All students in the Masters-PhD Bridge program begin by completing the Masters degree in physics or biology at Fisk University. Upon completion of the Masters degree and for those students who have performed satisfactorily, the joint Fisk-Vanderbilt committee will then recommend to the Dean of the College of Arts and Science and the graduate committee of the Department of Physics and Astronomy or the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt formal admission into the Vanderbilt PhD program.

• Vanderbilt physics Ph.D. requirements
• Vanderbilt biology Ph.D. requirements
• Fisk physics Masters degree requirements

Course Grids

Specific courses taken will vary somewhat depending on the level of undergraduate preparation and the specific area of study. However certain core course reuirements apply to all students. Core course requirement grids are provided here for Astronomy, Physics, and Biology.

Physics core courses

Astronomy core courses

Biology core courses

¹ MA degree at Fisk requires at least 21 credit hours of graduate level coursework, plus 3-6 credit hours of research credits (Fisk course number 591 or 592). A total of 30 credit hours are required (31 in biology). A maximum of 14 credits may be earned at Vanderbilt in fulfillment of the Fisk MA degree.

² A maximum of 48 credit hours of Fisk courses may be transferred to Vanderbilt.

³ The Vanderbilt PhD program in Biological Sciences does not have a mandatory core sequence. Vanderbilt Biology courses are listed here that are equivalent to the corresponding Fisk courses.

The following is a sample physics curriculum that allows a student to finish the Masters degree in three semesters while finishing the core requirements for the Ph.D. in five semesters.

YEAR 1			YEAR 2			YEAR 3
Fall Semester			Fall Semester			Fall Semester
Elective *	3 cr		Elective *	3 cr		Elective$	9 cr
Fisk 501+ Math Methods	4 cr		Fisk 559+++ Materials/ 581 Adv Exp	4 cr
Fisk 541+ Classical Mech	4 cr		Fisk 591# Research	3 cr
Fisk 583++ Seminar	1 cr
Spring Semester			Spring Semester			Spring Semester
Elective *	3 cr		Elective$	3 cr		Elective$	6 cr
Fisk 542+ Quantum	4 cr		Vand 329B+ Electricity, Mag	3 cr		Vand 341+ Statistical Mech	3 cr
Fisk 552+ Electricity, Mag	4 cr		Vand 330B+ Quantum	3 cr
Fisk 584++ Seminar	1 cr

^*  This elective can be chosen from upper level undergraduate classes. A maximum of 9 undergraduate credits can be counted toward the Fisk Masters. A total of 30 credits is required for the Masters.

⁺  This course counts toward the Vanderbilt core courses requirements. A minimum of a B average in core courses and no more than one B- is allowed.

⁺⁺  Fisk 583 or 584 replaces Vanderbilt 300A.

⁺⁺⁺  Any Graduate level elective course at Fisk or Vanderbilt will satisfy this requirement.

^#  Vanderbilt Phys 369 or Astr 369 may be substituted.

^$  The Vanderbilt PhD requires a total of 72 credit hours of which 36 must be formal course work (not research, dissertation, or thesis hours). This must include 24 hours of formal course work taken at Vanderbilt. .