This is viewed as an important component of the student's professional training. The University is committed to help non-native English speaking students improve their communications skills, and has formalized several programs to achieve this goal. With the help of a faculty advisor, students choose a curriculum of course work from among a large array of offerings in physics and related science and engineering departments. The University requires a total of 36 hours of course work for students entering with a bachelor's degree, or 18 hours of course work for those students entering with a master's degree. Most students normally complete their course work with a reduced course load during their second and third years.
All courses are three credit hours.
All students are required to complete a written test examining their knowledge of basic physics, material which is covered in the first year courses. The exam is normally given at the end of the first year, a few weeks after the end of the spring semester. Students who perform satisfactorily on the exam and in their coursework are officially admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, and typically begin research shortly thereafter. If necessary, all students are given a second opportunity to pass the qualifying exam, generally late in the summer. The Director of Graduate Studies serves as the student's academic advisor during their first year in the program.