2008-2009 Graduate Catalog - Catalog of Studies - University of ...

The Graduate School Departments and Course Descriptions
Primary Areas of Faculty Research: Astronomical processes, geological
processes on planetary surfaces, planetary atmospheres, mission instrumentation
and design, Mars: near-surface processes and biological investigations,
surface processes and asteroid sample return.
Areas of Concentration: Planetary astronomy, planetary atmospheres,
planetary geology, orbital mechanics and astronautics, and origin and evolution
of life,
Admission to Degree Program: The advanced degree programs in space
and planetary sciences are based on an undergraduate baccalaureate program
developed in accordance with the standards prevailing in one of the academic
departments of science or engineering. Students wishing to apply for admission
to the graduate degrees in space and planetary science should send a program
application form and a Graduate School application form to the Director of
the Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences. Applicants should also
arrange to have transcripts and two letters of recommendation from persons
familiar with applicant’s previous academic or professional performance sent to
the Center. GRE’s including the GRE writing are encouraged.
Basic Requirements for both degrees: The program provides advanced
coursework and research experience for persons seeking a career in the academic,
government, private or military sector of space and planetary sciences.
Appropriate programs of advanced courses, examinations, and research are
required for all advanced degree candidates. Students are required to take all
general program courses, core area courses as determined by the program
faculty, and electives determined in consultation with their committees.
General courses (all required):
SPAC 5111L Space and Planetary Sciences Laboratory
SPAC 5123 Internship in Space and Planetary Sciences
SPAC 5142 Workshop in Communications
SPAC 5132 Workshop in Ethics
SPAC 5152 Workshop in Entrepreneurship
SPAC 500V Graduate research
SPAC 5161 SPAC Seminars
SPAC 600V (MS) or 700V (PhD) Masters’ or Doctoral dissertation
Core areas
Planetary Astronomy:
Core course
SPAC 5033/ASTR 5033 Planetary Systems
Electives
ASTR 4013 Astrophysics
GEOL 4433 Geophysics
CHEM 5263 Nuclear Chemistry
CHEM 5273 Cosmochemistry
Planetary Geology:
Core course
SPAC 5413/GEOL 5413 Planetary Geology
Electives
GEOL 5063 Geochemistry
GEOL 4413 Principles of Remote Sensing
GEOL 5123 Stratigraphic Principles and Practice
GEOL 5423 Remote Sensing of Natural Resources
Planetary Atmospheres:
Core course
SPAC 5313/GEOG 5313 Planetary Atmospheres
Electives
GEOG 4353 Elements of Weather
GEOG 4363 Climatology
GEOG 4043 Applied Climatology
GEOG/ENDY 5113 Global Change
ENDY 5063 Paleoclimatology
GEOL/ENDY 5533 Marine Geology
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Origin and Evolution of Life:
Core course
SPAC 5513/CHEM 5513/BIOL 5533 Chemical and Biochemical
Evolution
Electives
BIOL 4353 Ecological Genetics
BIOL 5463 Physiological Ecology of Animals
MBIO 4233 Microbial Genetics
MBIO 4303 Physiology Of Microorganisms
CHEM 5813 Biochemistry I
Orbital Mechanics and Astronautics:
Core course
MAE 5923/SPAC 5613 Guidance and Control of Aerospace
Vehicles
Electives
MEEG 4433 Propulsion
MEEG 5273 Electronic Packaging
MEEG 5323 Space-Based Design and Manufacturing
NOTE: The student’s committee consists of at least four faculty members;
at least three of these must be from the space center faculty, drawn from
three different departments, and these must include the graduate advisor and
the chair of the committee. One member of the committee should be from
outside of the space center.
Every student must register for a minimum of one credit hour of SPAC
600V or 700V in each term during which the student is away from campus
and doing thesis or dissertation research. The number of 4000-level courses
allowed in a program is limited to two and committee approval is required.
Masters’ students will be required to take 3 of the 5 area core courses, doctoral
students must take 4 of the 5 core courses. In addition, a minimum of 3 electives
must be chosen from those listed in the core areas.
Additional Requirements for Master of Science Degree: A thesis reporting
original research is required for all candidates for the Master of Science
degree in space and planetary sciences. A mimimum of 24 hours of course
work and 6 hours of SPAC 600V is required for graduation.
Additional Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree: Students
are required to complete a dissertation describing original research work
in the space and planetary sciences that must be presented to and successfully
defended before their committee. A minimum of 39 hours of course work
and 18 hours of SPAC 700V are required for graduation. In addition, Ph.D.
students must pass a candidacy examination.
The candidacy examination is administered by the student’s committee
and is designed to test the student’s ability to assimilate, integrate and interpret
material learned in the core required courses (SPAC 5033/ASTR 5033, SPAC
5313/GEOG 5313, SPAC 5413/GEOL 5413, SPAC 5513/CHEM 5513/
BIOL 5513, and SPAC 5613) while at the same time having a depth of understanding
in the area of the student’s research. Thus the candidacy examination
will be in two parts: (1) a 2500-word integrative essay on a theme chosen by
the committee, and (2) an oral defense of the thesis before the committee.
Part (1) will be assigned six weeks before the candidacy defense and shall be
presented to the committeee two weeks before that defense. The defense will
be held at a date determined by the committee but usually before the end of
the student’s second year in graduate school. The committee will judge the
examination as pass/fail and in the case of faiilure – and at the discretion of the
committee – a second attempt to pass the qualifying examination is permitted
within a period of time determined by the committeee.
Space and Planetary Sciences (SPAC)
SPAC500V Graduate Research (Irregular) (1-10) This course covers research
performed by students in the graduate programs in space and planetary sciences: the MS and
PhD in space and planetary sciences, and concentrations in space and planetary sciences for
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