ATPH PhD Graduate Guidebook

Current Academic Year: 2026–2027 | Last Revised: April 2026

Introduction: This informal Graduate Guidebook supplements the official program requirements found in the Graduate Catalog, and the University policies governing assistantships found in the Graduate Assistant Handbook. The timeline below shows all major milestones, events, and deadlines for a typical 12-semester (6-year) PhD. The following sections provide details about each one of the milestones. Students taking shorter or longer than 6 years only need to adjust the timing of the events shown in the final year.

Figure 1: Timeline showing major milestones for a typical 12-semester (6-year) PhD.

• Year 1: Core Coursework, Seminar, and GPD Advising.
• Year 2: Qualifying Exams and Research Advisor Selection.
• Year 3: PhD Proposal & Advancement to Candidacy.
• Years 4–5+: Research, Dissertation, and Final Defense.

Section 1. Orientation

Overview: The Orientation Program for new graduate students takes place during the week before classes begin in August each year. The program starts with the campus-wide Graduate School Orientation Day for new graduate students, followed by various Physics Department orientation activities and TA training sessions. Academic advising and registration for 1st semester courses takes place during Orientation.

Four online training courses are also completed during the Orientation period:

1. The Graduate School’s Academic Integrity Tutorial
2. UMBC’s Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) online training module
3. UMBC’s Preventing Sexual Harassment online course
4. UMBC’s Laboratory Safety Training online course

Section 2. TA’s

Overview: Nearly all full-time 1st and 2nd year graduate students in good standing are offered Teaching Assistantships (TA’s) that provide a stipend, tuition coverage, and health benefits. These are 12-month appointments that include TA work in the Fall semester, the Spring semester, and one of the two summer-school sessions.

Misc. Notes:

• TA workload is typically ~20 hours per week.
• Current and future TA appointments are contingent upon performance, as well as making adequate progress in the PhD program.
• Due to undergraduate course scheduling issues, your TA assignment (i.e. which class/lab) is usually not finalized until a few days before the start of the semester.
• The University policies governing TAs (including vacation, health benefits, etc.) can be found in the Graduate Assistant Handbook.
• The 12-month TA stipend is informed in your appointment letter.
• Although tuition is covered, you will usually pay for textbooks and fees each semester.

Section 3. Coursework

Overview: Students typically take 3 courses per semester in the first year, and then 2 or 3 courses per semester in the second year. The standard course progression is shown in the table below, where required courses are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Elective courses from the Physics department include: PHYS 602 Statistical Mechanics, PHYS 605 Mathematical Physics, PHYS 607 Electromagnetic Theory, PHYS 609 Modern Optics, and PHYS 707 Advanced Electromagnetic Theory.

Course Requirements: A minimum of 46 credits consisting of the following:

• 4 required core courses: PHYS 621, PHYS 622, PHYS 623, PHYS 640 (3 credits each)
• A minimum of 4 grad lecture course electives (3 credits each), where at least 2 should be specialized ATPH courses: PHYS 721, PHYS 722, and PHYS 731.
• 3 semesters of PHYS 698 Seminar (1 credit each)
• PHYS 690 Professional Techniques in Physics (1 credit)
• A minimum of 2 semesters of PHYS 899 Doctoral Research (9 credits each) which students register for after PhD candidacy (see Section C).

Grade Requirements:

• Each of the 4 core courses must be passed with a grade of B- or higher.
• Overall GPA > 3.0 required at all times.

Misc. Notes:

• Students often continue to take relevant electives in year 3 and beyond.
• Students can take grad electives in other departments, including but not limited to:
  • DATA 601 Intro to Data Science,
  • DATA 602 Intro to Data Analysis,
  • DATA 613 Data Visualization and Comm.,
  • STAT 606 Statistical Learning,
  • GES 636 Global Environmental change,
  • GES 680 Intro to Satellite Image Analysis, and
  • ENEN 660 Air Pollution.
• Students can also take grad electives from other universities in the University System of Maryland, including UMCP, which offers courses such as:
  • AOSC 614 Atmospheric Modeling,
  • AOSC 637 Atmospheric Chemistry, and
  • AOSC 640 Surface-Atmosphere Interactions

Section 4. Faculty Research Seminar Series (FRSS)

Overview: The Faculty Research Seminar Series (FRSS) take place in January each year. The audience is the 1st year grad student cohort. Faculty members give seminars about their research and/or PhD research opportunities in their groups. The goal is for 1st year students to begin figuring out in which research group they would like to do their PhD’s.

