Course Catalog
The Lehigh University Catalog lists degree requirements, rules for graduation, and other policies and procedures affecting students at Lehigh University. The University normally updates the Catalog on an annual basis, to reflect changes in course descriptions, degree programs, and academic guidelines. Most policies and procedures, aside from degree requirements, are governed by the language in the current Catalog.
Please refer to the catalog entries for physics and astronomy for detailed information about each course offering, including graduate-level courses that have a course number of 300 and above, found towards the bottom of the course catalog listing.
Summary of MS and PhD program curriculum
MS Degree: Most students who enter with a bachelor's degree earn a Master's degree after three semesters and one summer. It is possible for MS students to structure their Master's program with some specialization so that they are prepared for employment when they complete the program. One possible specialization is photonics, with a corresponding MS degree in photonics. The Master's Program requires 30 credit hours. This is generally 27 credit hours of course work and 3 credits hours from a research project.
Ph Degree: The PhD program includes a set of core courses, including some at the advanced graduate level that provide the broad background in physics that is so important in the long run, specialized courses relevant to the research area of the student, and the research for the Ph D dissertation. Students entering with graduate level work at other institutions may include relevant courses taken at the other institutions in their proposal for candidacy, which includes all their course preparation as well as the research proposal for the dissertation.
MS program courses:
- First year, Fall Semester: Mechanics (Phy 420), Mathematical Methods of Physics (Phy 428) and one elective course.
- First year, Spring Semester: Quantum Mechanics I (Phy 423), Electricity and Magnetism I (Phy 421) and Statistical Mechanics (Phy 442).
- First year, Research project (Phy 491) during June-August.
- Second year, Fall Semester: Quantum Mechanics II (Phy 424), Electricity and Magnetism II (Phy 422), and one elective course.
PhD program courses and research timeline:
- First year and Fall Semester of second year: Courses as described above for the MS Program.
- Second year, Spring Semester: Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics (Phy 364), two elective courses.
- Second year, Research project during June-August
- Third year: Specialized courses as appropriate and research, form a dissertation committee and prepare research proposal
- Fourth year: Research, specialized course if appropriate, work on publications
- Fifth year: Research, publications, complete and defend the dissertation.
Naturally, it is possible for PhD students to start doing research earlier than described above, depending on individual interest and background.
Please refer to the catalog entries for physics and astronomy for detailed information, other course offerings, and descriptions of each course. Graduate-level courses that have a course number of 300 and above, found towards the bottom of the course catalog listing.