Academic Resources
Forms
Departmental Forms
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LaTeX template for Dissertation (please save as a .tex file by removing the .txt extension)
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LaTeX class file for Dissertation (please save as a .cls file by removing the .txt extension)
Graduate School Forms
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All Graduate School forms can be found on the University Registrar’s Forms & Petitions webpage
Links
Academic
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Yale University Student Systems (change address, etc.)
Research
Living
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Direct Deposit of Paychecks (done through Workday)
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USPS Yale Station (for parcel pickup)
Post-Graduation
Calendars and Directories
Physics’ Student Resources
Departmental Colloquia and Seminars
You will receive an e-mail notice each week with the next week’s Seminar Schedule which is also available online.
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Physics Club Colloquia are held on Mondays at 3:30 pm in 57 SPL with tea and cookies after the talk. This is an important weekly event that will help you decide what subfield you are interested in and keep you informed concerning what is happening in other subfields of Physics. All Students are expected to attend.
Other activities
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Department teas will be held from 3:30-4:00 p.m. on Mondays (before the Physics Club Talk)
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Graduate Student Happy Hour held monthly during the academic year
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Town Halls are held once a semester or as needed
Graduate School Advising & Mentoring
Resources for finding formal and informal advisors. Advising & Mentoring
Graduate Student Advisory Committee (GSAC)
The Graduate Student Advisory Committee serves as a point of communication between the graduate students and the administration of the department. The committee advises the Chair, the DGS, and other faculty on matters related to graduate students and the graduate program, including (but not limited to) helping plan and organize annually scheduled departmental events. The committee members also advocate on behalf of graduate students with the Chair and DGS. Committee members are appointed for one calendar year. The composition of the committee includes at least one representative from each cohort, with a primary goal of representing inclusive and diverse sets of interests. Committee members meet with the Chair and DGS once a month. The committee also meets internally once a month while regularly soliciting feedback from other students in their cohorts.
Graduate Student Assembly (GSA)
The Graduate Student Assembly (GSA) is an elected body of students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences that participates in Graduate School policy making relevant to matters of their education and their lives as students.
The Assembly’s goals are to:
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Identify the needs and concerns of graduate students, consider possible solutions, and present these to the Dean and other administrators.
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Discuss and advise on changes to Graduate School policy proposed by the administration.
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Provide a means for communication and deliberation both among and between graduate students and other members of the university community.
Recent accomplishments of the GSA include:
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Implementation of a Conference Travel Fund (CTF) that provides awards to students allowing them to present their research at conferences.
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Improvements to the Yale transit system (Central Science Loop, nighttime shuttle changes).
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Elimination of the summer gym fee for all graduate and professional students.
Current issues being adopted by the GSA include:
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Accessibility of childcare at Yale.
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Lobbying Congress for the reduction of federal income tax on graduate students.
The GSA welcomes new ideas, issues and concerns raised by students. If you have suggestions for changes or improvements to policies and services, please bring it to our attention by attending a meeting or contacting a representative. Information about meetings can be found on the GSA website. Meetings are open to ALL graduate students. You may contact the assembly directly at graduate.student.assembly@yale.edu.
McDougal Graduate Student Center
The McDougal Center, located at 135 Prospect Street, has services and facilities designed specifically for graduate students and postdocs. Created in 1997 through a generous gift from Alfred McDougal ‘53 and his wife Nancy Lauter.
The Center is a great physical space with a Common Room and Coffee Lounge equipped with free coffee, tea, and water (bring your own mug), a lounge space, widescreen TVs, and magazines. Just outside, you’ll find the Caulkins Courtyard and the Swenson Terrace. The offices for staff and fellows of McDougal Graduate Student Life are in the McDougal Center, along with satellite offices of the Office of Career Strategy (OCS), and the Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity (OGSDD).
Visit the McDougal Graduate Student Center website for information on events and activities or call 432-BLUE (432-2583).
Office of Career Strategy (OCS)
The Office of Career Strategy (OCS) is a comprehensive career center for students and alumni of Yale University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and for postdoctoral fellows. Through individual counseling, programs and a library of online resources, the office assists graduate students and alumni/ae with non-academic career planning and decision-making. OCS encourages students to begin using the services of the office early in their graduate careers to expand the choices they will have upon completion of their degrees. For more information visit https://ocs.yale.edu.
Office for Graduate Student Development and Diversity (OSGDD)
The Office for Graduate Student Development & Diversity coordinates efforts to recruit and retain students from diverse backgrounds, including minorities, women, and other underrepresented groups at the Graduate School. The office supports the needs of these students as they pursue graduate study and implements a wide array of academic and social programs. These services are available to all graduate students in an attempt to foster a sense of understanding and respect among all students, while simultaneously creating a more inclusive campus community. In addition, OGSDD administers the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program.
Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS)
The Office of International Students & Scholars aids all non-U. S citizens on issues related to Immigration, Travel, Taxes and more.
Student Accessibility Services (SAS)
Student Accessibility Services’ facilitates individualized student accommodations to remove barriers that restrict a student’s ability to fully participate in the University.
University Research Resources
Library Resources for Physics
The Yale University Library contains a wealth of resources, from electronic journals to historical manuscripts from scientists such as Newton and Copernicus. You may access materials from any library collection through the library’s main website, https://library.yale.edu.
