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School Web Site	Faculty	Masters Programs
Course Catalog	Research

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Detailed Information

Programs of Study

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers programs of study leading to the Ph.D. in physics and the M.S. in physics and computational physics and astronomy.

The master’s degree in physics requires 30 hours of advanced courses (up to 6 of which may be transferred from another accredited university) and at least 2 hours of master’s research with satisfactory progress. A minimum average of B is required, as is a general examination in physics. The various master’s programs differ in their detailed requirements.

The Ph.D. program begins with formal course work (which typically extends through two years for a well-prepared student) and, after admission to candidacy, is followed by Ph.D. research. The required courses include those needed for the M.S. in physics, so it is possible to obtain the M.S. on the way to the Ph.D. degree. Course work should average better than a B. There is no language requirement, but a demonstrated skill in computer programming related to the student’s field of study is required. Certification of knowledge of undergraduate physics by the Graduate Advisor and Graduate Director and an oral comprehensive exam are required for admission to candidacy. Following the comprehensive exam, the student may choose a research project from the broad spectrum of experimental and theoretical research areas represented within the Department. These include high-energy particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, biophysics, astrobiology, space physics, plasma physics, solid-state and condensed-matter physics, nonlinear dynamics, and nuclear physics. After carrying out the research project under the guidance of a faculty member, the student must submit a dissertation showing the results of original research and must defend it in a final oral examination. A minimum of three full academic years of residency is required; the actual time taken to complete the Ph.D. varies considerably.

Research Facilities

Extensive computing facilities exist both in the Department and at the University. Condensed-matter physics facilities include an advanced materials research lab, a quantum electronics lab, and an ultrafast laser lab. These labs are well equipped with thin-film deposition systems, a scanning electron microscope, a unique UHV multiprobe scanning microscopy system, an X-ray diffractometer, SQUID magnetometers, a 6-mK dilution refrigerator, microwave synthesizers, a vector network analyzer, a femtosecond laser system, and self-build optical setups. A clean room with photo- and electron-beam lithography as well as wafer processing tools is also available for microfabrication and nanofabrication of solid-state devices and circuits. The high-energy physics and nuclear physics groups utilize experimental facilities at various universities and international laboratories as part of collaborative experiments. The Astrobiology Working Group collaborates with the Biodiversity Research Institute, the Department of Geology, and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

Financial Aid

The principal form of financial aid is the graduate teaching assistantship; most first-year graduate students in the Department have this type of support. A half-time teaching assistantship, which is the usual appointment, carries a nine-month stipend of at least $17,000 plus a 100 percent tuition fee waiver. Summer support is also available. Beginning graduate students may also be considered for graduate school fellowships in a University-wide competition. A few research assistantships are available for qualified first-year students, although the tendency is to award such assistantships to more advanced students.

Cost of Study

Full-time students with private support or with fellowships from sources outside the University paid tuition of $255.10 per credit hour for graduate-level courses in 2008–09 if they were Kansas residents and $609.55 per credit hour if they were nonresidents. Typical enrollment is about 9 hours per semester during the first year. University fees are set by the Board of Regents and are subject to change at any time.

Living and Housing Costs

Room and board are available in University dormitories. The cost for the 2008–09 academic year ranged from $3386 to $5712 for a nine-month contract. There are a limited number of one- and two-bedroom University apartments for married students and their families; the rent for 2008–09 ranged from $305 to $598 per month plus utilities. Many rooms and apartments, both furnished and unfurnished, are available off campus.

Student Group

The University of Kansas has an enrollment of nearly 27,000 students, including about 6,000 graduate students. The Department enrolls approximately 50 graduate students drawn from throughout the United States and abroad. Most of these students are supported as either teaching assistants or research assistants.

Location

The University’s main campus occupies 1,000 acres on and around Mount Oread in the city of Lawrence, a growing community of 75,000 located among the forested, rolling hills of eastern Kansas. Near Lawrence are four lake resort areas for boating, fishing, and swimming. Metropolitan Kansas City lies about 40 miles east of Lawrence via interstate highway and offers a variety of cultural and recreational activities.

The University

The University of Kansas is a state-supported school founded in 1866. Long known for its commitment to academic excellence, the University considers research an important part of the educational process. In addition to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School, the University houses a number of professional schools and programs, which include Engineering, Medicine, Law, Business, Journalism, and many others.

Applying

Online applications for the fall semester should be completed by April 1; paper applications should be completed by May 1. Assistantships are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and the Department begins evaluating applications in January. For consideration of University fellowships, completed applications must be received by December 31. For spring semester admission, all application materials must be received by November 15.

