Note that the Graduate Catalog should be consulted for additional information. To contact the Graduate School call toll-free 1-800-382-8540, or send a fax at (765) 285-1328, or consult their web site http://www.bsu.edu/gradschool

• An initial advisor is assigned to each new student to begin mentoring them through the program. During the first year of study the student's advising committee will be appointed. Often the initial advisor chairs the student's advising and dissertation committee, but this is not always the case. The advising committee approves the student's academic program. Full-time students must have their program approved by the end of the first year of study; part-time students must have their program approved by the end of the second year of study.
• At least 90 hours of graduate study, which may include hours taken as part of one's masters degree and other graduate study, are required. A minimum of 48 of the required 90 hours of graduate work must be completed at Ball State.
• Of these 90 hours, the following course distribution is required.

Minimum Hours
44	From physics and astronomy graduate courses as approved by the department chairperson. [Includes two hours of research colloquium (ID 705), three hours of teaching internship (SCI 790), and three hours of current issues in collegiate science education (SCI 696).]
	PHYCS 534 Thermodynamics or PHYCS 675 Thermal Physics
	PHYCS 552 Electromagnetic Theory or PHYCS 673 Electrodynamics
	PHYCS 565 Quantum Mechanics
	PHYCS 671 Classical Mechanics
12	Education course work not overlapping with an education cognate
	EDHI 609 Teaching at the College Level
	EDHI 610 Issues in Higher Education
	EDPSY 600 Educational Psychology
	EDPSY 646 Tests and Measurements
24	One science cognate of at least 24 hours in a science other than physics and astronomy
10	Dissertation in physics and astronomy education at the middle school/secondary school level

• The degree program must be completed within seven years of starting the program.
• One of two residency options must be completed.

1.  Two consecutive semesters, which may include one summer, during which at least 15 hours of graduate course work must be completed, or
2. (2) at least 24 hours in four consecutive semesters, including summer(s), with at least six hours taken each semester.

• The research requirement, including two semesters of participation in the research colloquium and presentation of at least one session of the colloquium (two hours as part of the science major) must be completed.