Required coursesPHYS 911: Classical Mechanics PHYS 912: Statistical Physics PHYS 913: Electromagnetic Theory I PHYS 914: Electromagnetic Theory II PHYS 916: Quantum Mechanics I PHYS 917: Quantum Mechanics II PHYS 918: Quantum Mechanics III PHYS 925: Introduction to Atomic and Molecular Physics PHYS 926: Introduction to Elementary Particle and Nuclear Physics PHYS 927: Introduction to Solid State Physics PHYS 998: Special Topics in Current Research MATH 842: Methods of Applied Mathematics I

plus at least one additional mathematics course from the following: MATH 814: Applied Linear Algebra (Matrix Theory) MATH 822: Advanced Calculus MATH 823: Introduction to Complex Variable Theory MATH 824: Introduction to Partial Differential Equations MATH 827: Mathematical Physics MATH 843: Methods of Applied Mathematics II STAT 880: Statistics and Applications MATH 935/936: Advanced Methods of Applied Mathematics

FIRST YEAR First Semester

Physics 911: Classical Mechanics Physics 916: Quantum Mechanics I Math 842: Applied Mathematics I

Second Semester Physics 917: Quantum Mechanics II Physics 913: Electromagnetic Theory I Physics 912: Statistical Physics Physics 998: Special Topics in Current Research

SECOND YEAR First Semester

Physics 918: Quantum Mechanics III Physics 914: Electromagnetic Theory II Physics 927: Introduction to Solid State Physics

Second Semester Physics 926: Intr to Elementary Particles & Nuclear Physics Physics 925: Introduction Atomic & Molecular Physics Mathematics Elective

PHYS 911, 912, 913, 914, 916, and 917 will be offered once each year.PHY 918 QM III, and the Introductory courses PHYS 927, 926, 925will be offered at least once every two years.

Math 842: Applied Mathematics I

Applied Mathematics, 2nd Edition J. David LoganISBN: 0-471-16513-1 December 1996

PHYS 842Dimensional AnalysisThe Buckingham Pi TheoremScaling

Perturbation MethodsBoundary Layer ProblemsThe WKB ApproximationAsymptotic Expansions of Integrals

Calculus of VariationsHamiltonian Theory

Integral EquationsGreen’s Functions

PHYS 843Partial Differential EquationsDiffusion EquationsEquilibrium EquationsEigenfunction ExpansionsIntegral Transforms

Wave PropagationContinuous SystemsThe Wave EquationGas DynamicsFluid Motion

Stability and Bifurcation.

Mathematical PhysicsEugene Butkov, St. John's UniversityPublisher: Benjamin CummingsCopyright: 1968

1. Vectors, Matrices, and Coordinates. 2. Functions of a Complex Variable. 3. Linear Differential Equations,2nd Order. 4. Fourier Series. 5. The Laplace Transformation. 6. Concepts of the Theory of Distributions. 7. Fourier Transforms. 8. Partial Differential Equations. 9. Special Functions. 10. Finite-Dimensional Linear Spaces. 11. Infinite-Dimensional Vector Spaces. 12. Green's Functions. 13. Variational Methods. 14. Traveling Waves, Radiation,Scattering. 15. Perturbation Methods. 16. Tensors.

Mathematical Methods of PhysicsJon Mathews, Robert L. WalkerPublisher: Benjamin CummingsCopyright: 1970, Format

1. Ordinary Differential Equations. 2. Infinite Series. 3. Evaluation of Integrals. 4. Integral Transforms. 5. Further App’s of Complex Variable. 6. Vectors and Matrices. 7. Special Functions. 8. Partial Differential Equations. 9. Eigenfuctions and Green's Functions. 10. Peturbation Theory. 11. Integral Equations. 12. Calculus of Variations. 13. Numerical Methods. 14. Probability and Statistics. 15. Tensor Analysis; Differential Geometry. 16. Introduction to Group Representations.

Methods of Mathematical Physics, Vol.1R. Courant, D. Hilbert (Wiley) 1989

Transformation to Principal AxesQuadratic and Hermitian FormsMin-Max Property of Eigenvalues.

Expansion of Arbitrary FunctionsOrthogonal Systems of FunctionsFourier Series; Legendre Polynomials.

The Calculus of Variations Direct Solutions;The Euler Equations.

Systems of a Finite Degrees of Freedom. The Vibrating String;The Vibrating MembraneGreen's Function Reduction of Diff Eqs to Integral Equations.

