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Physics Research Resources: Dissertations & Theses

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As part of the requirements for graduate level degrees, students must complete a thesis for a Master's degree and/or dissertation for a Ph.D. Dissertations and theses are submitted to the academic department and the Graduate College and are made available through the University Library. Since 2010, all theses and dissertations are electronically deposited into IDEALS, the Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship, the University's open repository of scholarly content.

ProQuest Dissertations is a comprehensive collection of citations to dissertations and theses worldwide from 1861 to the present day. Full text PDFs are available for many Ph.D. dissertations added since 1997 and some older graduate works.

• IDEALS (UIUC Institutional Repository) Digital copies of theses, data sets, and publications by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign faculty and students.
• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses PDF copies of dissertations and theses from U.S. universities.

Physics Dissertations & Theses

• Physics Dissertations and Theses Search Interface

Print Dissertations & Theses

Prior to 2010, print format dissertations and theses were bound and cataloged separately for the Grainger Engineering Library. Prior to 1983, each thesis was shelved by a call number assigned by subject headings. To locate them, search the online catalog for the author’s last name, title word(s) if known, and “theses” and the year granted as subject term(s).

Physics dissertations and theses granted from 1985 to 1999 were assigned Q.629.1Ta, followed by the 2-number year, followed by starting letters from the author’s last name. (Example: A 1991 thesis by M. Doyle would be Q.629.1Ta91D). Dissertations and theses granted from 2000 to present were assigned Q.629.1Tb, followed by the 2-number year, followed by starting letters from the author’s last name. (Example: A 2006 thesis by H. Dewey would be Q.629.1Tb06De).

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The Graduate College at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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227 Loomis Lab MC-704

227 Loomis Lab 1110 W. Green Urbana, IL 61801

https://physics.illinois.edu/

• Lance Cooper [email protected] (217) 333-8702 (217) 333-4898 (fax)
• Nicolette Elam [email protected] (217) 333-3645

Course Catalog

Physics, ms.

for the degree of Master of Science in Physics

The Department of Physics offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Physics and Master of Science in Teaching Physics. The Department is actively developing a new paradigm for graduate physics education and research for the 21st century, aimed at enhancing interdisciplinary interactions and creating an integrated approach to educational and research training. Outstanding graduate research opportunities are available in many subdisciplines of physics, including condensed matter physics, high energy and nuclear physics, astrophysics, atomic physics, molecular and optical physics, complex systems, quantum information, biological physics, physics education research.

Students may select experimental, theoretical, or computational thesis projects. Multidisciplinary projects are especially encouraged, and, with the consent of other departments, students may earn master's degrees in areas such as materials science and engineering, or computer science, simultaneously with their PhD degrees in physics.

• Computational Science and Engineering

The M.S. degree is usually completed in 1.5 years of full-time study by students entering in full standing. Students entering with deficiencies may require up to two years to complete the degree requirements.

For additional details and requirements refer to the department's  Degree Requirements  and the  Graduate College Handbook .

Requirements

Other requirements and conditions.

Physics Department Head: Matthias Grosse Perdekamp Director of Graduate Studies: Lance Cooper Physics Department website 227 Loomis Lab, 1110 W Green St, Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 333-3645 Physics Graduate Office email Physics Department faculty

Grainger College of Engineering Grainger College of Engineering website

Admissions Physics Graduate Admissions & Requirements Graduate College Admissions & Requirements

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2023-2024 Catalog (PDF)

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Five-Year PhD Funding Guarantee

The grainger engineering ph.d. commitment.

A mission of The Grainger College of Engineering Graduate Programs is to prepare graduates able to meet the nation’s need for advanced technical knowledge, experienced in the methodologies of scientific research or industrial innovation, and equipped with the skills and gumption required to lead society toward advances in infrastructure, health care, food and energy production, security, environmental sustainability, and information technology. 

Our Ph.D. students are vital to this mission. Their creativity fuels an engine of scientific discovery ranked among the best. Their spirit of entrepreneurship extends our impact. It is for them to define the future of our world and for us to give them the tools to succeed. 

Grainger Engineering Ph.D. students in their first five years of enrollment are guaranteed a funded appointment for fall and spring that includes a full tuition waiver, a partial fee waiver, and a stipend. Students are also eligible for summer support. Students must remain in Good Academic Standing (see the Graduate College Handbook , Part I, Chapter 3.2) and successfully perform the duties of their assistantships.

“With this program, we are reaffirming our unwavering commitment to the success of our students,” said Rashid Bashir, Dean of The Grainger College of Engineering. “This funding guarantee gives our Ph.D. students freedom to explore new possibilities and lead the way toward solutions to the world’s toughest engineering challenges.”

Ph.D. students in Grainger Engineering work together with over 450 tenure-track faculty in just about every imaginable specialty. With the resources of the seventh-highest research expenditures for engineering-related studies in the nation, over 60+ centers, labs, and institutes, and the entrepreneurial engine of the university’s Research Park, the opportunities at Grainger Engineering are as limitless as the ambitions of our outstanding students.

Follow this link for more detailed terms .

Looking to fund graduate school?

Explore our phd programs .

