Chairperson:
| Kazan, Michel J. |
| Professor Emeritus: | Mavromatis, Harry A. |
| Professors: | Antar, Ghassan Y.; Chamseddine, Ali H.; Isber, Samih T.; Kazan, Michel J.; Klushin, Leonid I.; Sabra, Wafic A.; Tabbal, Malek D.; Touma, Jihad R. |
| Assistant Professors: | Haidar, Mohammad J.; Najem, Sara A. |
| Lecturers: | Al-Sayegh, Amara A.; Harajli, Zainab; Malaeb, Ola; Rahbani, Nancy
|
The department provides courses and facilities for graduate work leading to the MS and PhD degrees. The research activities of the department include material science, condensed and soft matter physics, plasma physics, paramagnetic resonance, nonlinear dynamics, astrophysics, high-energy physics, superstring theory and quantum gravity.
MS in Physics
Admission Requirements
Refer to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences section.
Course Work
The MS program requires the completion of 21 credits of courses and a research thesis. The courses consist of four core courses: PHYS 301, PHYS 302, PHYS 303 and PHYS 305, and 9 credits of physics graduate electives. After completion of the four core courses, the student must pass the GRE subject test, considered by the Physics Department as the Master’s Comprehensive Exam.
Master Thesis Proposal and Thesis Defense
Refer to the section on Thesis Proposal, Thesis Format and Thesis Defense under General University Academic Information.
Residency Requirements
Refer to Residency Requirements section under General University Academic Information.
Doctor of Philosophy in Theoretical Physics
Mission Statement
The PhD program in the Department of Physics is intended to produce competent, independent researchers who are able to make original contributions to physical sciences. The program prepares students for careers in research, teaching or industry and thus provides qualified scientists for Lebanon and the region. It serves the AUB mission of promoting research and participating in the advancement of knowledge.
Admission
Admission to the PhD program is done on a competitive basis. To be eligible for admission, applicants must have an excellent academic record and must demonstrate exceptional motivation and ability to pursue research in physics. The following items are required for an application:
- Degrees:
- For the Regular Track, a Master of Science (MS) degree in Physics or related fields from an institution recognized by AUB is required.
- For the Accelerated Track, a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Physics or related fields from an institution recognized by AUB is required.
- Three letters of recommendation
- GRE General Test as per AUB requirements. Subject GRE is required as per Physics Department requirements (No GRE is required for applicants to the MS program.)
- For English, refer to the Readiness for University Studies in English (RUSE) section in this catalogue.
- A statement of purpose
- A recommendation for admission by the AUB Department of Physics.
A departmental committee may require an interview with the applicant before giving a recommendation.
Governance
Refer to the section on the Supervision of Doctoral Thesis under General University Academic Information.
Supervision of PhD Thesis
Refer to the section on the Supervision of Doctoral Thesis under General University Academic Information.
PhD Publication Requirements
Refer to PhD Publication Requirements under General University Academic Information.
Course Work
The PhD program requires the completion of at least 36 credit hours of course work for students admitted on the accelerated track (BS holders) and a minimum of 18 credit hours of course work for students admitted on the regular track (MS holders).
The required courses for students admitted on the regular track are PHYS 306 and 308 (6 credits) and at least 12 credits beyond the core program, out of which one course must be in the concentration area, while the others can be taken as electives. Students may take relevant courses outside the department provided they secure departmental approval.
The required courses for students admitted on the accelerated track are PHYS 301, PHYS 302, PHYS 303, PHYS 305, PHYS 306 and PHYS 308 (18 credits) and at least 18 credits beyond the core program, out of which one course must be in the concentration area, while the others can be taken as electives. Students may take relevant courses outside the department provided they secure departmental approval.
PhD Qualification Exam Part I and Part II
Upon completion of a minimum of 15 credits of graduate courses with a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or above in the four core courses, the student should sit for PhD Qualification Exam Part I (written comprehensive examination) to determine whether s/he has acquired the background necessary to continue in the PhD program.
After choosing a thesis advisor, the student should pass the PhD Qualification Exam Part II; the student must formulate, submit, and defend a thesis research proposal to demonstrate a capacity to pursue and complete a doctoral research project.
For more information, refer to the section on PhD Qualifying Exam under General University Academic Information.
Candidacy
Refer to the section on Admission to Candidacy under General University Academic Information.
PhD Thesis and Thesis Defense
Refer to the section on PhD Thesis Format and PhD Thesis Defense under General University Academic Information.
Residency Requirements
Refer to the Residency Requirements section under General University Academic Information.
Graduation Requirements
A student is granted the PhD degree upon approval of the PhD thesis committee in a public session. In addition to the general graduation guidelines specified by the university, the Physics Department also requires that part of the PhD thesis work be published or accepted for publication in a refereed journal by the time of graduation.
Timetable
A student is expected to abide by the following timetable:
- Finish the graduate course work (a minimum of 36 credits after the BS) within 8 terms of starting the graduate study program
- Pass the qualifying exam upon completion of 15 credits, within 3 terms of starting the graduate study program
- Students in the accelerated track should choose a thesis advisor within four terms of starting the graduate study program
- Defend the PhD thesis proposal within 6 terms and advance to candidacy within 7 terms of starting the graduate study program
- Present research work by submitting her/his thesis to the thesis committee and defending it in a public session. The total length of the PhD should not exceed 5 years for the regular track and 6 years for the accelerated track
Financial Support
The Physics Department offers, on a competitive basis, substantial financial support. For fulltime students, it covers tuition and includes a monthly stipend. There are also some funds available to support participation in two international conferences during PhD study. In return, students help in teaching undergraduate labs and recitations of introductory courses. Their duties may also include help in proctoring and correcting exams.
Course Descriptions