Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revision Previous revision
Next revision
Previous revision
Next revision Both sides next revision
academic_rules [2016/11/11 04:24]
michaelmedford
academic_rules [2016/11/11 06:24]
michaelmedford
Line 98: Line 98:
  
 Students are required to pass the Preliminary Exam and must satisfy a somewhat confusing array of requirements. ​ Here are Dexter'​s official words: Students are required to pass the Preliminary Exam and must satisfy a somewhat confusing array of requirements. ​ Here are Dexter'​s official words:
-//\\ \\  +  - Our students are under plan II which requires at least 24 units of upper division and graduate courses. ​  
-Our students are under plan II which requires at least 24 units of upper division and graduate courses. ​  +  ​- ​At least 12 units must be in graduate courses in the student'​s major subject (e.g. Radiation, Fluids, Stars, OOM, Galaxies, Cosmology, etc.). ​ You can use any physics graduate courses that you might take, as long as they are letter-graded. ​  
-\\ \\  +  ​- ​Courses in the 300 series do not count in the unit requirements. ​ A maximum of 6 units of 299 can be used. 
-At least 12 units must be in graduate courses in the student'​s major subject (e.g. Radiation, Fluids, Stars, OOM, Galaxies, Cosmology, etc.). ​ You can use any physics graduate courses that you might take, as long as they are letter-graded. ​  +  ​- ​For master'​s degrees, two-thirds of all course work (not just those courses that you list on the master'​s candidacy form) must be letter-graded. 
-\\ \\  + 
-Courses in the 300 series do not count in the unit requirements. ​ A maximum of 6 units of 299 can be used. +This covers the department and University requirements towards the Master of Art degree in Astrophysics. ​  ​Students are normally not admitted for the Master'​s Degree only, but may find it worthwhile to add to their record //en route// to the Ph.D. Once these requirements have been fulfilled, the student should see the Student Affairs Officer to obtain an Application for Candidacy for the Master'​s Degree.
-\\ \\  +
-For master'​s degrees, two-thirds of all course work (not just those courses that you list on the master'​s candidacy form) must be letter-graded. +
-\\ \\  +
-This covers the department and University requirements towards the Master of Art degree in Astrophysics. ​  +
-\\ \\ // +
-Students are normally not admitted for the Master'​s Degree only, but +
-may find it worthwhile to add to their record //en route// to the Ph.D. +
-Once these requirements have been fulfilled, the student should see the  +
-Student Affairs Officer to obtain an Application for Candidacy for the +
-Master'​s Degree.+
  
 ====Courses==== ====Courses====
Line 163: Line 153:
 The Prelim is an oral examination conducted by three members of the Department The Prelim is an oral examination conducted by three members of the Department
 appropriate for the fields in which the student will be examined. The Exam appropriate for the fields in which the student will be examined. The Exam
-may be taken at any time the student chooses, subject to the regulations +may be taken at any time the student chooses ​within their first two years, subject to the regulations 
-listed ​below. In setting the time of the Exam the student should consult+listed ​on the [[Prelim | Prelim Page]]. In setting the time of the Exam the student should consult
 the Department Chair at least one month in advance of the proposed date the Department Chair at least one month in advance of the proposed date
 concerning the topics and the Prelim Committee. concerning the topics and the Prelim Committee.
-The examination will be at the general level of the graduate core courses. 
-Normally, the topics consist of three fields chosen from among the list 
-of courses in the [[academic_rules:​core|core curriculum]]. The student may 
-choose to be examined in another topic at a comparable level of difficulty. 
-Typically, the topics of a special topics class (AY 250) may be used as 
-a preliminary exam topic. In the past, other topics have included: 
- 
-  * Stellar Atmospheres 
-  * Stellar Structure & Evolution 
-  * Stellar Dynamics & Galactic Structure 
-  * The Sun 
-The prelim is subject to the following rules: 
- 
-    - The prelim can be taken at any time before the end of the student'​s second year. The exam may be re-taken only once. Taking a course in the subject to be examined is not required. 
-    -  Any faculty member can be asked by a graduate student to administer the prelim exam. Unless that faculty member is on sabbatical or on ASMD (active service modified duties; typically parental leave), they are generally expected to serve. The composition of the prelim committee should be decided in discussions between the student and the relevant faculty, with oversight and advance approval by the head graduate advisor. 
-    - A prelim committee member need not have taught the class in the subject the student wishes to be examined in. Furthermore,​ the faculty member administering the exam is not obligated to model their questions after another faculty member'​s course. The spirit of this rule is that the Prelim is not just an "oral exam about 3 classes taken."​ The exam seeks to assess the ability of the student to conduct an intelligent conversation about astrophysics --- e.g., about galaxies, broadly construed. The questions asked can be of a broader scope than the material covered in a particular class. This kind of intellectual stretching is encouraged --- to become a capable researcher one has to "go beyond the problem set" and be receptive to all sources of information (e.g., seminars, conversations,​ and papers that are not formally part of a course but which are still fairly classified under the heading of "​galaxies"​). It is the responsibility of the prelim committee members, and in particular the chair of a given prelim committee, to decide whether the questions that are asked are fair. 
-   - Every graduate student who wants to take the prelim is required to fill out a form listing topics and examiners, to be approved by the head graduate advisor. The idea here is that the head graduate advisor can assess whether the proposed prelim is sensible, and consult the faculty as necessary if questions arise (e.g., whether certain Astro 250 Special Topics are permissible to use as prelim topics; whether certain combinations of topics are permissible;​ whether certain examiners --- non-Senate faculty --- can serve; whether an exception to the usual rule of three examiners can be made). This form is available from Dexter and should be completed in consultation with the head graduate advisor, well in advance of the actual exam. 
-   ​- ​ Faculty members on sabbatical or ASMD can be asked to serve on prelim committees, but whether they agree to serve is at their discretion. Note that according to the UC Academic Personnel Manual, "an individual on regular sabbatical leave is excused from all regular duties to enable full-time effort to research and/or study."​ 
-   - In order to remain in the Department a student must pass the Prelim within six months after the end of the second academic year. 
-   ​- ​ It is recommended,​ but not required, that the prelim committee members not include the student'​s research advisor, to avoid conflicts of interest. For example, the research advisor may have an interest in having the student pass, or find it awkward to fail the student; or the student and advisor may have a ready rapport and a practiced means of communication going into the exam, advantages not necessarily enjoyed by other students. However, this is a recommendation,​ not a requirement,​ as there are only so many instructors of core graduate classes. 
-   - Embargo policy: Questions asked in any given prelim are embargoed (they cannot be shared with other students) for three months following the exam. The purpose of this rule is to lessen the pressure on faculty to devise new questions in a short period of time. 
-  - The student must pass all three areas in order to pass the Examination. A pass is equivalent to the level of performance meriting a "​B"​ grade on any of the graduate core courses. 
-  - The student selects one member of the committee to serve as the Chair of the Committee. This Chairperson is responsible for timing the examination and any necessary paperwork following the examination. The student selects the order in which the topics are examined. 
- 
-The Student Affairs Officer maintains a comprehensive list of all topics and questions asked during the preliminary examination. Typically, each topic is alotted 40 minutes of questions for a total of two hours.