Doctor of Philosophy
The Ph.D. is the highest degree awarded and is intended for students whose goal is a career in scientific research or teaching at the university level. The ultimate aim of this degree is to train a scientist who can independently pursue a research project. This ability is demonstrated by hands-on research that results in a dissertation. To facilitate the educational process, each student has a research or thesis advisor and an advisory committee that functions both to guide the research and to monitor the student's progress.
It is generally agreed that the major professional criterion in awarding a Ph.D. is the completion of substantially original research of such scope and depth that the scientific community will consider it of publishable quality. This is to be achieved by the definition of a research project, conduct of the research, writing of the dissertation, and an oral defense of the dissertation at a final examination. It is recognized as equally important that the candidate demonstrate a deep knowledge of physics in general and a specialized competence in particular. This is to be done by satisfactory completion of an approved schedule of course work and by satisfactory performance on the doctoral Comprehensive Examination. For the oral defense, an examination committee must be formed consisting of no fewer than four members chosen from the faculty of the graduate program, plus an outside chair (full-time University of Denver faculty member), who serves in addition to the faculty members.
For more details, please see the requirements page. A summary document describing our current Graduate Curriculum and Guidelines can be found here.
April 2, 2009