The M.A. and M.S. programs are designed to further the development of the student as a professional physicist. Specific programs designed to meet the needs of the individual student are planned in consultation with the graduate advisors.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the general university regulations governing master's degree programs, the Department of Physics has requirements designed to assure both the faculty and the student that s/he possesses the ability and experience expected of a master's candidate by the scientific community.

It is expected that a student with a baccalaureate degree in physics will be able to complete the degree in two years. This assumes that s/he is a full-time student and holds a graduate teaching assistantship during the entire two years. The graduate student should be aware that continuation as a teaching assistant at any point in the program is not guaranteed. Such assistantship can be continued for up to a maximum of two years, based on the student's demonstrated progress in the program, among other factors. The minimum requirement (regular admission status) for a teaching assistantship is to maintain a GPA of 3.00 each term and cumulatively while taking at least nine graduate credits.

The continued admission in the program is conditional on meeting the following requirements and regulations:

Courses

The program must be approved by the student's advisor and must include a minimum of 45 graduate credits in science, including no fewer than 30 credits in physics. These 30 credits in physics must be in 500- or 600- level courses, distributed as follows:

Seminar (Current Literature)*		3
One of the following three options:
	1. Thesis	6
	2. Cooperative Education/Internship	6
	3. Project	3

*Seminar participation is required for all teaching assistants. If the student is not a teaching assistant, a minimum of three terms is required.

Of the additional credits required in physics, at least 12 must be in courses with numbers above 610 or the graduate-level sequence in quantum mechanics (Ph 511, 618, 619). The following courses do not carry credit for the master's degree (PH 515, 525, 526, 531, and 564).

Courses Outside of the Department: If the student opts to take courses outside the department, no more than one course per term can be taken without prior approval from the department chair.

University Credit Distribution and Limitations: In a 45-credit program, the limits are as follows: a maximum of 12 credits in 501/601, 502/602 and 505/605 combined; a maximum of 9 credits in 504/604, 508/608 and 509/609 combined; a range of 6-9 credits for 503; a maximum of 6 credits in 506/606.

Departmental Credit Distribution and Limitations: In any given term, the credit limits are as follows: 1-6 credits for 505-507; 1-9 credits for 501, 503, 504, 506, 604, 605, 606, 607; 1-12 credits for 601; 1-16 credits for 603.

Advising

The student must have a faculty advisor. By the end of the first term, the student must have completed the advisor selection process by filling out the Selection of Advisor Form available from the department office. The advisor must be selected and approved by the end of the second term.

Changing Advisors

The student must have a faculty advisor. The student can petition for a change in faculty advisor to the department's Graduate Affairs Committee and the Department Chair.

Annual Progress Report

By the end of the sixth week of the Spring term, the student must submit an Annual Progress Report (available from the department office) to their advisor. The original will be filed in the student's permanent file.

Comprehensive Examination

The student must pass one of two qualifying comprehensive examinations. There are two possible Comprehensive Examinations:

• Comprehensive I: Mechanics, Thermodynamics, and Optics
• Comprehensive II: Electricity and Magnetism, Modern Physics, and Experimental Physics

The dates of these exams will be announced in the beginning of the academic year. The exams are typically offered in, repectively, Fall and Winter terms of each academic year. Every exam offered must be taken until the student passes one of the exams. The student must pass one of the exams by the fifth term in the program (normally, Winter term of the second year) to continue in the program.

Final Oral Examination

A final oral examination in Thesis, Cooperative Education/Internship, or Project is required. Typically, a thesis involves research (either experimental or theoretical), Cooperative Education/Internship involves relevant student experiences obtained in industry or government, and a project involves review of the literature in a certain area of physics. In all cases, a written report, a presentation, and oral exam are necessary. A Thesis requires a committee approved by the Office of Graduate Studies on a GO-16M form. A Cooperative Education/Internship or Project requires a committee approved by the department (form GO-16M, can be used for that).

Time Limit

The maximum time allotted for the program is four years. Termination from the program will occur at the end of the fourth year. The only exception is for a leave of absence that is preapproved by the advisor and department chair.

Termination from the Program

Continued admission in the program depends on the satisfactory progress in the studies. Failure to abide by the department's and university's rules will result in termination from the program.

All applicable University rules will prevail, except where the department's rules are stricter than the University's.

Phasing in of the requirements: Students already enrolled will have to abide by the above time lines but will have one extra year to complete the relevant requirements. They will need to file the Annual Progress Report by the end of the sixth week of the Spring term. Failure to do so will result in termination from the program.

Master's Degree Requirements - adopted January 23, 2002