Format: The FRSS lasts multiple days, depending on faculty availability. Most Faculty use Room 401, but some include lab tours, etc. The FRSS schedule of talks is announced in early December.

Section 5. Qualifying Exam

Overview: Students must pass the PhD Qualifying Exam (i.e. the “quals”). This is a comprehensive exam that covers the core of atmospheric physics at the graduate level. The exam is offered twice per year (in late January and early August). The first attempt at the exam is January of the first year, just after you take PHYS 621, PHYS 622, and PHYS 623. You are allowed to take the quals three times, though it is in your best interest to pass the quals as quickly as possible. If you don’t show up for an exam, it will automatically be recorded as a Fail.

Structure and Content: The exam consists of three written sections and one oral section, given over 4 days (one section per day). Each written section lasts 3 hours and contains 5 problems. All ATPH faculty participate in composing the problems for each exam. The general arrangement of the exams are:

Day 1 (Monday): Atmospheric Thermodynamics

Day 2 (Wednesday): Atmospheric Dynamics

Day 3 (Friday): Radiation/Aerosol & Cloud Microphysics.

Day 4 (next Friday): Oral exam based on one week of research on a selected topic.

Passing and Failing: Each of the written sections is graded independently by two faculty members. In the event of a large discrepancy in the grades, the two graders meet to reconcile these differences. The results are presented, discussed, and approved by the whole faculty. There are fixed, predetermined passing levels for an M.S. (45%) and a Ph.D. (60%) pass, and the exams grades are not curved. To protect the integrity of the exam, each student is assigned a unique letter by the exam coordinator, and they use this letter to mark their exam papers. The identity of the students is revealed to the faculty only after the exam results are reconciled. If a student fails one or more sections, then they are only required to repeat those sections. All students have three attempts to pass all sections of the exam. The quals must be completed before the beginning of their fourth semester. Failure to do so results in dismissal from the program.

Note: The ATPH Qualifying Exam Chair (Prof. Belay Demoz) maintains an archive of historical qualifying exam problems.

Section 6. Research Rotations

Overview: Students start performing non-committal research rotations with potential PhD Advisors during the summer of the 1st year. The goal is to experience what research is like in the research areas you are interested in pursuing. The normal situation is 2 different rotations (1st half of the summer, and 2nd half of the summer). Trying just 1 group will reduce your opportunities, while rotating in 3 groups will not allow enough time for a meaningful experience.

Setting up rotations:

• It is your responsibility to set up the rotations. The normal time to begin approaching professors is early Spring, after the January quals results are announced.
• If your Summer rotations did not work out, you should continue to set up Fall “rotations” (and further) until you find a PhD Advisor.
• If you are not proactive, nothing will happen and it is very unlikely that you will find a PhD Advisor.

Note: Performing a rotation does not imply any guarantee that you will end up doing your PhD with that professor. These are no-commitment rotations on your end, and/or the professor’s end.

Section 7. Non-terminal MS degree

Overview: Students may enroll in the Concurrent Master’s Degree Program to receive a non-terminal MS degree while in progress to their PhD, after completing all requirements for the M.S. program (typically the non-thesis option). Students making good progress towards the PhD will, by default, meet all of these requirements by the end of the second year.

Requirements: For a non-terminal MS degree, students must complete a minimum of 30 credits of lecture coursework, with at least 18 credits at the 600 level or higher. This includes passing PHYS 621 and PHYS 622 with a B- or higher and completing two semesters of PHYS 698 (a total of 8 credits).

Non-Thesis Option: Students selecting the non-thesis option must complete the following requirements:

1. Complete 22 additional credits of lecture coursework approved by the Graduate Program Director (GPD).
2. Pass the qualifying exam at the MS level.
3. Write an MS Scholarly Paper.

The MS Scholarly Paper should demonstrate solid technical writing skills and mastery of a chosen topic in physics. This paper is usually completed as part of an elective class (PHYS 690); otherwise, consult with the GPD to select an appropriate topic. While there are no formal length requirements, the paper is typically around 10 pages including figures, references, and theoretical background.

Thesis-option: Students wanting to pursue this non-standard option should talk with the GPD about the requirements.

