Info for Current Students

Here you will find links to information for students currently enrolled in the Bridge program. This includes access to course catalogs, course schedules, financial aid information, and other useful information. Check this page regularly for updates.

Click here to downolad an informational brochure in PDF format.

Overview of the Bridge Program:
Here are the basic requirements of the Masters-to-PhD Bridge program. See below for detailed guidelines and requirements.

• Complete all requirements for the M.A. degree
  • Be sure to take at least one core course at Vanderbilt
  • Be mindful of the various deadlines and forms to be completed (see below)
  • Meet at least once per semester with your Fisk and Vanderbilt advisers
• Take the GRE (including the subject exam, depending on which Vanderbilt PhD program you intend to join)
• Apply to the relevant Vanderbilt PhD program by the January deadline

Bridge Faculty and Postdoc office hours for Spring 2013:

Descriptions of Bridge postdoc specialities

• Natalie Arnett (Fisk): TBD
• Jillian Bellovary (Vanderbilt): Wednesdays 10am-12pm
• Arnold Burger (Fisk): Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8-11am
• Dave Cliffel (Vanderbilt): Tuesdays, Thursdays 10-10:45am
• Nathan DeLee (Vanderbilt): Mondays 2-4pm
• Dave Ernst (Vanderbilt): Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:00-2:00pm
• Kelly Holley-Bockelmann (Fisk): Fridays 1:00-4:00pm
• Lee Limbird (Fisk): Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 9-11am
• Rudy Montez (Fisk): Mondays 1-5pm
• Steve Morgan (Fisk): Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 9-11am
• Richard Mu (Fisk): Fridays 10am-12pm
• Brian Nelms (Fisk): Tuesdays 12:30-3:00pm, Wednesdays 11:30am-2:00pm
• Keivan Stassun (Vanderbilt): Mondays 9-10am, Fridays 3-4pm
• Dina Stroud: Thursdays 2-4pm (Fisk)
• Donna Webb (Vanderbilt): TBD

Important dates:
Note: these dates are approximate, and are intended only as a guide. Check the academic calendar (see links below) for up-to-date information.

• Spring semester 2013
  • Jan 7: Classes start
  • Jan 21: MLK holiday at Fisk and Vanderbilt
  • Jan 22: Last day to add/drop courses at Fisk
  • Feb 15: Last day to drop courses at Fisk (WD)
  • Feb 20: Mid-semester evaluations
  • Mar 4-8: Spring break at Fisk and Vanderbilt
  • Mar 18: Pre-registration begins at Fisk for Fall courses
  • Apr 3-4: Fisk research symposium
  • Apr 26: Pre-registration ends at Fisk for Fall courses
  • Aug 9: Last day to complete requirements for Aug graduation at Fisk

Information and forms:

• Bridge program
  • 2012-13 Student Handbook
  • "How to Succeed" handout
  • Official program requirements
  • "Surviving Graduate School" guide
  • List of fellowships/interships
  • A Survival Guide for Ethnic Minority Students
  • Mentor memos from the University of Washingon Pre-MAP program

• Fisk info:
• Fisk Graduate Student Handbook
• Fisk Graduate Bulletin
• Course registration forms:
  • Drop/Add form for registering at Fisk
  • Cross-registration form for registering at Vanderbilt
  • Vanderbilt class request form (also required for cross-registering)
• Banner Web includes:
• Course catalog
• Schedule of courses
• Financial aid applications and forms
• Fisk Health Insurance
  • 2012-13 brochure
  • 2012-13 summary of benefits
• Academic calendar
• Transcript request form
• Masters thesis forms
  • Masters degree checklist and forms
  • Masters thesis binding guidelines form
  • Masters thesis format guide
  • Masters thesis style manual (from AIP)
• Miscellaneous forms

• Vanderbilt info:
  • Course catalog
• Schedule of courses
• Academic calendar
• Financial aid applications and forms
• Parking permits -- See Alyce for information about parking at Vanderbilt.
• Travel expense worksheet

• GRE info:
  • General Exam
  • Physics Subject Exam

• Online tutoring:
  • Khan Academy
    The Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization created in 2006 by Bengali-American educator Salman Khan, a graduate of MIT andHarvard Business School. With the stated mission of "providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere", the website supplies a free online collection of more than 3,400 micro lectures via video tutorials stored on YouTube teaching mathematics, history, healthcare and medicine, finance,physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, economics, cosmology, organic chemistry, American civics, art history, macroeconomics, microeconomics, and computer science. If there is something that's just not clicking for you, try watching a Khan Academy video! Excellent way to look at something from a different perspective that might really help.
    
• Qualifying exam info:
  • UCSD physics qualifying exam bank
    Each exam has an "undergrad" portion and a "grad" portion. The undergrad portion has 10 problems with two each from Mechanics, E&M, Stat Mech, Quantum, and Miscellaneous.More than 40 exams with solutions are posted, and some study materials are also on the website.