MS in Physics

The Department of Physics is part of the natural, mathematical, and biomedical sciences discipline in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. Graduate students in physics gain knowledge of advanced physics concepts, including advanced mechanics, electromagnetic theory, advanced quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics, along with mathematical methods in physics and computational physics.

Additional courses in quantum field theory, solid-state physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics, and biophysics are offered. An integral part of the program involves students in active and frontier research. For students interested in experimental, observational, and applied physics, our association with national and international laboratories allows hands-on training and original research.

The department maintains research affiliations and collaborations with researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, and NASA. It also has ties with international research institutions. Concentrations include nuclear physics and astrophysics and condensed-matter physics as well as interdisciplinary studies in materials science and biophysics.

Please note that normally only partial tuition awards are awarded for the MS Physics program.

This is a STEM-designated degree program.

Course Requirements

Note: We are in the process of updating some of the requirements listed below and in the University Bulletin. DATS 6202, PHYS 6590, and PHYS 6510 are no longer required. You may need to request a waiver for these courses from the Physics Graduate Advisor while the changes are still being made in the University Bulletin. PHYS 6620 (Biophysics I) is being added to the list of elective courses.

Prerequisite: a bachelor’s degree with a major in physics at this University, or an equivalent degree.

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

36 credits. For the non-thesis option — 24 credits in required courses and 12 credits in elective courses. For thesis option — 24 credits in required courses, including 6 credits in thesis, and 6 credits in elective courses.

Required

• PHYS 6110Mathematical Methods of Theoretical Physics
• PHYS 6120Advanced Mechanics
• PHYS 6130Computational Physics I
• PHYS 6210Electrodynamics and Classical Field Theory
• PHYS 6220Quantum Mechanics I
• PHYS 6230Computational Physics II
• PHYS 6310Statistical Mechanics
• PHYS 6330Computational Physics III
• PHYS 6590Seminar

For thesis option:

• PHYS 6999Thesis Research

Electives

Non-thesis students select 12 credits and thesis students select 6 credits in the following elective courses:

• PHYS 6320Quantum Mechanics II
• PHYS 6510Communications in Physics
• PHYS 6599Advanced Study
• PHYS 6610Nuclear and Particle Physics I
• PHYS 6620Biophysics I
• PHYS 6630Astrophysics I - Radiative Processes in Astrophysics
• PHYS 6710Nuclear and Particle Physics II
• PHYS 6720Biophysics II
• PHYS 6730Astrophysics II - High-Energy Astrophysics
• PHYS 6810Applied Statistics and Data Analysis in Physics
• DATS 6202 Machine Learning I: Algorithm Analysis