Steps:

1. Submit your MS Scholarly Paper to the GPD by December 20th (for May graduation), by April 25th (for August graduation), or by July 25th (for December graduation).
2. Apply for Graduation (via the Graduate School website) by February 15th (for May graduation), by June 15th (for August graduation), or by September 15th (for December graduation).
3. Submit the “Certification of Completion of Master’s Degree Requirements” form (found on the Graduate School’s website) to the Graduate School by the last day of the semester.

Section 8. PhD Advisor

Overview: All students must find a PhD Advisor to supervise their PhD dissertation research. Choosing a PhD Advisor is one of the most important decisions in grad school.

Misc. Notes:

• The PhD Advisor must be a tenure-track faculty member of the Physics department.
• Although there is no formal deadline for finding a PhD Advisor, most students accomplish this by the end of their 4th semester, and often earlier. The only formal timing constraint is the deadline for forming the Preliminary PhD Committee (see Section 10), which requires a PhD Advisor.
• It is your responsibility to find a PhD Advisor. Although rare, a student who is in good academic standing, but is unable to find a PhD Advisor, will be unable to continue in the PhD program.

 Section 9. Fellowships and RA’s

Overview: Beginning in the 3rd year, almost all PhD students are supported by externally funded Fellowships and/or Research Assistantships (RAs). These typically include a stipend, tuition coverage, and health benefits. Exceptionally well-qualified students often move onto Fellowships or RAs before the 3rd year.

Fellowships: These are the most prestigious form of grad student funding. You should continually apply for fellowships. Fellowships usually offer the greatest research flexibility and often pay the highest stipends.

Research Assistantships: RAs are typically associated with externally funded research grants held by the PhD Advisor. The normal level for 12-month RA stipends is roughly $33K for pre-candidacy RAs, and $35K for RAs in PhD candidacy.

The relations of RA and Thesis/Dissertation: The following quote from the Graduate Assistant Handbook is a useful mindset:

“Research Assistant (RA) The duties of RAs vary depending on the nature of the research project and its funding source. RAs perform these duties under the direction and supervision of a faculty member. Their research assignments may or may not directly contribute to the thesis or dissertation required for their master’s or doctoral degree. It’s important to note that the scholarly activities essential for completing the thesis or dissertation are distinct from the RA responsibilities and should not be conflated with the assistantship duties.”

Section 10. Preliminary PhD Committee

Overview: All students must form a Preliminary PhD Committee comprised of the PhD Advisor and two other faculty members of the Physics department. This 3-person committee is charged with determining if a student should advance into PhD candidacy (see Section 14) and will meet annually with the student to discuss progress (see Section 11). The normal time for students to form the Preliminary PhD Committee is the beginning of the 3rd year.

Steps:

1. Work with your PhD Advisor to design your Preliminary PhD Committee. Note that at least two of your committee members must be tenure-track faculty.
2. Submit the Preliminary PhD Committee Docusign form to the GPD by the last day of the 5th semester. Please note that when the form is completed by all faculty and the GPD you will get a notification. If you haven’t received the notification within a day or two, please follow the signature path to find the person in line to sign next and remind them.

Note: If beneficial, the Preliminary PhD Committee can include additional faculty members of the Physics department or from other universities or research institutions.

Section 11. Annual PhD Committee Meetings

Overview: Beginning with the proposal defense (see Section 13), all graduate students are required to meet with their Preliminary PhD Committee each Spring. It is your responsibility (not your PhD Advisor’s) to organize and lead these meetings. The primary goal of these meetings is to ensure that you and your committee are in general agreement on your status and plans as you move towards the PhD.

Steps:

1. Schedule the meeting several weeks in advance. Getting three professors in the same place at the same time is notoriously difficult; allow plenty of time to find a suitable date.
2. Start the Annual PhD Committee Meeting Docusign form before the meeting.
3. Make sure your advisor enters the Committee’s comments on the form at the end of the meeting.
4. Keep track of this Docusign form and verify that all members are signing it when it’s their turn. Follow up with committee members if necessary. Once all the signatures are obtained, you and the GPD will be notified by the system. You don’t need to do anything else. A copy of the completed form will be placed in a secure folder for archiving.
5. You should have your meeting completed by April 25th.

