DATE

NAME

Physics Department

NMIMT

Socorro, NM 87801

Dear NAME:

I am happy to inform you that with your score of XXX out of a possible 200, you have passed the Physics Department preliminary examination. Departmental rules concerning the preliminary exam state the following:

Students are required to score at least 40% on the preliminary

examination to be eligible for a graduate degree. Students who

wish to do Ph.D. work are expected to score at a higher level.

Students who pass the exam but do poorly on one or more

sections will be required to make up their deficiency in a manner

specified by the department and their advisory committee.

Also:

Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy is a two-step process. First,

students wishing to pursue a Ph.D. degree must apply for

Candidacy by written petition to the Chairperson of the Physics

Department. The Department Faculty will then evaluate the

student's readiness and ability to do Ph.D. level research, based

on the following considerations:

The student's performance on the preliminary exam, expected to be at the 60% level [i.e., 120 points] or above.

Ability to do independent research.

The student's performance in graduate course work.

Second, the student must pass the Oral Candidacy Exam.

Your score on the exam makes you eligible to work toward an M.S. degree. While admission to the Ph.D. program is not precluded by this score, you should consult your advisory committee about making a plan to either address the weaknesses that this year's exam has identified or retake the exam next year.

Sincerely,

David Westpfahl

Chair, Physics Department

2006-01-27T10:29:51