We have set up a suggested timeline below that details information and goals to achieve by a certain point in your five year stay at the university.
First Year
First Semester
Take 6 core courses during the first year if you have not already passed one or more prelim exams
- Dynamics
- Electricity & Magnetism I
- Quantum Mechanics I
You will also attend a "Practicum" in teaching physics to prepare you for your teaching duties that will begin, most likely, in the Spring.
Second Semester
- Electricity & Magnetism II
- Quantum Mechanics II
- Statistical Physics
Students should be prepared to carry out a research project, under the guidance of a faculty member, during this time. Students who engage in such a research project will be eligible for support during their first summer. Planning for the selection of a thesis research area should begin in the first year.
Second Year
Prior to the beginning of the semester
You must complete all core course requirements before the beginning of your second year to be considered as making satisfactory progress toward your Ph.D. If one or more of the core courses is not satsfied, the Ph.D. Qualification Committee will review your record; a result could be a dismissal from the Ph.D. program, which does require a vote of the faculty.
Second Semester
A student is required to take at least 6 courses (not including research and reading courses or the Practicum) in the Physics Department beyond the core level. At least 2 of these courses must be outside the student's research area.
The course "Experimental Physics" is required of all students, except for those who have had equivalent laboratory experience.
There is an annual review of each student's progress toward the Ph.D. This includes a progress report submitted by the student, the first of which is due at the beginning of the second semester.
Summer
By this time, students are expected to have arranged for thesis supervision with a member of the Physics faculty and have established a four-member Thesis Committee. Students are urged to thoroughly investigate, by speaking with individual faculty members and the Director of Graduate Studies, the opportunities for support as a Research Assistant while thesis research is being performed. A student holding a Research Assistantship during a summer will receive a stipend for that period of time. A limited number of teaching assignments are available each summer. Interested students should apply by contacting the Graduate Secretary. In general, beyond the first summer, RA or TA assignments provide the only guaranteed departmental sources of summer support.
Third Year
First Semester
An Oral Qualifying Examination is administered by the Thesis Committee before January of the student's third year. The annual progress report includes a formal proposal for your thesis research, submitted to the thesis committee.
Second Semester
By this time, the Oral Qualifying Examination must be taken. The examination consists of a prepared talk by the candidate followed by a question period. The aim is to examine the student's mastery not only of the specific area of the student's inteded research, but also of related areas of physics, and of (relevant) general principles of physics. The committee decides whether the evidence, taken all together, presents a convincing picture of a person with the preparation and skills needed to do original scientific research in the proposed area.
Course requirements are completed in the second semester.
Fourth Year
First Semester
Maintaining Matriculation. Thesis research continues.
Thesis research continues.
Fifth Year
Prior to the beginning of the semester
This is the time to start thinking about your job search. Postdoctoral applications deadline for the following academic year are usually November and December of this time. NYU has an office of Career Services that you should consider visiting. Their webpage is http://www.nyu.edu/careerservices. They offer a variety of programs that include help with resume writing, mock interviews and job fairs.
Guideline checklist in order to graduate: Second Semester
You should now be completing your Ph.D. dissertation and preparing for the Oral Thesis Defense, conducted by your Thesis Committee, augmented by one additional faculty member.
Beyond the Fifth Year
Support is sometimes available past the fifth year for students who have not finished their dissertation.
For students who have finished their dissertation, there are some teaching opportunities for an additional semester have been available in the past, but do not rely on this as there is no guarantee this will continue