Misc. Notes:

• Do not submit the “Annual PhD Committee Meeting” form for the proposal defense. As explained in section 13, the proposal defense has its own specific form.
• Although there is no required format for these meetings, most students present 10 – 20 PowerPoint slides on progress since last meeting, next steps, and an estimated timeline to PhD defense. Typical meetings last between 20 – 40 minutes.

Section 12. Annual PGSA Poster Session

Overview: The annual Physics Graduate Student Association (PGSA) Poster Session takes place on the first Monday after Spring Break in March. This is the flagship event of the annual “Visit Day” for prospective graduate students.

Misc. Notes:

• All Grad Students in 3rd year or higher are expected to present a poster.
• The poster does not have to be new; if convenient, feel free to use one from a recent conference or workshop, etc.

Section 13. PhD Proposal

Overview: The PhD proposal consists of two parts: a written proposal and an oral presentation. The oral portion includes a 30- to 45-minute public presentation, followed by questions from the audience and further questioning by the PhD committee in a closed session. The normal time to do the PhD proposal is the Spring semester of the 3rd year. The PhD proposal is usually the final step in advancing to PhD candidacy (see Section 14).

Steps:

1. At least 4 weeks in advance, contact your committee and find a date for your oral PhD proposal. Getting three professors in the same place at the same time is notoriously difficult; allow plenty of time to find a suitable date. Reserve room 401 for a 2-hour slot.
2. At least two weeks before the oral PhD proposal, send your title and abstract to Jen Salmi so she can advertise it on the Department website.
3. At least one week before the oral PhD proposal, hand out your written PhD proposal to all committee members.
4. Before your oral PhD proposal, fill out the PhD Proposal Outcome form. Your advisor will be the first to receive this Docusign form, and they need to enter the Committee’s recommendations during their discussions.
5. Keep track of this Docusign form and verify that all members are signing it when it’s their turn. Follow up with committee members if necessary.

Misc. Notes:

• Page limit advisory: since the Fall of 2023, all PhD proposals should be within 15 pages if formatted with single space and 12 pt font size, or 30 pages if formatted with double space and 12 pt font size. Reference pages are not counted towards the limit.
• The PhD Proposal Archive contains copies of all written PhD proposals since 2008. This is a useful tool for learning the norms/expectations of various committees. After your oral PhD proposal, e-mail the final version of your written PhD proposal to the GPD (the Archive administrator) for inclusion in the Archive.
• Under special circumstances, the GPD can authorize that PhD proposals take place as late as Summer of the 3rd year. However, per the rules of the Graduate School, all students must either be admitted to PhD candidacy by the start of the 4th year or leave the program (see Section 14).

Section 14. PhD Candidacy

Overview: After completing coursework, the PhD qualifying exam, and the PhD proposal, students are eligible to be considered for PhD candidacy. All students must be admitted into PhD candidacy by the start of the 4th year in the program. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program.

Background: Based on the recommendation of the Preliminary PhD Committee, the full faculty will vote on whether you should be admitted into PhD candidacy. In formulating its recommendation, the Preliminary PhD Committee will consider all relevant information concerning your potential for performing research at the doctoral level. This includes (but is not limited to) your overall graduate record and your PhD proposal.

Steps:

1. Complete all required coursework (except PHYS 899), pass the PhD qualifying exam at the PhD level, and complete your PhD proposal.
2. As soon as these three things are completed, ask your PhD Advisor to bring up your case for faculty vote. This vote will usually take place at the first faculty meeting after your PhD proposal. Faculty meetings are held on the first Friday of each month during the Fall and Spring semesters, and during the final weeks of January and August.
3. If the faculty votes in favor of you advancing to PhD candidacy, promptly submit the Application for Admission to Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Docusign form to the Graduate School. The Graduate School will usually approve your application within 1 week.
4. After approval by the Graduate School, you are officially a PhD candidate and can register for PHYS 899. PhD candidates are required to enroll in PHYS 899 each semester until graduation.

Misc. Notes:

• There are several benefits to advancing to PhD candidacy as early as possible. Perhaps the most tangible is the potential for a higher RA stipend (see Section 9).
• The Graduate School hosts a campus-wide “PhD Candidates Ceremony and Luncheon” in Fall each year. All new PhD candidates from the preceding year are honored. Be sure to invite your PhD Advisor, as you both walk the stage during the ceremony.

