Admission Requirements
- Requirements for entrance into the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree program in Physics are normally a Master's degree in Physics, with at least a B standing (75%).
- Proof of competency in English (for applicants whose native language is other than English). A score of at least 550 (213 on the computerized versions) is required in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and 4.0 on the TWE. See the English Language Proficiency page for acceptable tests of English.
- Applications to the Doctoral program should be made as early as possible. Contact the Physics Graduate Studies Coordinator for further information.
- See also University of Waterloo General Admission Requirements.
The Doctoral of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Physics is awarded by the Faculty of Science to candidates who have demonstrated a broad knowledge of physics and have demonstrated a satisfactory level of achievement in research of an advanced topic. The formal requirements are listed below.
Degree Requirements
Academic Integrity Workshop
This is a milestone requirement for all full-time students. Part-time and Non-Degree students are NOT required to complete this workshop. This is a mandatory workshop on academic integrity and intellectual property which will be offered to all new incoming graduate students within the Faculty of Science during the first term of each Fall and Winter.
PLEASE NOTE: Students will be required to complete BOTH the Academic Integrity Module as a required course along with the Academic Integrity Workshop Milestone. The Module will appear on the student's transcript as a Course. The Workshop will appear on the student's transcript as a Milestone.
Course Requirements
The normal requirements for the PhD degree are as follows:
- Four one-term courses * not including any already taken for MSc credit are required. (Eight courses are required if proceeding directly from an BSc).
- Courses, taken during the MSc program, in excess of those required, may be allowed for PhD credit. The extra courses must be identified prior to admission.
- Courses currently denoted as core courses are as follows: PHYS 701 (Quantum Mechanics 1), PHYS 703 (Introduction to Quantum Field Theory), PHYS 704 (Statistical Physics 1), PHYS 706 (Electromagnetic Theory), PHYS 767 (Introduction to Quantum Information Processing) and PHYS 781 (Fundamentals of Astrophysics).
- Selection shall be such that three of the core courses, including one of PHYS 701 (Quantum Mechanics 1), PHYS 704 (Statistical Physics 1) or PHYS 706 (Electromagnetic Theory), or their equivalent have been taken by the completion of the first year of the PhD program. These courses may have been taken during the MSc program. Biophysics students must have taken at least one of PHYS 701 (Quantum Mechanics 1), PHYS 704 (Statistical Physics 1) and PHYS 706 (Electromagnetic Theory) by the completion of the first year of the PhD program.
One of the required courses may be an upper level undergraduate course outside the student's main field of study. The supervisor must submit a memo justifying why the undergraduate course is acceptable for graduate credit, and approval must be received from the Physics and Astromony Graduate Officer and the Associate Dean of Science for Graduate Studies prior to enrolment in the course.
No undergraduate course in Physics may be taken for credit.
An average of at least 70% must be obtained in the required courses. A minimum grade of 65% is required for a pass in each course. No more than two courses, of the first four taken, can have averages of less than 70%. If a student does not meet these minimum grade requirements, or receives a failing grade in any course, he/she may be required to withdraw from the program.
In exceptional circumstances course requirements may be waived with the approval of the Guelph Waterloo Physics Institute Director, Physics and Astronomy Graduate Officer, and Associate Dean of Science for Graduate Studies.
Supervisory Committee Meetings
It is required that the student meet formally with his/her Supervisory Committee within the first six months of registration. Subsequently, the supervisory committee is expected to meet with the student at least twice per year. While one meeting in a year must be a formal one, the other meeting may be held informally. In the former case, the student is expected to provide a written report to the Committee and defend it orally. In the latter case, the meeting may simply take the form of a brief discussion of the student's academic progress but, apart from the student and supervisor, it must involve at least one other member of the Committee. The student will be required to take a Qualifying Examination, normally during the first year of the program; in any case, it must be passed no later than the final semester of the residency requirement. The examination will ascertain the student's knowledge of the fundamentals and applications of the physics closely related to the thesis topic. An assessment of the student's ability in research will be a factor in determining the examination result.
Comprehensive Examination
The student will be required to take a Qualifying Examination (QE). The QE should be held as early as possible, but no later than the end of term six of the doctoral program (term seven for transfer students). The examination will assess the student's knowledge of the fundamentals and applications of the physics closely related to the thesis topic. An assessment of the student's ability in research will be a factor in determining the examination result. If a student has not passed the Qualifying Examination by the end of the sixth term in which he/she is enrolled, he/she may be required to withdraw from the program.
Thesis Requirement
An acceptable thesis on an advanced research topic must be submitted. The topic of the thesis and the quality of the research will be such as to merit publication in reputable scholarly media. Detailed specifications of format, etc. are available from the appropriate Graduate Office.
Acceptance of the thesis requires satisfactory completion of a Final Oral Examination. For more detailed information refer to the Minimum Requirements for the PhD Degree page.