Graduate Research

Most graduate students are supported by Research Assistantships. RAs become involved in a research project as soon as they begin their assistantship, and this often leads to a thesis topic. TAs, Fellows, and self-supporting students who are not involved in research should look for a research group during the first year. Prior to thesis research, students get academic credit for their research by registering for Special Problems (8.391 or 8.392), which is generally taken every semester that research is conducted until thesis research formally commences. Starting with the semester in which the thesis proposal is submitted (see section titled "Thesis"), your registration changes from Special Problems to Thesis (8.THG). While most students stay with their first research group, some register for Special Problems in two or more research areas before finding a research topic suitable for a thesis. The Special Problem is graded on a Pass/Fail basis.

All graduate students conduct research that eventually leads to a thesis, but there are many different paths to gaining a research project. Students are expected to register for thesis and be assigned a thesis committee by the first term of their fourth year of graduate school (see section titled "Thesis"). Any person who holds a Faculty or Senior Research Scientist appointment in the Physics Department may serve as a research supervisor.

Under special circumstances, a faculty member outside the Department may supervise a student. Prior to embarking on a research project with an outside supervisor, the student must obtain a Departmental co-supervisor. In consultation with the research supervisor, the student should find a Faculty member or Senior Research Scientist in the Physics Department who agrees to be the co-supervisor. The co-supervisor will maintain close contact with the research as it progresses and must ultimately co-sign the thesis. The student should submit a Co-Supervisor Form, which requires the signatures of the research supervisor and co-supervisor. This form must be completed and returned to the PEO. This should be done at the outset of research to avoid any difficulties.

RESEARCH EXTERNSHIPS

To broaden the graduate experience, the Graduate Committee encourages physics graduate students to arrange an externship in an industrial or national laboratory at some time during their graduate career. Such externships may be scheduled during either summer or academic terms and can be used, with approval of the student's academic advisor, to satisfy one of the Departmental breadth requirements. Even if the externship is in the student's research field, it may be used to satisfy the breadth requirement. Externships may not be used to satisfy the specialty requirement. The Department recognizes that demands of MIT research may make it difficult for students to consider this opportunity, but it also believes that the benefits outweigh the possible conflict. Students seeking externships should discuss the issue with their research supervisor and schedule the externship to minimize disruption of research. Interested students should contact the Career Counselor and provide him with a curriculum vita.

TYPES OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

Students with a Research Assistantship (RA) or Teaching Assistantship (TA) are expected to spend full time on education and assigned duties and may not engage in any other activity for compensation without the specific approval of the Department Head. Graduate assistants are required to register for an academic load of 36-48 units (which may include Special Problems, Thesis Research or Physics Teaching) during any term (including summer) in which they have any form of MIT or Departmental support. In addition to course work, students doing research should always register for Special Problems (8.391 in the fall and 8.392 in the spring or summer) or, after turning in a thesis proposal, Thesis Research (8.THG). The number of units will vary between 12 and 48 according to the approximate number of hours per week spent on research. This gives students academic credit for their research work. Teaching assistants may register for 12-48 units of Physics Teaching (8.399). In this way, TAs also receive credit for teaching. Under most circumstances, the normal course load for graduate students with a full-time RA or TA is two academic subjects.

The current stipend rates for RAs and TAs are available in the Physics Education Office. For both RAs and TAs, full tuition is paid over and above the stipend. If a student loses RA support due to termination of a research contract, the Department will provide support for one additional term (in the form of a TA) and will make every effort to provide an alternative form of continuing support.

RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP

These appointments are generally for the academic year, plus the summer. The amount of time a student spends on RA duties depends on the amount of course work he or she needs and on the requirements of the group in which he or she works. For new graduate students taking classes and preparing for the general examination, research duties normally require 20 hours per week or less. After two to three years, research usually becomes full-time.

TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP

Some TA appointments are available during the fall and spring terms. These appointments involve teaching sections in a course or lab, tutoring, or grading homework and exams. This work requires up to about 20 hours per week in addition to any research or class work the student is doing.

A number of first year graduate students are supported by a nine-month (fall and spring) TA appointment. Although the Department cannot guarantee employment during the subsequent summer for these students, in the past virtually all have been able to find summer RA appointments in a Physics Department research group or obtain a summer externship in industry or in a national laboratory. Students who have a TA in their first year normally join a research group and are supported by an RA in subsequent years.

TA appointments may also be made beyond the first year. These appointments are used to encourage students who wish to hone their teaching skills, to help alleviate funding pressures on the faculty, to facilitate a student's transition to a different research group, or to support departmental teaching needs. Students who desire TA support after the first year must apply to the Graduate Appointments Coordinator. Applications for these TAs are considered on a case-by-case basis.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS

Scholarships and fellowships are full time positions, unless specifically exempted by the Department Head. A student entering the Department with a scholarship or fellowship has a great deal of flexibility in planning his or her graduate program and in seeking out a research group. However, each scholarship or fellowship student is responsible for finding a research group that will provide funding upon expiration of the fellowship support. Some information on scholarships and fellowships for graduate students in physics is available in the Physics Education Office, as well as the Graduate Education Office, Room 3-134.

SWITCHING GROUPS

Most students continue through from their first RA to a thesis in the same group. Some, however, elect to change research groups. An RA who does not wish to continue research in his or her group, or who simply wishes to investigate other possibilities, should not hesitate to talk to other professors about different opportunities. However, students are responsible for notifying their current supervisor of their intention to leave a group. Students are expected to work in the research group as long as it is providing funding. In order to facilitate the transition from one research group to another, each student is guaranteed one semester of transitional funding in the form of a TA. Once the decision has been made and approved to switch groups, the student should notify the Physics Education Office and the Physics Fiscal Office.

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