Section 15. Final PhD Committee

Overview: All students must form a Final Doctoral Dissertation Examination Committee in accordance with Graduate School policies. This 5-person “Final PhD Committee” is typically comprised of the 3-person Preliminary PhD Committee and 2 additional members. The normal time for students to form the Final PhD Committee is 6 – 8 months before the anticipated PhD defense date.

Steps:

1. Work with your PhD Advisor to design your Final PhD Committee according to the rules found on the “Nomination of Members for the Final Doctoral Dissertation Examination Committee” Docusign form. Note that you’ll need an “outside member” (eg. someone from outside of the Physics department) and two people to serve as “readers”.
2. Be sure that all nominated members agree to serve on your committee! Some people may refuse, while others may agree to be committee members but not serve as a “reader”.
3. Submit the Nomination of Members for the Final Doctoral Dissertation Examination Committee Docusign form to the Graduate School at least 6 months before the anticipated defense date.

Section 16. PhD Dissertation

Overview: All students must write a PhD dissertation in accordance with Graduate School policies. The dissertation must be handed out to the Final PhD Committee members at least 4 weeks before the PhD defense (see Section 17).

Misc. Notes:

• The bulk of the PhD dissertation should usually be written before the start of the “final semester”. The final semester timeline (see Section 18) necessitates that the dissertation be handed out to the Final PhD Committee fairly early in the final semester.
• The Graduate School has strict formatting requirements for the dissertation (margins, pagination, etc.). LaTeX style files and Microsoft Word templates can be downloaded from the Graduate School website.

Section 17. PhD Defense

Overview: All students must defend their PhD dissertation before their Final PhD Committee. PhD defenses typically consist of a 40 – 60 minute oral presentation open to the public, followed by questions from the general audience, and then further closed-doors questioning and deliberation by the Final PhD committee.

Defense date: Although the PhD defense can take place at any time during the year, most students schedule it relative to the Spring (May) or Fall (December) graduation, but there is also a Summer graduation (August). When scheduling your defense date, note that the timeline for the final semester is fairly restrictive (see Section 18).

Steps:

1. Schedule your PhD defense date at least 4 – 6 weeks in advance. Finding a date that works for all five members of your Final PhD Committee can be very difficult. Reserve room 401 for a 2.5-hour slot.
2. At least 4 weeks before your PhD defense, hand out your PhD dissertation to all members of your Final PhD Committee.
3. At least 4 weeks before your PhD defense, send your title, abstract, date and time to Jen Salmi so she can advertise it on the Department website.
4. At least 2 weeks before your PhD defense, submit the Certification of Readiness to Defend the Doctoral Dissertation Docusign form to the Graduate School. Note that this form requires signatures from your 2 “readers”.
5. At least 2 weeks before your PhD defense, submit the Announcement of PhD Defense form to the Graduate School.

Misc. Notes:

• The Grad School will appoint one member of your Final PhD Committee to serve as the “Dean’s Representative” and will issue him/her the official “Report of the Examining Committee” form. The Dean’s Rep is responsible for ensuring proper protocol for the defense.
• After deliberation, the Final PhD Committee must vote on 1 of 3 possible outcomes on the “Report of the Examining Committee” form:
  • “Passed the examination and the dissertation is accepted with only minor changes, if any”. In this case, the PhD Advisor typically certifies the minor revisions.
  • “Passed the examination but the dissertation, requiring significant, non-trivial revision is accepted provisionally”. In this case, the Committee develops a timeline and plan for who will certify the revisions. A maximum 60-day deadline is typical.
  • “Failed the examination”. If there is to be a re-examination, it must occur within 1 year. Only two attempts are allowed.

Section 18. Graduation

Overview: The PhD degree is awarded after successfully defending the PhD dissertation and submitting the final version of the PhD dissertation to the Graduate School. The PhD degree can be officially conferred (awarded) at the graduate commencement ceremonies in May or December. The degree can also be conferred in August, with students typically coming back to UMBC to participate in the subsequent December commencement ceremony.

