millisinteracting e’s in metals

Experiment Tony Heinz

Surface physics w. lasers

Philip Kimlow-dimensional nanostructures

Aron Pinczuklow-dim e systems

Horst Stormerlow-dim e systems

Tomo UemuraSR, high Tc

24

                    

AstrophysicsAstrophysics

Theory Andrei

BeloborodovX-ray binaries, AGN,

bursts

Lam Huicosmology

Janna Levintheoretical astrophysics

Mal RudermanCompact objects

Experiment Elena Aprile

Gamma ray sources, LXe-TPC

Charles HaileyGamma ray astronomy

Amber MillerCMB probes

Reshmi Mukherjeegamma rays, AGN

Stefan WesterhoffHiRes, AGN

25

                    

“Particle” Physics“Particle” Physics

Theory Norman Christ

LQCD Brian Greene

strings, cosmology Daniel Kabat

strings, quantum gravity T.D. Lee

Everything Robert Mawhinney

LQCD Alfred Mueller

QCD, heavy ions Erick Weinberg

strings, black holes

Experiment Gustaaf Brooijmans

D0, ATLAS Janet Conrad

miniBoone, nuTeV (FNAL) Hal Evans

D0 John Parsons

D0, ATLAS Frank Sciulli

ZEUS Michael Shaevitz

NuTeV, miniBoone Michael Tuts

D0, ATLAS William Willis

ATLAS

26

                    

“Nuclear” Physics“Nuclear” Physics

Theory Miklos Gyulassy

QCD, heavy ion theory

Experiment Brian Cole

PHENIX, proton-Nucleus

William ZajcPHENIX at RHIC

27

                    

To Learn MoreTo Learn More

Required: Attend the Graduate Seminar!

Colloquium: (Mondays at 4pm)

Various regularly scheduled seminars

Ask!

28

                    

The Graduate Experience

The Graduate Experience

It’s the same: Continue to take classes Grades continue to matter

It’s different: You will make a transition from

a student to a researcher to an independent researcher

The experience will have a profound affect on your entire career, in or out of science