General Information
PHYS 4498: The first half of a two-semester thesis course involving physics-related research under the direct supervision of a faculty member. The thesis research may take many forms including but not restricted to : theoretical calculations, design of instrumentation, experimental research, or numerical simulations. Students wishing to pursue the senior thesis must submit a proposal, with the approval of a faculty supervisor, in spring of their junior year.
- During the semester, students will conduct their thesis research wholly under the supervision of their thesis advisor, in a manner similar to regular independent study / research (4490).
- Near the end of the semester, students must submit a 1 page written status report on their thesis research, signed off by their thesis advisor, and to be submitted to the DUS for review.
- At the end of the semester, students will also give short presentations (10 minutes) or a poster session, attended by other thesis students, to provide an update on the status of their thesis research
- At the end of the fall semester, a grade of “R” is given. That grade of “R” is replaced with the grade for PHYS 4499 when 4499 is also completed.
Prerequisites
- Students should have a minimum of a 3.3 GPA in order to pursue the senior thesis
- Students should have completed all of their Core Requirements by the beginning of the senior year (exceptions made for students having only one Core Requirement remaining)
- Students should fill out their senior thesis proposal around April 15 of their junior year, with the written permission of their faculty major advisor & thesis advisor. All thesis proposals are ultimately decided by the DUS.
- Students should already be actively engaged in research leading towards their senior thesis by the spring of their junior year
- Students should be pursuing thesis research either within the physics department, or if outside the physics department, that is physics related (at the discretion of the DUS)