Yearly Milestones

This page summarizes the milestones for graduate students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy:

Year 2: This is the first meeting for dissertation candidates that have passed the preliminary by first attempt.  There is not a formal milestone for this year beyond having meeting.

Year 3: This is the first meeting for a dissertation candidate who has passed prelim on second attempt, second meeting for others

• The dissertation candidate will demonstrate evidence of “scholarship” to the committee by the end of the academic year.  
• The specific scholarship requirement is determined by the committee but could include:
  • Conference abstract/presentation
  • Peer-reviewed manuscript 
  • Conference proceeding
  • Presentation on experiments/calculation

Year 4: The dissertation candidate will present a formal plan for their dissertation prospectus.

• The dissertation candidate will present to their committee their dissertation plan/dissertation prospectus.  
• “The prospectus should be viewed as a preliminary statement of what the student proposes to do in his or her dissertation and not as an unalterable commitment”
• This will be a written document that would be reviewed by the committee.  Feedback on this would result in revisions and acceptance by the committee to fulfill this milestone.  This should include, but is not limited to:
  • literature review/introduction to the physics of the field
    • preliminary work done by the dissertation candidate
      • Hypothesis/hypotheses
      • Proposed work
      • Timeline for completion of dissertation
• The faculty expects that portions of this will be reused in the final dissertation.
• The dissertation candidate will file Admission to Candidacy forms with the Graduate School to register the approval of this prospectus.
• Dissertation candidates need two semesters of 6CR of 6V99 after admission.  

Year 5: 

• The dissertation candidate will demonstrate additional scholarship as presenting author or first author on the work.  
• The dissertation candidate will update the committee on any conference presentations planned or already occurred.
• The dissertation candidate will update the committee on prospectus timeline and progress towards proposed work/hypothesis.
• The dissertation candidate will update the committee on any proposed modifications to prospectus goals/timeline.
• The dissertation candidate will update the committee will present a plan to finish in ~1 year.

Year 6:

• The dissertation candidate will update the committee on additional scholarship as presenting author or first author on the work.  
• The dissertation candidate will update the committee on any conference presentations planned or already occurred.
• The dissertation candidate will update the committee on the prospectus timeline and progress towards proposed work/hypothesis.
• The dissertation candidate will update the committee on any proposed modifications to prospectus goals/timeline.
• The dissertation candidate will update the committee on a plan to finish in <1 year.

For each year beyond Year 6 

•  The dissertation candidate will defend their dissertation OR provide an update on their dissertation.   
• The dissertation candidate will update the committee on any conference presentations planned or already occurred.
• The dissertation candidate will update the committee on the prospectus timeline and progress towards proposed work/hypothesis.
• The dissertation candidate will present any proposed modifications to prospectus goals/timeline.
• The dissertation candidate will present a plan to finish in <1 year.