Department of Physics and Astronomy: M. S. Program Requirements
Master of Science
For a degree of Master of Science or Master of Science and Education, a student must complete 30 hours of graduate credit including the following.
- PHYS 6140 (Fundamentals of Modern Physics)
- An additional 15 hours of graduate course credit in physics, with six of the 15 hours numbered above 6000. Credit in PHYS 5900 (Research Techniques), 6010 (Colloquium), and/or 6020 (Journal Seminar) will not count toward either degree.
- A satisfactory thesis based on directed research for no more than eight hours of degree credit.
- Additional hours to complete the 30 total, chosen from any courses approved for graduate credit not previously elected, with the approval of the student's committee.
In some cases, students working toward the Ph.D. may earn the M.S. or the M.S.E. degree without formal presentation of the M.S. thesis if they have passed the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination, satisfied the course requirements for the M.S., and completed a research project under the supervision of a research adviser. Students meeting these requirements may petition the department to grant the M.S. without formal presentation of a thesis.