Completeness and Expansion Theorems. Nodes of Eigenfunctions.

Bessel Functions. Asymptotic Expansions.

Methods of Mathematical Physics, Vol.2R. Courant, D. Hilbert (Wiley) 1989

General Theory of Partial Differential Partial Diff. Equations of First Order. Differential Equations of Higher Order.

Potential TheoryElliptic Differential Equations.

Hyperbolic Differential Equations

Hyp Diff Eqs in 2 Independent Variables.

Hyp Diff Eqs in More than 2 Ind Variables.

2005/2006 Academic Year GTA Pay Scales

BIOCHEMISTRY 45 § $1580/month* 4 hrs/wk 20 hrs/wk

CHEMISTRY 86 40 $1550/month 4-6hrs/wk 20 hrs/wk

MATHEMATICS 80 60 $1590/month** 5 hrs/wk 17 hrs/wk

PHYSICS 63 22 $1500/month*** 6-9 hrs/wk 20 hrs/wk 17.5?

* $100/month increase at admittance to candidacy. ** Foreign students who have not passed ITA panel assigned grading @ $1150/month. Most students supported 2/3 TA at $1400/month for 12hrs work. High performers supported at $1790/month for 6 contact hrs (20 total hrs/week)***Foreign students who have not passed SPEAK test assigned grading @ $1558/month.

No.Grads No.TAs Stipend Contact hrs Total hrs

§ All Biochem majors are required to TA both semesters their 2nd year.

02468

101214

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

20 total responses

3 1. The chance for early RA work was a deciding factor in accepting UNL’s offer.

8 2. Early RA work means early graduation which is important to my personal plans.

12 3. Early RA work is an attractive opportunity to avoid the burden of TA duties.

6 4. Early RA/early graduation makes me more marketable.

5 5. I felt pressure to find an RA position before all the good ones were all gone.

9 6. RA pressures have cost coursework and/or preparations for qualifying exams.

2 7. I have felt pressure to work for supervisor who sponsored my admission.

2 8. Felt pressured to continue in a group because already invested too much time.

2 9. Concentrated on coursework 1st 2 years before committing to an RA position.

5 10. Would prefer to shop around before committing to an RA position.

all 3 from 1 student.

Comments:5 - PHYS 998 should be in the Fall semester, 1st year!1 - Classes are too easy (repeated homework sets and even exams).1 - Not a good balance between research and classes.1 - I am suppose to be learning, not desperately getting data. 1 - TA my 1st year was good experience with chance to familiarize myself with department.1 - A ½ TA ½ RA option may be better during 1st two years.1 - ½ TA ½ RA is too stressful (too many disparate responsibilities)

Advanced Qualifying Exams

PROPOSAL 1: Prior to admission to the Ph.D. program, graduate students enrolled in two or more courses in any given semester may not miss more than 1 week of classes for research-related reasons.

• student performance following such absences frequently drops

• most students have proven unable to make up this work

• graduate students “so good in lab” perform poorly academically

• What impression does a faculty request that a student miss class have? What does it imply about the value of course work?

• students lead to believe if they find an advisor & start research right away, they don’t need to worry about courses. •Pendulum may have swung too far toward emphasizing lab work at the expense of academic course work.

PROPOSAL 2: The faculty votes on graduate student admission to the PhD program by ballot rather than a showing of hands.

• high number of abstentions on the poor performing students; ( 9 in one case this past February!) • awkward to be objective when the research advisor is in room (particularly for untenured faculty)

• votes in the open difficult when a vote against a student may be felt to hurt a colleague’s research program

PROPOSAL 3a: The initial decision of a cut-off score for the written part of the Advanced Qualifier is made blind (seeing only the scores and coded names). Only students within a range (determined by faculty consensus) of this passing score are considered separately in open discussion.

• decision making becomes far more objective

• limiting open discussion to marginal cases streamlines the entire process

PROPOSAL 3b: A single committee of 3-5 faculty (assigned by the Exam Committee chair, whose membership rotates every 2 years) give all oral exams. Oral committee members do not grade exam problems. This allows a standardized ranking of oral performance. Oral rankings and even comments on performance, identified only by coded names, could also be used in consideration, blindly, in the decision to pass.

PROPOSAL 3c: The research component will be consideredonly for those marginally performing students whose status is open for discussion.

Final decision still made by ballot as covered by PROPOSAL 1.