The Graduate Curriculum changed as adopted by the faculty in May 2005. The new requirements changed the 2004/05 class. Students who entered before Fall 2004 will be allowed to fulfil their requirements using either this new Graduate Curriculum below or the old Graduate Curriculum.
In consultation with the DGS and with their research director when appointed, students select their course programs to fit their needs and interests in physics, mathematics, and computer science. It is important that students not repeat a course they have already mastered, but a good background must be obtained for advanced course work and research. A typical first-year program provides one year each of quantum mechanics and mathematics, and one semester each of classical mechanics, electromagnetism and statistical mechanics. Quantum mechanics and electromagnetism are studied further in the second year, along with distribution courses in special areas of physics. The emphasis shifts heavily to research in the third year, with perhaps some courses and seminars to complete the specialized work.
We emphasize that your actual course sequence will depend on your background. With this in mind, we list here a sample course sequence taken by our students. There are detailed plans of the core courses.
| Fall | Spring | |
| 1st Year | 211 Fund.Q.M.I | 212 Fund.Q.M. II |
| 230 Math Meth. | 318 Fund.E.& M. | |
| 281 Class.Mech | 203 Stat.Mech. | |
| 351 (1 unit) | ||
| 2nd Year | 315 Adv.Q.M. I | Elective |
| 319 Adv.E.& M. | Elective | |
| Elective | Elective | |
| 352 (until 2009) | ||
| 3rd Year | Elective | Elective |
| Elective | Elective | |
| Elective | Elective |