Degree Requirements

Degrees

The Department of Physics offers three graduate degrees:

• Thesis M.S. or Nonthesis M.S.

• M.S with Optoelectronics specialization 

• Ph.D.

Thesis M.S

The thesis M.S. is a project-oriented, terminal degree intended primarily for applied physics students.

Nonthesis M.S.

The nonthesis M.S. is recommended for students pursuing a Ph.D. program. Prospective Ph.D. candidates who do not have an M.S. degree are urged to complete the nonthesis M.S. during their first two years of graduate study.

The core curriculum consists of eight 3-hour courses: Classical Mechanics l, 521, Thermal and Statistical Physics I, 533, Electromagnetic Theory, 541, Electrodynamics, 542, Quantum Theory I, 550, Quantum Theory II, 551, and Methods of Theoretical Physics, 571. In addition, the student is expected to take at least one course from the following list: Thermal and Statistical Physics, 534; Quantum Theory III, 552; Solid State Physics, 563). Given the importance of the courses, students are encouraged to take two or even all three of these courses.

The specialized curriculum consists of courses that presuppose knowledge of parts of the core. Included are 522, 534, 545, 546, 552, 561, 563, 565, 573, 575, and 581. In addition, courses from mathematics, chemistry, and engineering departments may be included, subject to approval in advance by the research adviser or the Graduate Studies Committee, and the explicit permission of the Department Chair. Appropriate classes must meet the following two criteria. First, the content must be graduate-level for a physics student. Therefore, some 500-level courses whose contents are basically undergraduate physics are considered remedial and cannot count towards a graduate degree. Second, the course must contain a significant level of student active participation. This is measured by some combination of graded homework, graded mid-terms, graded final examination, and graded written research project. Thus, courses that are basically glorified seminars are not acceptable.

The elective curriculum includes 500-level lecture courses, seminar courses (590, 591, 592, 593, 594, 596, 598), labs. (514, 515) and independent study (600).

The research curriculum includes nonthesis Master’s Special Problems, Directed Study, and/or Examination 702, Master’s Research, Thesis, and/or Examination 700, and Doctoral Research Dissertation and/or Examination 800.

 Physics departments at WSU and U of I have a cooperative arrangement which offers students an increased number of options concerning graduate level offerings. No special fees are charged for these courses. In each cooperative class, the regulations of the host institution prevail, but official enrollment and grades are recorded only by the institution in which the student is seeking an advanced degree. The cooperative program is limited to specific courses.

a. Ph.D. and nonthesis M.S., starting from B.S. or B.A.

The program must include a minimum of 72 semester hours of credit beyond the bachelor's degree, of which 36 semester hours must be credit for 500-level graded course work in physics or equivalent approved courses. First three semesters: Core curriculum and electives. Fourth semester: 3 hours specialized curriculum, 4 hours Phys 702 (including M.S. final exam), and electives. Receive nonthesis M.S.; take departmental qualifying and Ph.D. preliminary exams. Fifth semester until completion of research: Phys 800, electives, and 6 more hours in specialized curriculum.

b. Ph.D. starting from M.S.

The basic requirements are as described for program a, but Phys 702 is omitted. Usually most M.S. course work is applicable to the Ph.D. program, although often it is necessary to take unfamiliar portions of the core curriculum in order to prepare adequately for the qualifying and preliminary exams.

c. Nonthesis M.S.

The program must include a minimum of 30 semester hours of graded 500-level course work in physics, plus Phys 702. Normally, course work is as described above for the first four semesters of program a. Time required for completion is about two years.

d. Thesis M.S.

The thesis degree program must consist of a minimum of 30 semester hours of approved graduate credit, including 21 hours of graded coursework (18 of which must be from the core curriculum); a minimum of 4 hours of 700, Master’s Research; 4 hours of seminar credit; and a substantial thesis project (Physics 700). It may also include 6 semester hours in supporting areas as approved by the thesis committee upon consideration of the nature of the project. Time required for completion is about two years.

e. Ph.D. only, starting from B.S.

The basic requirements are as described for program a, but Phys 702 is omitted.