The Faculty and Their Research

• Raymond G. Ammar, Professor; Ph.D., Chicago, 1959. Experimental high-energy physics.
• Barbara J. Anthony-Twarog, Professor; Ph.D., Yale, 1981. Observational astronomy, stellar evolution in open star clusters, CCD and photoelectric photometry, globular clusters.
• Matthew Antonik, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Maine, Orono, 1994. Biophysics.
• Thomas P. Armstrong, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Iowa, 1966. Space physics, plasma physics.
• Scott R. Baird, Adjunct Professor; Ph.D., Washington (Seattle), 1979. Stellar spectroscopy, variable stars.
• Philip S. Baringer, Professor and Associate Chairman; Ph.D., Indiana, 1985. Experimental high-energy physics.
• Alice L. Bean, Professor; Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon, 1987. Experimental high-energy physics.
• Robert C. Bearse, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Rice, 1964. Experimental nuclear physics, nuclear safeguards, materials control and accounting, computer database applications.
• David Z. Besson, Professor; Ph.D., Rutgers, 1986. Experimental high-energy physics.
• Thomas E. Cravens, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies; Ph.D., Harvard, 1975. Space physics, plasma physics.
• John P. Davidson, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Washington (St. Louis), 1952. Theoretical nuclear structure physics, atomic physics, astrophysics.
• Robin E. P. Davis, Professor Emeritus; D.Phil., Oxford, 1962. Experimental high-energy physics.
• Gisela Dreschhoff, Courtesy Associate Professor; Dr.Sc., Braunschweig Technical (Germany), 1972. Geophysics, energy storage in solids.
• Joe R. Eagleman, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Missouri, 1963. Atmospheric science.
• Hume A. Feldman, Associate Professor; Ph.D., SUNY at Stony Brook, 1989. Astrophysics and cosmology.
• Christopher J. Fischer, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Michigan, 2000. Biophysics.
• Robert J. Friauf, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Chicago, 1953. Experimental condensed-matter physics, diffusion and color centers, molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations.
• Siyuan Han, Professor; Ph.D., Iowa State, 1986. Experimental condensed-matter physics.
• Steven A. Hawley, Professor; Ph.D., California, Santa Cruz, 1977. Astronomy.
• Nowhan Kwak, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Tufts, 1962. Experimental high-energy physics.
• Danny Marfatia, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Wisconsin, 2001. Theoretical elementary particle physics and particle astrophysics.
• Carl D. McElwee, Courtesy Professor; Ph.D., Kansas, 1970. Geophysics, magnetic properties of solids.
• Douglas W. McKay, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Northwestern, 1968. Theoretical elementary particle physics and particle astrophysics.
• Mikhail V. Medvedev, Associate Professor; Ph.D., California, San Diego, 1996. Theoretical astrophysics, space physics, plasma physics, astrobiophysics.
• Adrian L. Melott, Professor; Ph.D., Texas, 1981. Astrobiophysics, computational physical, cosmology.
• Herman J. Munczek, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Buenos Aires, 1958. Theoretical elementary particle physics.
• Michael J. Murray, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Pittsburgh, 1989. Experimental nuclear physics.
• John P. Ralston, Professor; Ph.D., Oregon, 1980. Theoretical elementary particle physics and particle astrophysics.
• Gregory H. Rudnick, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Arizona, 2001. Astronomy.
• Stephen J. Sanders, Professor and Department Chairman; Ph.D., Yale, 1977. Experimental nuclear physics.
• Richard C. Sapp, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Ohio State, 1955. Experimental solid-state physics.
• Sergei F. Shandarin, Professor; Ph.D., Moscow Physical Technical Institute, 1971. Astrophysics and cosmology, large-scale structure, nonlinear dynamics, computational physics.
• Stephen J. Shawl, Professor; Ph.D., Texas, 1972. Observational astronomy, stellar astronomy, polarization, globular clusters.
• Jicong Shi, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Houston, 1991. Theoretical physics, nonlinear dynamics, beam dynamics, accelerator physics.
• Don W. Steeples, Courtesy Professor; Ph.D., Stanford, 1975. Geophysics.
• Bruce A. Twarog, Professor; Ph.D., Yale, 1980. Observational astronomy, stellar nucleosynthesis, chemical evolution of galaxies, stellar photometry.
• Graham W. Wilson, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Lancaster, 1989. Experimental high-energy physics.
• Gordon G. Wiseman, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Kansas, 1950. Experimental solid-state physics.
• Kai-Wai Wong, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., Northwestern, 1962. Many-body theory, superconductivity, liquid helium.
• Judy Z. Wu, Distinguished Professor; Ph.D., Houston, 1993. Experimental condensed-matter physics, low-temperature physics.
• Hui Zhao, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Northern Jiaotong (Beijing), 2000. Experimental condensed-matter physics.

Correspondence and Information

The University of Kansas
Graduate Admissions Officer
Department of Physics and Astronomy
1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Room 1082
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7582
Telephone: 785-864-1222
Email: physics@ku.edu