Graduate Programs

The graduate program in physics is designed for the student who desires to master fundamental concepts and techniques, who is interested in studying applications in various areas of technology and science, and who wishes to keep abreast of the latest experimental and theoretical innovations in these areas. We offer a varied curriculum consisting of either highly specialized courses or broad training in diverse areas.

When you seek an advanced degree, you can gain both breadth and specialization. The required degree courses provide broad skills in basic physics; the elective choices give highly specialized training in a variety of different areas. The Department of Physics and Engineering Physics is large enough to offer rich and varied programs in pure and applied physics, yet it is small enough to sustain the sense of a coherent community in search of knowledge.

Degree Programs

Degree programs (Master and Ph.D.) have the dual purpose of providing the broad basis for continued intellectual growth as well as specialization. The former is accomplished through a set of required core courses, which all students in the program must take. The latter is accomplished through electives chosen to meet the student's educational objectives.

While flexibility is intended in designing a student's program, every program must include: i) any background courses required to correct deficiencies, and ii) the required core courses.

All students should be familiar with the Institute's rules governing all graduate programs (see the Graduate Student Handbook). In particular, the following should be noted:

• For the Master's degree, the maximum number of credits that may be transferred from another institution is nine. These credits cannot have been used to obtain another degree.
• For the Ph.D. degree, a prior Master's degree may be transferred for up to 30 credits. Up to one-third of additional course credits may be transferred with the approval of the advisory committee and the Dean of the Graduate Academics provided they have not been used to obtain another degree.
• A B-or-better average is required (exclusive of transfer courses) not only for the overall program, but also for the courses in a student's major, which must amount to at least 20 credits.

Admissions Requirements

B.S. degree in physics or equivalent including the following coursework:

• calculus-based three- or four-semester introductory physics sequence, thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, mechanics, quantum mechanics, and mathematical methods.

Ph.D. applicants lacking the above courses are required to take the indicated courses for no graduate credit.

Graduate Record Examination including the Physics Subject Exam.