The Thesis
The Ph.D. degree in Physics certifies your ability to carry out independent research. An essential requirement for the degree is a written thesis describing an original reseach project in physics.
While the content of the thesis is approved by your adviser and the thesis defense committee, its format is regulated by the Graduate College . (The Graduate College is located in Coble Hall at 801 South Wright Street , and its thesis office is on the second floor of that building.) A complete set of instructions for preparing your thesis, known as the Thesis Handbook, is available online, and those instructions must be followed explicitly. LaTeX thesis templates .Please keep in mind that the electronic copy of the thesis that must be provided to the Physics Graduate Office must be in PDF.
You must acknowledge the supporters of your thesis research (e.g. the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Department of Physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, etc. in your thesis). Some federal agencies, such as the NSF and DOE, require specific language and disclaimers in the acknowledgment. Check with your thesis adviser for the proper language. In addition, please consult information from the Graduate College Thesis Office regarding very important information on the use of previously copyrighted material, including how to request permission to reprint previously copyrighted material.
The title page, abstract, and author's biography or vita, must be in the EXACT format shown in the Graduate College instructions. (N.B. the use of upper-case characters.) Your name must appear exactly as it does on all of your University records and transcripts. Prior degrees and names of universities must agree with transcripts and will be checked by the Graduate College. Even abbreviations must be identical; theses have been returned for reformatting because the prior degree listed on the title page was given as "B.S." and the transcript showed it as "B.Sc" so please pay attention to details!
The Physics Department Graduate Office must complete a format check of your thesis, and you must have an exit interview, prior to your depositing the thesis with the Graduate College . If you have any questions about thesis requirements, consult the Physics Department Graduate Programs Office.
Pay particular attention to the deadlines for depositing your thesis in order to meet a particular graduation date. Also, you must apply for the degree by a certain deadline in order to be included on the degree list. All deadlines and a useful checklist are posted on the Thesis Office website. The Thesis Office often times holds workshops during the semester for students preparing to deposit. Check The Thesis Office Web Site for dates of any planned workshops.
The doctoral dissertation is a published work that announces research results, and the University of Illinois, like other Ph.D.-granting institutions, holds to the tradition that there is an obligation to make research available to other scholars. Every doctoral candidate is required to complete the ProQuest Microfilm Agreement form whereby certain rights are assigned to ProQuest.
In addition, the Department of Physics maintains a database of theses and is committed to making on-line versions of theses available to the community. You are required to provide an electronic version of your thesis in PDF format to the Physics Department Graduate Office prior to depositing your thesis with the Graduate College.