PHYS 202 Foundations of Physics (Preliminary Exam)

Starting in fall 2022, students review knowledge of quantum mechanics, electrodynamics, and classical mechanics at the undergraduate level via the course PHYS 202 Foundations of Physics. For each subject, students can either take and pass an "opt-out" exam at the beginning of the course, or take the review course (4 weeks per subject). The definition of the tested knowledge is as below, and is comparable to the "preliminary exams" we conducted until spring 2022.

Quantum Mechanics at the level of "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics", by D. J. Griffiths (example syllabus: 137.pdf)
Electrodynamics at the level of "Introduction to Electrodynamics", by D. J. Griffiths (example syllabus: 110.pdf)
Classical Mechanics at the level of "Classical Mechanics" by J. R. Taylor (example syllabus: 105.pdf)

Fall 2023 Opt-out exam: Saturday, September 2. Plan on all day, two hours per subject. Students are allowed to have a formula sheet (letter size, only one-side not both) for each subject. For each subject, you will have the choice of two out of three problems to solve.

Full information from the 2022 Policies and Procedures:

All students in the group are required to pass a one-semester required review course PHYS 202 of undergraduate-level understanding of the fundamental concepts in the field. This course is offered at the beginning of the fall semester every year, and all students are required to take it within their first year unless a petition for taking it at a specific time is approved by the Graduate Program Chair. The course will review three subjects in one course – Classical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics and Electromagnetism. Each subject is reviewed independently. The grade is S/U with S equivalent to B+ or higher of the corresponding undergraduate courses. Students may opt out of the review course if (1) the student takes a written exam of the three subjects at the beginning of the review course and pass the exam with a grade equivalent to B+ or higher of the corresponding undergraduate course(s), or (2) the student takes the equivalent undergraduate course(s) at UC Merced and passes with B+ or higher. If a student chooses (2) for any subject, the final grade of the review course is based on the remaining subject(s) in the review course, and the student passes the requirement only if the student passes both the review course for the remaining subject(s) and the undergraduate course(s) within the first year. Option (2) is for students who have not taken a subject in undergraduate studies or have a gap in the training. A student must discuss with the instructor of PHYS 202 and the Graduate Program Chair before choosing option (2) and report the grade(s) of the undergraduate course(s) to the Graduate Program Chair and Graduate Coordinator after completion of the course(s). The scores and grades of the review course will not be communicated to others. Students who have not passed the required review course by the end of their first year may be subject to academic disqualification. The student who fails the review course may petition to stay in the Master’s program. The funding of the Master’s program is not guaranteed.