Final Semester Dissertation Timelines: Plan your milestones backwards based on your target graduation term to allow time for committee review and minor post-defense revisions:

• May Graduation:
  • March 23: Hand out dissertation to PhD Committee
  • April 23: Complete PhD defense
  • April 30: Submit final revised dissertation to the Graduate School
• August Graduation:
  • June 23: Hand out dissertation to PhD Committee
  • July 23: Complete PhD defense
  • July 30: Submit final revised dissertation to the Graduate School
• December Graduation:
  • October 23: Hand out dissertation to PhD Committee
  • November 23: Complete PhD defense
  • November 30: Submit final revised dissertation to the Graduate School

Steps:

1. Before the start of the final semester, refer to the “Graduation” page of the Grad School website for the most current information about commencement participation, renting academic regalia, etc.
2. Apply for Graduation (via the Grad School website) by February 15 (for May graduation), June 15 (for August graduation), or September 15 (for December graduation).
3. Submit your final PhD dissertation and associated paperwork to the Graduate School by April 30 (for May graduation), July 30 (for August graduation), or November 30 (for December graduation).
4. Contact Jen Salmi for instructions on binding your PhD dissertation.
5. Before graduation day, submit the Graduate School’s “PhD Exit Survey” form.
6. On graduation day, celebrate your achievements! Congratulations… it’s official! You are now a Doctor of Philosophy—welcome to the finish line, Dr. [Your Last Name]!
7. After graduation, coordinate the return of your keys with Colleen Russell.

Misc. Notes:

• Renting academic regalia is very costly. Be prepared!
• Ensure that your PhD Advisor will attend the graduation ceremony. You will both walk the stage during the “PhD hooding” part of the ceremony.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Section A. PGSA and GSA

PGSA: The Physics Graduate Student Association was established to improve communication and camaraderie between grad students. The PGSA is comprised of all PHYS and ATPH grad students. Key aspects of PGSA include:

• • The annual PGSA Welcome Luncheon at Orientation in August.
  • The annual PGSA Poster Session on Visit Day in March (see Section 12).
  • Happy hours, social events, excursions, etc.

GSA: The Graduate Student Association is a campus-wide organization. One of GSA’s primary goals is supporting graduate student research. Key aspects of GSA include:

• Graduate Research Conference (GRC) that takes place each Spring semester. This is an excellent opportunity to practice giving a conference talk or poster.
• Travel grants for Graduate Students to attend workshops and conferences!
• The GSA Writing Advisor, who can help with all writing (including research papers, PhD proposals, and PhD dissertations).
• Numerous workshops, events, and seminars designed to help with your intellectual, professional, and social development.

Section B. Full-time status & GRAD 601

Overview: All students on TAs and/or RAs must be registered as full-time students. To be considered full-time, you must be registered for at least 9 credits each Fall and Spring semester. There are no formal registration requirements during the Summer session.

Misc. Notes:

• If needed, TAs and RAs have the option to register for the “graduate assistant course” GRAD 601 for any Fall or Spring semester. GRAD 601 is not a real course; it simply provides 5 credits towards full-time status (the basic idea is that your TA or RA is an academic activity).
• GRAD 603 is the Summer version of GRAD 601. It provides 2 credits during the Summer session. GRAD 603 can be relevant for some students on Fellowships, and/or those seeking to be FICA exempt during the Summer session.
• There are no tuition or fees associated with GRAD 601 and GRAD 603.

Section C. PHYS 898 & PHYS 899

PHYS 898 Pre-Candidacy Doctoral Research: PHYS 898 is a variable-credit course (3 – 9 credits) that is billed (tuition and fees) at 1/3 rate. This course is taken by students who are doing dissertation research but have not yet advanced into PhD candidacy. You should enroll in the number of credits corresponding to your research effort.

PHYS 899 Doctoral Research: PHYS 899 is fixed at 9 credits per semester but is only billed (tuition and fees) at a rate of 2 credits. Once admitted to PhD candidacy, you must register for PHYS 899 every semester. At least two semesters of PHYS 899 are needed for graduation, although most students far exceed this value.

Section D. Offices

Overview: Every year, all full time Grad Student will have an assigned desk slot in the Physics Bldg.  Students in the 1st year grad cohort typically start out in Room 226, with a chance to move into Room 224 or a 3rd or 4th floor office slot as they progress through the program. The changing of room assignments occurs each summer, with priority for Room 224 and/or 3rd or 4th floor office slots based solely on seniority. Additional details can be found in the Physics Department Space Policy. Room 225 functions as the Grad Collaboratory, which serves as the central hub of graduate student life—bringing together all Physics graduate students regardless of where your office is located.