GRADUATE STUDENT ORIENTATION PROGRAM 2005

Here is a summary of events organized by the Department of Physics, by the Graduate School (GS), by the Center for International Education (CIE), by English as a Second Language (ESL) program, by the Center for Instructional and Professional Development (CIPD), and by Preparing Future Faculty Program (PFF).

Note:  It is a legal requirement that all TAs must be on campus as of the first day of their contract, which is Monday, August 22nd.  CIE will host three International Student Orientations. International TAs need to attend only one CIE orientation session.  Attendance is mandatory.  (The CIE orientation is in addition to the CIPD Orientation and Teaching Conference, which is held on Monday, Aug 22nd and Tuesday Aug 23rd, and which you are also to attend.)  It is very important that you attend the Department orientation on Wednesday, August 31st.

 
For an updated schedule of orientation programs and registration for 2005, click on the following link: Orientation Programs and Registration for 2005

SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMS:

Monday, August 22
     Most International Students have arrived (CIE)

Monday, August 22
     8:30am - 4:00pm
     Teaching and Orientation Conference Day 1 for ALL new TAs (CIPD/PFF)
     Location: Business N140

    3:00-4:00pm
    TAST (TOEFL Academic Speech Testing Orientation) (ESL)
    Location: TBA

Tuesday, August 23
    8:30am-4:00pm
    Teaching and Orientation Conference Day 2 for ALL new TAs (CIPD/PFF)
    Location:Business N140

Wednesday, August 24
     9:00am - 4:00pm
     TAST (30-minute scheduled TAST appointments) (ESL)
     Location: Curtain Hall 672

Thursday, August 25
     1:00pm - 4:00pm
     TAST (30-minute scheduled TAST appointments) (ESL)
     Location: Curtain Hall 672

Students will select one of 3 CIE orientations to attend: August 26, September 1 or 9.

Friday, August 26
     8:30am - 11:30am
    TOEFL- for international students to complete their English proficiency requirement (CIE/ESL)
     Location:TBA

    1:00-4:30pm
    New International Student Orientation (CIE) (For students new to UWM who hold F-1 or J-1 visas)
    Location:TBA

Saturday, August 27
     7:30am - Noon
     New Beginnings: Graduate Student Orientation for New Graduate Students (GS)
     Location:Helen Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts

Monday, August 29 (all week long)
     CIPD Available for PFF presentations during departmental TA orientations (CIPD/PFF)

Wednesday, August 31
     8:30am - 1:30pm
     New Faculty/Staff Orientation (ED)
     Location:School of Business Administration, S151

    1:30-3:30pm
     Physics Department Orientation Meeting and TA Assignments
    (VERY IMPORTANT for ALL Teaching Assistants in Physics Department)

Thursday, September 1
     1:00pm - 4:30pm
     New International Student Orientation (CIE) (For students new to UWM who hold F-1 or J-1
     visas)
     Location:TBA

Monday, September 5
     TAST Score Reports Available

Tuesday, September 6: FIRST DAY OF INSTRUCTION

Friday, September 9
     1:00pm - 4:30pm
     New International Student Make-up Orientation (CIE) (For students new to UWM who hold
     F-1 or J-1 visas and arrived too late to attend the previous International Student Orientations)
     Location:TBA

PHYSICS CHAIR'S PARTY:

This annual party will be held in September.  Check your mailboxes for details.

 

Tuesday, Sept. 6th and Wednesday Sept. 7th^th

PHD WRITTEN COMPREHENSIVE EXAM:

All new students must take the PhD written comprehensive exam.  Sign up for it with the Graduate Program Secretary Wyatt Osato in Room 442. The exam is a two-day exam given twice a year, at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters (location to be announced).  The fall semester's exam will take place on Tuesday, Sept 6th and Wednesday, Sept 7th.  Copies of previous years' exams may be obtained from Wyatt Osato.

The written comprehensive exam is designed to test a student's physics problem solving capabilities assuming a knowledge of physics equivalent to an advanced undergraduate at a premier institution.  The exam will test students ability on advanced undergraduate physics problems.  A Ph.D. student must pass the written comprehensive exam within the first two academic years (four semesters) of enrollment in our graduate program (PhD or MS). The exam is given in the Fall and Spring semesters during the first week of classes, so you can have four chances to pass it.  As a new student, you are not penalized in any way if you do not pass the exam this fall (even if you should happen to do really poorly); you still have three other attempts to pass the exam.  If nothing else, the exam will be a useful diagnostic tool and give you a unique experience in exam taking.

 

Here is a sample of textbooks at the requisite level for the written comprehensive exam:

 

Quantum Mechanics:

"Introduction to Quantum Mechanics" by D. J. Griffiths

Prentice Hall [1994].

 

Classical Mechanics:

"Classical dynamics of particles and systems" by J. B. Marion

New York, Academic Press [1970]

"Mechanics" by K. R. Symon

Reading, Mass., Addison-Wesley Pub. Co. [1960]

 

Electromagnetism:

"Introduction to Electrodynamics" by D.J. Griffiths

Prentice Hall [1994]

 

Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics:

"Heat and Thermodynamics" by R.H. Dittman & M.W. Zemansky

McGraw-Hill Higher Education [1996]

"Classical and Statistical Thermodynamics" by A.H. Carter

 

Modern Physics:

"Modern Physics" by P.A Tipler & R.A. Llewellyn

W H Freeman & Co [1999]

"Modern Physics" by K.L. Krane,

John Wiley & Sons