Instructor: Prof. JAMES NEFF, 144 SCIC, 953-5325,
neffj@cofc.edu
office hours: 3:30 to 4:30 Wednesdays; 4:30-5:30 Tuesdays and Thursdays
Goals and
Objectives: This course will (1)
introduce you to all aspects of modern research in physics and related fields
and (2) help you develop the skills necessary to participate actively in
research. You will learn about research opportunities in the department, you
will select a faculty advisor, and you will prepare a formal proposal for your
senior research (PHYS420) project. Depending on student background and
interest, there may be sessions on proposal writing, oral presentations, poster
presentations, graduate school preparation, computer skills, organizational
skills, preparing a professional cv, etc.
Text and
Required Materials: No required text.
There will be occasional handouts, and you need to develop a notebook, which
will be ocassionally assessed by the instructor.
Grading: The principal products of this course will be your
notebook, your cv, and your PHYS420 proposal (written proposal and a poster
presentation). Your final grade will be based approximately 50% on your
proposal and presentation, 20% on your notebook, 5% on your cv, and 25% on your
participation.
Schedule: We will generally meet every Friday, but if our
schedules permit, some of these classes may be replaced by other activities
(e.g. seminar speakers, lab tours, etc.)