Grainger Engineering offers research-oriented Ph.D. programs across 12 departments. These programs enable you to interact with leaders of their field, make an impact on science and industry, and explore innovation and discovery across disciplinary boundaries. 

Aerospace Engineering

Agricultural and biological engineering, bioengineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering, civil and environmental engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, industrial and enterprise systems engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical science and engineering, nuclear, plasma, and radiological engineering, terms of the five-year phd funding guarantee.

• you are in your original degree program of study,
• y ou make satisfactory academic progress and maintain Good Academic Standing (see the Graduate College Handbook , Part I, Chapter 3.2), and
• you perform satisfactorily and meet the obligations of any assistantships that you hold.

YOUR ON-RAMP TO GRADUATE EDUCATION

Apply for the MERGE Graduate Recruitment Program

Each fall, the MERGE Program provides an opportunity for prospective graduate students with diverse experiences and goals, and who come from many educational, socio-cultural, geographic, and familial backgrounds to explore and consider Grainger Engineering graduate programs. MERGE supports prospective students through pre-application seminars, program-specific connections, and campus visits.

Applications are open now through August 15, 2023.  Full eligibility requirements and application forms are available on our website.

• Physics (Ph.D.)

The Ph.D. in Physics candidate at Illinois Tech is expected to conduct meaningful, original research that makes a significant contribution to the field, while expanding their own knowledge.

• Academic Programs

Research in this program is organized into small groups of faculty members, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, and undergraduate students working closely on related projects. The principal active areas include experimental and theoretical elementary particle physics, synchrotron radiation physics, accelerator physics, structural and computational biophysics, magnetism and electrodynamics. Classes are generally small and informal, and thesis research is carried out in close collaboration with a faculty adviser.

Illinois Tech is a major research institution with connections to Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, and global physics experiments like Daya Bay. Major areas of research include particle and accelerator physics, condensed matter physics, superconductivity, biophysics, and computational biophysics. Faculty have special expertise in areas such as X-ray synchrotron radiation research.

Program Overview

Research is organized into groups of faculty members, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, and undergraduate students working on related projects. Principal areas include experimental and theoretical elementary particle physics, synchrotron radiation physics, accelerator physics, structural and computational biophysics, magnetism, and electrodynamics.

Career Opportunities

Physics professional options in the areas of industry, research, and the military increase with an advanced degree.

• Medical physicist
• Computational physicist
• Theoretical physicist
• Clinical modeling physicist

View Details

All documents submitted in support of an application must be original documents, or copies of original documents provided by the issuing university. Documents provided as part of the online application may not be duplicated, transferred, forwarded, or returned once they have been submitted. A non-refundable application fee is also required.

Student Wins Graduate Student Research Award from Department of Energy

Physics Ph.D. third-year student Robert Victor Chirco is advancing his study of the neutrinos flux at Fermilab thanks to a DOE funding award.

Problem solving is not a unique skill to Illinois Tech students. However, I believe that potential candidates with this skillset become students at Illinois Tech. Moreover, the faculty here allow students to develop and, in many cases, master their problem-solving skills through their coursework. My overall knowledge and skillset increased several orders of magnitude since arriving on Illinois Tech’s campus. 

William Limestall (HP '18, current Ph.D. student in Physics)

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Northern Illinois University Department of Physics College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

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Ph.D. Program

Students are required to complete 90 semester hours of graduate course work. This includes 15 hours selecting five out of six core courses covering classical and quantum mechanics, statistical physics, and electromagnetic theory, and 12 hours of 600 or 700 level courses in two different areas of physics. The remaining hours are for dissertation work or other graduate course work in physics and related fields.

Transfer credits for students entering with a master's degree or with graduate coursework from another institution are allowed. Transfer credits are limited to a total of 30 semester hours.

Typically each semester some courses are offered in the evening in order to accommodate non-traditional and part-time students. 

Exam Requirements

Students entering the program without a master's degree in physics are required to pass a MS qualifying examination covering undergraduate material, which is usually taken during the first year. This can be waived given a physics GRE score of 50%.

Successful completion of a Ph.D. candidacy examination based on the core courses and upper-level undergraduate courses is required of all students in the Ph.D. program.

The Ph.D. candidacy exam is divided into three areas: classical mechanics, quantum mechanics and E&M. The  Physics Graduate Manual  describes exam policies further.

Related Links

• Graduate Admission Information
• Physics Graduate Manual  (PDF)
• M.S. Course Requirements
• Ph.D. Course Requirements
• Graduate Course Descriptions
• Recent Thesis and Dissertations
• Undergraduate

Director of Graduate Studies

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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

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The Department of Physics offers Masters of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) graduate degree programs.

Our faculty members are currently conducting research and directing doctoral candidates in both experimental and theoretical topics in the major research areas of atomic, biological, condensed matter, materials, high-energy, nuclear, laser and molecular physics.

Students accepted into our PhD program are typically supported with either a Teaching Assistantship, Research Assistantship or a combination of both throughout their entire time in the department.

Graduates of our MS and PhD programs have gone on to a broad range of extremely successful careers around the world that span education, academia, national labs, and private industry.

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Information for Prospective Students

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