Mini Courses

Each semester, there may be three mini-courses covering the semester divided into thirds. They are open to all levels of Physics graduate students.  Some mini-courses will assume at most an undergraduate physics major background, while others may have graduate level prerequisites at the discretion of the instructor. They are designed to expose all interested grad students to cutting edge research in physics and/or useful experimental and theoretical techniques. Mini-courses fall into two broad categories: those that emphasize a specific skill set, e.g., cryogenic techniques, and those that explore cutting edge topics, e.g., gravitational lensing.

Course Structure

Each mini-course has 1 unit of credit. Students are expected to have regular attendance. Each student will complete a final problem set or report. Some mini-courses will be graded PASS/FAIL, while others will be assessed with a letter grade. The grading policy will be decided by individual instructors.

Examples of skills-based mini-courses:

  • Computational tools
  • Machine shop
  • Cryogenic techniques
  • Bayesian statistics for error analysis

Examples of current topics mini-courses:

  • Atom trapping
  • Gravitational lensing
  • Granular Materials
  • Nanostructure - theory and experimental techniques
  • Effective Field Theory methods
  • Hydrodynamics of strongly interacting systems
  • Dark Matter