Program Requirements
Students on either the Master’s or Ph.D. track will receive a graduate certificate in MMA at Vanderbilt after completion of core curriculum, two years of research, participation in 2 Blast Modules and at least one Pay-It-Forward teaching experience.
Shown below is a *sample* menu of possible offerings to customize an EMIT student’s training:
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.
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.