(PPHYS)
Formal requirements for the Ph.D. degree include eight required courses (PHYS 7221 , PHYS 7225 , PHYS 7231 , PHYS 7232 , PHYS 7241 , PHYS 7242 , PHYS 7398 , and PHYS 7857 ), 9 hours of advanced graduate courses beyond the required 22 core hours, a passing score on the departmental qualifying exam and the general exam, publication of research results, and a final examination.
The qualifying exam for the M.S. or Ph.D. is offered twice each year. It is comprehensive and composed of questions at the advanced undergraduate level. This exam must be completed by the end of the second year of study. The general exam consists of the successful defense of a thesis topic and an examination of the student’s knowledge of the subject area of the thesis. The final examination is an oral defense of the thesis.
A dual PhD degree program in physics also exists between LSU and Nanjing University in Nanjing and the Institute of Physics in Beijing, China. Further details can be found on the department website www.phys.lsu.edu.
Ph.D. in Physics with a concentration in Medical Physics (PMPHP)
The PhD degree concentration in medical physics requires 24 credit hours of core coursework, 4 credit hours of clinical work, 9 credit hours of advanced medical physics electives, and 6 credit hours of non-medical physics advanced electives. Research credit hours comprise the remainder of the minimum required total of 54 credit hours for the degree. Additional requirements are a passing score on the medical physics qualifying exam and the general exam, publication of research results, and a final examination. The qualifying exam, offered once per year, is comprehensive and based on the core medical physics coursework taken in the first year of study. The general exam consists of the successful defense of a thesis topic and an examination of the student’s knowledge of the subject area of the thesis. The final examination is an oral defense of the thesis. Although not counted towards degree requirements, a course in human anatomy is necessary for eligibility to sit for the American Board of Radiology certification exam in radiological physics.