Electronic Library Resources
Your subject librarian, Kayleigh Bohémier, curates a guide to databases, eBooks, and other electronic materials most useful to your Physics research. Please visit https://guides.library.yale.edu/physics, which is grouped into tabs for easy resource navigation.
Physical Library Resources
Your closest library location, the Marx Science and Social Science Library, provides access to many resources. All rooms are available for booking via the Library’s main page, https://marx.library.yale.edu/.
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Presentation practice rooms with video recording equipment and video conferencing abilities.
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Small rooms seating 4-6 individuals with MediaScape technology, allowing you to connect multiple computers to the same screen for group discussion.
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Computers with scientific and statistical software.
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Access to StatLab consultants, many of whom have training in MATLAB and LATEX: https://statlab.stat.yale.edu;
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Access to the 180,000 volume on-campus collection of science and social science books. Please note that the Math, Chemistry, and Geology collections are primarily housed in departmental libraries elsewhere on campus.
Research Assistance
Kayleigh Bohémier, Science Research Support Librarian, is your subject librarian. Feel free to talk to her about citation management, accessing library resources, or best practices for finding information on your research topic. Her skills include search strategies in ADS, Google Scholar, and INSPIRE, but also bibliography and citation management tools such as BibTEX, Mendeley, and Zotero.
She can be reached at kayleigh.bohemier@yale.edu or 203-432-9519. Feel free to stop by her office in the Marx Library, room C41 or drop in during the open hours listed on her LibGuide profile.
Professional Resources
Students who are not already members of the American Physical Society are encouraged to join. In addition to giving you the privilege of submitting talk abstracts to meetings, you will receive a subscription to Physics Today, a useful magazine for acquainting yourself with forefront research areas.
Software Library
The university software library is available online for downloading software for which the university has a license.
Departmental Resources
Computers and Printers
Wireless access is available throughout the Department.
There is a printer for your use in SPL 58/76. This is an HP Laserjet Pro M402dn laser printer with IP address 172.16.182.232. Paper supplies are kept in the SPL Mail Room.
Local department IT support is provided by Andrew Currie in room SPL 68D on the second floor. Please contact Andrew with any inquiries you may have regarding departmental computing. Andrew can be reached at andrew.currie@yale.edu.
Copy Machine
The copy machine located in 37 SPL, is for your use to copy teaching materials if you are assigned a T.A. position. You will be given a code number at the beginning of the term. In general, this copier is not for personal use. However, we can accommodate your personal copies on an infrequent basis for small jobs (see graduate registrar for code number). It is also possible to print directly to the copier from a computer, using the same access code as for copying. Contact Andrew Currie for how-to instructions.
For larger personal jobs, we can make arrangements for copy charges. A copier is available at the Marx Library in YSB; a prepaid copy card can be purchased there as well.
Facilities
All problems and concerns regarding the Physics buildings, such as doors or locks, should be reported to the Department Manager, Hannah Carroll. Please do not hesitate to bring a problem to their attention. A small problem left unresolved can become a big problem if not taken care of in a timely manner.
Keys
First and second year students are issued keys to the Graduate Students Offices at the beginning of the academic year and are responsible for returning those keys when they move offices at the end of the year. All other keys are issued as necessary, by request.
Please see the graduate registrar to request additional keys or to drop off keys when you are leaving the department. Academic buildings are open 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday while classes are in session. After hours, students are required to use their Yale ID to enter the building. If your ID doesn’t give you access to the proper buildings, please reach out to the graduate registrar for assistance.
Kitchen Facilities
Students may use the refrigerator and microwave located in the kitchen on the third floor (adjacent to the Lounge). The air pot coffee machines are not available for your use other than for getting hot water. This is a community kitchen (and used for department events as well) so mark your refrigerated items with your name.
For a small fee, coffee and espresso are available to students during normal business hours in 33 SPL.
You will be assigned a mailbox in 37 SPL. This box will be for Campus Mail and department notices only. These boxes should not be used for personal mail. Your postal address should be where you reside; if you reside in the graduate dorms, you will need to obtain a Yale Station U.S. postal mailbox.
Parking
Several parking lots are located near the Department of Physics. Follow the link for information on rates, lot locations, regulations and forms. There is a fee for parking during standard business hours; parking is free for students in the evening and on weekends and holidays.
Room and Laboratory Assignments
Entering students are assigned a desk usually in room SPL 76 or 77 for use during their first year. Each desk has a lock so you may store personal belongings. Please do not leave belongings unattended on top of your desk.
Second year students are asked to return keys at the end of their first year and are assigned seats in SPL 75. Students without space in their research group or work in both West Campus and Main Campus may request desk space in SPL as well and should talk to the graduate registrar to make arrangements.
For safety reasons, small appliances, such as hot pots or coffee pots, may not be used in any of these office areas.
Once you begin working with an adviser, your work and laboratory space will be assigned by your adviser.
Security
As a general precaution, use good judgment when placing your belongings in the classrooms and labs or your desk space/office.
Please keep your desk locked if you are storing anything of value, i.e. textbooks, laptop computer etc. Also, wallets, purses and cell phones should not be made visible to others who may enter an office or lab area when no one is present.
For security reasons, if you encounter a problem with any lock or entry/exit door to the Physics buildings, please notify our Department Manager so that the problem can be fixed.