Program overview

There has never been a more exciting time to study the universe beyond the confines of the Earth. A new generation of advanced ground-based and space-borne telescopes and enormous increases in computing power are enabling a golden age of astrophysics. The doctorate program in astrophysical sciences and technology focuses on the underlying physics of phenomena beyond the Earth and on the development of the technologies, instruments, data analysis, and modeling techniques that will enable the next major strides in the field. The multidisciplinary emphasis of this program, jointly offered by the department of physics, the School of Mathematical Sciences, and the Center for Imaging Science, sets it apart from conventional astrophysics graduate programs at traditional research universities.

Curriculum

The doctoral degree comprises 99 quarter credit hours. The curriculum consists of 27 quarter credit hours of core courses (including a three research credit graduate seminar sequence), a minimum of 36 quarter credit hours of graduate elective courses, a master's-level research project (12 quarter credit hours), and doctoral-level research culminating with a dissertation (15 quarter credit hours). Thus, there are a minimum of 60 total graduate course credits required and 30 research credits. An additional nine quarter credits of either course or research credit must be taken to meet the required 99 total quarter credit hours for the degree.

Electives

Elective courses that can be taken to meet the minimum total of 60 quarter credit hours of course work include additional courses in astrophysics, detector development, digital image processing, computational techniques, optics, and entrepreneurship, among others. Each of the core courses listed is followed by a second, one-quarter course (e.g., Radiative Processes II) and additional domain specific astrophysics electives are offered on a rotating basis. Many additional elective courses offered in other RIT graduate programs (e.g. imaging science, computer science, engineering) are available.

Master's level research project

Typically following the first year, but sometimes initiated during the first year for well prepared students, candidates will begin a master's level research project under the guidance of a faculty member who will not necessarily be the dissertation research adviser. The topic will frequently be different from the dissertation topic. The project will normally be worth 12 quarter credit hours. Assessment will be a combination of the written project report and an oral presentation of the report.

Admission to candidacy

Students must pass a qualifying examination after completing the core curriculum and prior to embarking on the Ph.D. dissertation project. The purpose of the examination is to ensure the student has the necessary background knowledge and intellectual skills to carry out doctoral-level research in the subject areas of astrophysical sciences and technology. The examination consists of two parts: a written examination based on the core courses and an oral examination based on a research portfolio consisting of a written report on the master's-level research project and a record of graduate research seminar activities.

A committee chaired by the astrophysical sciences and technology director, which includes the student's research adviser and two additional faculty members, will assess the student's overall qualifications. Students must pass the qualification examination to continue in the program.

Dissertation research adviser

After passing the qualifying examination, the student chooses a dissertation research adviser who is approved by the program's director. The choice of adviser is based on the student's research interests, faculty research interests, and available research funding.

Research committee

After passing the qualifying examination, a four-member dissertation committee is appointed for the duration of the student's tenure in the program. One of the committee members must be a faculty member in a program other than astrophysical sciences and technology. This committee member, who is approved by the dean of graduate studies, acts as the institutional chair of the final dissertation examination. The committee must also include the student's dissertation research adviser and at least one other member of the program's faculty. The fourth member may be an RIT faculty or staff member, a professional affiliated in industry, or a representative from another institution. The program director must approve committee members who are not RIT faculty.

Ph.D. project validation

Within six months of the appointment of the dissertation committee, the student will give an oral defense of their chosen research project to faculty, who will provide constructive feedback on the project plan.

Annual review

During each fall quarter, the program director conducts an annual review. Students are interviewed, concerns (if any) are raised, and progress is reported on the student's work toward meeting the requirements for either the qualifying examination (during the first two years), or the Ph.D. (after passing the qualifying examination).

In addition, as part of the Graduate Research Seminar, the student will give an annual presentation summarizing progress made during the preceding year.

Final examination of the dissertation

Once the dissertation has been written, distributed to the dissertation committee, and the committee agrees to administer the final examination, the doctoral candidate can schedule the final examination. The candidate must distribute a copy of the dissertation to the committee and make the dissertation available to interested faculty at least four weeks prior to the dissertation defense.

The final examination of the dissertation is open to the public and is primarily a defense of the dissertation research. The examination consists of an oral presentation by the student, followed by questions from the audience. The dissertation committee will privately question the candidate following the presentation. The dissertation committee will caucus immediately following the examination and thereafter notify the candidate and the program director of the results.

Admission requirements

To be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program in astrophysical sciences and technology, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:

• Hold a baccalaureate degree in physical science, mathematics, computer science, or engineering at a regionally accredited college or university (for students with a bachelor's degree in another area or those lacking adequate academic preparation, bridge and foundation course work may be necessary prior to full admission),
• Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.2 (out of 4.0) in course work in mathematical, science, engineering, and computer subject areas,
• Submit official transcripts (in English) from all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work,
• Submit two letters of recommendation,
• Submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and
• Complete a graduate application.
• For international applicants whose native language is not English scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) must be submitted. Minimum scores of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), or 79 (Internet-based) are required. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores will be accepted in place of the TOEFL exam. Minimum scores will vary; however, the absolute minimum score required for unconditional acceptance is 6.5. For additional information about the IELTS, please visit www.ielts.org.

Additional information

Residency

All students in the program must spend at least three consecutive quarters (summer quarter excluded) in residence as full-time students to be eligible to receive the doctorate degree. A full-time academic course load is defined as a minimum of nine quarter credit hours or an equivalent amount of research as certified by the graduate coordinator.

Time limitations

All candidates for the Ph.D. must maintain continuous enrollment during the research phase of the program. Normally, full-time students complete the course of study for the doctorate in approximately four to five years. A total of seven years is allowed to complete the requirements after first attempting the qualifying examination.

MS to Ph.D. transfer

Depending on each student's progress in their course work and the research project, students may be allowed to attempt the Ph.D. qualifying examination. On successfully passing the exam, students may choose to proceed to Ph.D. candidacy rather than accepting a terminal master of science degree. This is contingent on the availability of an adviser and research funding.