| Master’s
Degree
The MA program places primary emphasis upon course
work and does not involve the writing of a thesis. Only Plan B
(non-thesis) is offered.
Admission Requirements
Students seeking admission must have a BA degree,
including the equivalent of 30 credit hours in philosophy. Students who
lack this preparation must make up deficiencies either before or during
graduate study. In the latter case, students will be admitted only
conditionally, pending removal of the deficiencies. Deficiencies may
also be designated in cases where a student's background does not
include a sufficient number and range of courses in Western philosophy.
The GRE General Test is required of all program applicants to whom it is
accessible.
Degree Requirements
To be eligible for conferral of the MA degree, a
student must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3 while completing at least 30
credit hours of course work, at least 18 of which must be in courses
numbered 600 and above. In addition, students submit two or three papers
for a culminating exam, which includes an oral component. Also required
for the MA degree are four semesters (or the demonstrated equivalent) of
at least one philosophically significant language other than English:
typically classical Greek, Latin, French, German, classical Chinese,
Japanese, Sanskrit, or Pali.
Doctoral Degree
The doctoral program consists of two stages. The first
stage is that leading to admission to candidacy; the second, to the
awarding of the degree. Normally the first involves at least two years
of course work beyond the MA in preparation for departmental and
language examinations. The second stage involves writing a dissertation
and passing an oral examination in its defense. Students must attain
certification for PhD candidacy--that is, fulfill all the requirements
for the PhD except for the writing and oral defense of the
dissertation--within four years of admission to the PhD program.
Admission Requirements
Students seeking admission must hold an MA degree or
the equivalent in philosophy and have earned a minimum GPA of
3.3 in courses taken for the MA. Students may be required to make up
deficiencies upon entry into the PhD program (see requirements for MA
degree above). The GRE General Test is required of all program
applicants to whom it is accessible.
Degree Requirements
To be eligible for conferral of the doctor of
philosophy degree, a student must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3 while
completing at least 30 credit hours of course work beyond the
requirements for the MA. A minimum of 18 of these credit hours must be
taken at or above the 600 level. Students are required to demonstrate
competence in each of three general areas: history of philosophy,
metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and philosophy of science; ethics,
aesthetics, social and political philosophy, and philosophy of law.
Course listings made available each semester will indicate the general
area or areas within which each course fits. Students are required to
pass two examinations in an area related to the subject matter of their
prospective dissertation, to complete an original dissertation, and to
pass a final oral dissertation defense. In addition, students shall
demonstrate proficiency in at least one (and where deemed necessary two)
philosophically significant language(s) other than English: typically
classical Greek, Latin, French, German, classical Chinese, Japanese,
Sanskrit or Pali. Language proficiency examinations will be conducted
through the Graduate Division and the department of the University
responsible for teaching that language.
Physics
College of Natural Sciences
Watanabe 416
2505 Correa Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-7087
Fax: (808) 956-7107
E-mail: physics@hawaii.edu
Web: www.phys.hawaii.edu/
Faculty
*J. Gaines, PhD (Chair)--condensed matter, experiment
*T. Browder, PhD--elementary particles, experiment
*P. Crooker, PhD--condensed matter, experiment
*A. Feldman, PhD--physics education
*F. Harris, PhD--elementary particles, experiment
*C. Hayes, PhD--condensed matter, experiment
*M. D. Jones, PhD--elementary particles, experiment
*L. Kofman, PhD--astrophysics
*P. K. Lam, PhD--condensed matter, theory
*J. G. Learned, PhD--particle astrophysics
J. M. J. Madey, PhD--tree electron laser physics
*S. Olsen, PhD--elementary particles, experiment
*S. Pakvasa, PhD--elementary particles, theory
*M. W. Peters, PhD--elementary particles, experiment
*W. Pong, PhD--solid state, experiment
*K. Sattler, PhD--condensed matter, experiment
*V. J. Stenger, PhD--particle astrophysics
E. B. Szarmas, PhD--tree electron laser physics
*X. R. Tata, PhD--elementary particles, theory
*S. F. Tuan, PhD--elementary particles, theory
*C. Vause III, PhD--condensed matter, theory
H. Yamamoto, PhD--elementary particles, experiment
*D. Yount, PhD--elementary particles, experiment
Affiliate Graduate Faculty
W. Laidlaw, PhD--condensed matter, theory
W. Simmons, PhD--elementary particles, theory
*Graduate Faculty
Degrees Offered: BA in physics, BS in physics,
MS in physics, PhD in physics
The Academic Program
Physics (PHYS) is the study of matter and energy and
how they interact at the most basic levels. Areas include mechanics,
optics and lasers, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, nuclear
phenomena, condensed matter, and elementary particles. Physics is widely
regarded as the most basic of all the sciences. The University of
Hawai‘i at Manoa offers both the bachelor of arts and bachelor of
science degrees in physics. The faculty members teaching the courses are
at the forefront of research in physics both in experiment and theory.
In the field of elementary particles, some faculty members are doing
experiments in Japan to detect neutrino oscillations and studying
high-energy gamma rays coming from the stars. Others are involved in
experiments at the Beijing (China) accelerator and the KEK accelerator
in Japan. In condensed-matter physics, they investigate novel materials,
study electrical noise in composites, probe the exotic phases of liquid
crystals, and use a scanning tunneling microscope to take pictures of
individual atoms. A new research effort in free electron laser (FEL)
physics has begun, capable of working at the forefront of medical
research, chemistry, material science, or basic physics. Often, the
undergraduate physics majors work on these projects along with graduate
students and the faculty.
Undergraduate Study
BA Degree
Requirements
Students must complete 40 credit hours, including:
• PHYS 170/170L,
272/272L, 274/274L, 310, 350, 400, 430, 450, and 480/480L
• One course from PHYS 440, 481, or 490
• Two courses from PHYS 305, 475, or 481L
• CHEM 171/171L
• MATH 205, 206, 231, 232, and 311
Upon approval of a physics department adviser and
chair, the PHYS 170 through 272L requirements may be satisfied by PHYS
151 through 152L. |