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Graduate Study In Physics And Applied Physics
A Message from the ChairWe are pleased that you are interested in Physics at Colorado State University. Our Graduate program strives to be both friendly and rigorous, and it currently serves students from a broad range of backgrounds. Our faculty and their research programs are highly respected in the physics community. Our goal is to build leadership in selected areas, both basic and applied, where we perceive there is a strong future. This web version of our Graduate Handbook will give you an overview of our faculty members. A booklet containing this information can also be obtained from by contacting the Graduate Admissions Committee listed below. You may in fact want to schedule a visit to our campus. If you are ready for Graduate School admission materials, please contact: Graduate Admission Committee To directly reach the admissions committee, please contact Prof. H. Dieter Hocheimer (Chairman)
We wish you well with your career in physics and look forward to exploring with you whether that career includes graduate study at Colorado State. Sincerely, A Message from the DeanColorado State University is one of the leading comprehensive research universities in the United States. Many graduate students take advantage of the various specialized research laboratories and research centers on the campus that provide state of the art facilities and expertise. In addition, other interdisciplinary opportunities exist off-campus in collaboration with other universities, industries, and federal and state laboratories. The College of Natural Sciences provides comprehensive education and training in the general area of the biological, behavioral, mathematical, and physical sciences. The departments of the college include: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology and Statistics. Quality instruction and a wide variety of research opportunities within each department typify the commitment of our faculty to excellence in graduate education. I hope that you will consider joining the Colorado State University community and pursue your graduate education in the Department of Physics. I wish you success in your future studies. Sincerely, The Graduate ProgramPhysics is distinguished from the other sciences not so much by its objects of study - which range from the constituents of atomic nuclei to the universe as a whole, and everything in between - as by its style. It is characterized by precise, quantitative measurements and detailed, mathematical theories. The goal of the graduate physics program at Colorado State University is to educate students to a level where they are capable of carrying out creative, independent work in industry, government service, or academia. This goal is accomplished through traditional classroom teaching to provide a sound knowledge of fundamental physics, and by carrying out original research under the supervision of a faculty member. The department maintains strong research programs in several fields: laser physics, experimental high energy physics, experimental condensed matter physics and theoretical condensed matter physics. Students may also conduct research that crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries, and may work with a co-advisor in another department or at a laboratory outside of Colorado State University (see Affiliate Faculty, below). The Physics Department comprises twenty faculty, roughly 40 graduate and 80 undergraduate students. This size contributes to an atmosphere of informality and collegiality, with easy accessibility to faculty for students. The department also hosts postdoctoral associates and visiting scientists, of which there are typically 10 at any given time. The department offers both the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Students admitted to the Ph.D. program typically spend their first year and a half studying fundamental principles of physics - classical mechanics, mathematical methods, statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics and electromagnetic theory. During this time students usually embark on preliminary research with a research advisor, especially during the summer. The written qualifying examination is normally taken at the end of the third semester. Within a year of passing the qualifying examination each student presents a formal thesis research proposal to the thesis committee during a research certification examination. In addition to required courses and examinations, the primary requirement for the Ph.D. degree is a dissertation, describing original research performed by the student under the supervision of a research advisor. There is no fixed time limit for this research, but ordinarily it is carried out in two to four years. At the completion of the research project, the dissertation is presented to the student's advisory committee and defended in an oral examination. The M.S. degree is offered with both a thesis option and a non-thesis option. For each option a set of courses covering the core areas of physics is required. In addition, a comprehensive written examination is required for the non-thesis option. Besides the core courses, the department also offers course on subjects such as solid state physics, particle physics, quantum electronics, semiconductor physics, laser physics, and atomic and molecular spectroscopy. Through the Physics Colloquium program and distinguished lecturer programs, the department hosts frequent visitors to campus who lecture on forefront areas of research. Nobel laureates Professor