Students on either the Master’s or Ph.D. track, will receive a graduate certificate in MMA at Vanderbilt after completion of the below requirements:
- Two (6 credits) Core Courses*
- Two (6 credits) Electives/Specialty Courses
- Transdisciplinary MMA Research (6 credits)
- Two Blast Module Events
- Twelve Whole- Self Seminar Events
- One Professional Skills Course [NCSI 593]
- One Summer School Event
- One Pay-It Forward Seminar
*List Of Core Courses to Select From:
- ASTR 8010-Radiative Processes
- ASTR 8060-Observational Methods in Astronomy
- ASTR 8070 -Astro Statistics
- ASTR 8080-Data Mining in Large Astronomical Surveys
- ASTR 8090- Relativistic Astrophysics
- NCSI 593- Professional Skills for Graduate Studies
The EMIT graduate certificate requires 18 credits of formal coursework, which allows students who enter through Fisk to seamlessly earn their MS degree in Physics at Fisk as well as the graduate certificate at Vanderbilt. MMA relies strongly on data science, particularly computation, statistical inference, and data mining, and has deep ties to physics and engineering. As a result, we will tailor the EMIT graduate certificate to the student’s specialization and interest with an ample slate of formal electives from other disciplines, particularly from the DSI, Physics, Math, Communication of Science and Technology, and Engineering.
Faculty and postdoctoral fellows will offer short Blast Modules that ‘deep dive’ into topics that are useful to the emerging MMA scholar such as data science, statistics, instrumentation, data analysis, EM, particle, and GWs that can be combined and individualized. Each semester, we will consult with students and the Steering Committee to recommend a suite of 1-3 modules to supplement the didactic training with specific skill-based modules to aid in research and career development.
Starting in the second year, EMIT trainees will be expected to work in teams to present a Pay-it-Forward Seminar about MMA geared toward undergraduate or entry-level graduate students at a conference or regional institution.
In addition to the components outlined above, EMIT trainees will also be expected to participate in the year-long Professional Skills for Graduate Study course offered at Fisk, Whole Self Science Seminars, and other Career Development opportunities.
Shown below are two examples depicting a customized training experience based on the individual student’s interests and goals.
| Example Student | Year 1 | Year 2 Earn EMIT Certificate |
|---|---|---|
| National Lab-bound Data Scientist (MS) Research topic: Machine learning classification of galaxies with and without dual AGN in cosmological simulations Implications for: Black hole binary host galaxy identification in optical galaxy survey data, GW black hole merger rate and search for EM or neutrino counterparts | Core Course: Dealing with data in MMA Core Course: Observing particles, waves, and fluids Incubator for convergent research, with summer research intership at NASA Goddard Blast Module: Machine Learning with Scikit-learn Professional Development, Individual Development Plan (IDP), Whole Self Seminar, EMIT Video Abstract | Specialty Course: Data Management Systems Specialty Course: Data Science Algorithms at DSI Continue convergent research, with summer research intership at NASA Goddard Blast Module: Dipping into Databases with SQL MMA Summer School+HackDay, Pay-it-Forward Seminar, IDP, Whole Self Seminar, EMIT Video Abstract Apply to NASA Goddard |
| Example Student | Year 1 | Year 2 Earn EMIT Certificate | Years 3-5 (alumna) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academia-bound MMA Scholar (PhD) Research topic: Numerical relativity simulations of intermediate mass black hole mergers Implications for: GW waveforms for future parameter estimation | Core Course: Extreme Astrophysics Core Course: Radiating Light, Gravity, Particles Convergent research incubators and accelerators, with research intership at NW Blast Module: Debugging and Optimization Professional Development, IDP, Whole Self Seminar, EMIT Video Abstract | Specialty Course: High Performance Computing Specialty Course: General Relativity and Cosmology Continue convergent research Blast Module: Parameter Estimation in LIGO IDP, MMA Summer School+HackDay, Whole Self Seminar, EMIT Video Abstract | Peer mentoring Y1/Y2 Leadership in MMA Summer School+HackDay Blast Modules Continue convergent research IDP, Pay-it-Forward, Incubator, Whole Self Seminar, EMIT Video Abstract Attend Conferences |
Those who earn an EMIT graduate certificate will be expected to continue participating in Blast Modules and Pay-It-Forward teaching experiences each year, and will continue to receive professional development training and mentoring. As EMIT alumni, PhD students will help near-peer mentor the new cohort and will take leadership roles in the MMA summer school. Note that although MS students will write a Master’s thesis to meet MS requirements at Fisk, a thesis is not a formal requirement for the EMIT graduate certificate.