Arthur Schawlow and Professor Jerome Friedman have recently visited the department and given lectures. Research FacilitiesExperimental research facilities in the department include microwave spectrometers up to 90 GHz, an electron spin resonance spectrometer, Raman and Brillouin spectrometers, a vibrating sample magnetometer, x-ray diffraction equipment, very high pressure equipment, apparatus for atomic, molecular and optical physics with thermal and fast atomic beams and sputtered ion sources, apparatus for LIDAR studies of the atmosphere, many types of lasers (NdYag, Argon, Copper, CO2, CO, Dye, TiSapphire, Color Center, Diode, etc.), rf and microwave sources along with associated photon and ion detection equipment and associated signal processing equipment, resonant and pulsed ultrasonic equipment, conventional and superconducting magnets, semiconductor analysis facilities, CAMAC/NIM data acquisition systems with computer readout, HP/Apollo and NEXT UNIX workstations for analysis of experimental data. There is a staffed instrument shop, to which students have access. Computational facilities in the department include a set of HP/Apollo scientific workstations, in addition to a wide variety of microcomputers. The University's Academic Computing and Networking Service maintains an RS/6000 system for general campus use; the College of Natural Sciences operates a microcomputer laboratory; and Colorado State is an affiliate of the National Center for Supercomputer Applications, making possible access to massively parallel supercomputers. Affiliate FacultyAffiliate Faculty are scientists at other institutions with unique expertise
in a particular field who may serve on the thesis committee of the student
and play other roles in the department. It is not unusual for students to
spend time in the laboratories of affiliate faculty. Current affiliate faculty
are: Robert Camley H. Kennon Carter Eric Crane David Griscom Richard A. Keller Richard A. LeSar Gerald Lucovsky Basil Swanson Harry H. Wieder Campus, City and RegionThe principal factors in choosing a graduate school should, of course, be the quality of the education and a good match between the strengths of the department and one's own interests. However, students at Colorado State are particularly fortunate in that they enjoy excellent educational opportunities combined with a truly great place to live and work. The University's cultural life includes cinema, theatre, music, art exhibits, and other events featuring local, national, and international talent. Athletic activities range from Division IA programs to student facilities including a 75,000 square-foot recreation center and a frisbee golf course developed for the 1993 world championships. The 20,000-student campus is located in the center of Fort Collins, a vibrant, growing city of 100,000 situated 70 miles north of Denver at the foot of he majestic Rocky Mountains. The mountains offer a wealth of activities including camping, hiking, climbing, mountain biking, fishing, skiing, white-water rafting, water skiing, and many others in areas such as the world-famous Rocky Mountain National Park, which can be reached in an hour's drive, and Horsetooth Reservoir located in the foothills right outside of town. Fort Collins is often called the "Choice City." The pleasant climate, friendly people, and wide range of services and activities all led to a ranking in the top third of Money Magazine's 1993 list of "The Nation's Best 300 Places to Live." Financial AssistanceFinancial assistance includes graduate teaching assistantships and graduate research assistantships. These assistantships normally include the payment of tuition. The financial assistance is sufficient to cover living expenses in the Fort Collins area. Health insurance is available at a reasonable fee through the University. Students are usually supported on a teaching assistantship for the first one or two years. Afterward, support is usually as a research assistant. Research assistantship support is also available during the summer, including the summer immediately following the first year of graduate study. Citizenship is not a requirement for either teaching or research assistantships. Research in the department is funded by a healthy number of contracts and grants from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Army Research Office, the Office of Naval Research, the National Renewal Energy Laboratory, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, private foundations and corporations. Qualifications for AdmissionTo be admitted to the graduate program, an applicant must hold, or expect to receive, an undergraduate degree in physics or a closely related field. Grades must average 3.0 or higher (A = 4.0), or the applicant must present evidence indicating an ability to maintain such an average in graduate coursework. The general-test section of the GRE is required. International students must also score 550 or above on the TOEFL exam. ApplicationApplication forms may be requested by writing to the Graduate Admissions Committee, Department of Physics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523; or by electronic mail, phyadmit@lamar.colostate.edu; or by telephoning the department office, (970) 491-6206. General questions about graduate admissions may also be directed to the admissions committee; for detailed information about specific research programs please contact either the Graduate Admissions Committee or the appropriate faculty member. Physics Faculty
Department of Physics Please email any questions about this page to Walter Toki at toki@lamar.colostate.edu |