Physics (MS)
Master of Science in Physics (PHYSMS)
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (GA)
Department: Physics
Program Information
Mission Statement
The Master of Science degree in Physics will prepare students for PhD-level graduate work in Physics or a related field, or for a science-related career.
General Information
The MS is a two-year degree program available to qualified individuals possessing a bachelor's degree in Physics from an accredited college or university. Students with a bachelor's degree in other related subjects, e.g., Mathematics, Chemistry or Engineering, also will be considered.
Qualified students will be considered for Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs). As part of the educational experience, GTAs perform certain undergraduate teaching responsibilities in exchange for a stipend and full tuition remission.
The MS can be earned via a thesis or non-thesis option. The thesis option requires at least six (6) credit hours of research leading to submission of the thesis. Non-thesis students are also encouraged to become involved in research.
BS/MS Five-Year Accelerated Program
The Department of Physics and Astronomy, in the College of Arts and Sciences, offers a five-year accelerated program leading to a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree in Physics.
Requirements for admission:
- The applicant will apply for admission to the five-year accelerated program in the first semester of the senior year.
- The applicant will have completed at least 21 credit hours in Physics before applying to the program.
- The applicant will have maintained at least a 3.0 GPA in Physics courses and a 3.35 GPA overall.
Once accepted, the student must meet the following requirements:
- Submit a GRE General test score consistent with School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies guidelines.
- Take at least nine (9) credit hours in 500-level physics courses for graduate credit. Two of the courses must be PHYS 542 and PHYS 556. Preferably these courses will be taken during the same semester in the student’s senior year.
- Maintain a 3.0 GPA.
Admission Requirements
Departmental requirements for admission are as follows:
- A baccalaureate degree with at least 24 credit hours in physics, or the equivalent.
- A minimum quality-point standing of 3.0 (base 4.0) in physics courses.
- Mathematics course work through differential equations. (MATH 405 or equivalent).
- Submission of the (general) Graduate Record Examination scores.
For general information concerning admission to the graduate programs at the University of Louisville consult the application directions at louisville.edu/graduate/apply.
Program Admission Procedure
Admission into the Physics MS program is competitive. The application procedure is as follows:
- Submit a completed graduate application to the University of Louisville School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies, Graduate Admissions together with the required application fee. Applications may be submitted online at louisville.edu/graduate/apply. Admitted students are most commonly accepted to begin their program of studies in the Fall semester (which starts in late August). However, programs beginning in the Spring semester (which begins in early January) can be arranged. There is no formal application deadline, but to ensure full consideration for Fall entry applications should be received no later than February 1.
- Official transcripts from each university or college attended must be submitted to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies, Graduate Admissions.
- Take the general section of the Graduate Record Examination and arrange for the official score to be sent to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies, Graduate Admissions.
- Arrange for at least two letters of recommendation to be sent to the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies, Graduate Admissions. These letters should be written by persons familiar with the applicant’s academic work. Please use the recommendation form found at louisville.edu/graduate/apply or complete the relevant section in the online application so that your letter writers will receive an email request to submit their recommendation electronically.
- All applicants, whose native language is not English, are required to achieve a TOEFL score greater than 79 on the internet-based test. Students holding a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in the United States are exempt from this requirement.
In individual cases, the department may recommend conditional admission of a student who does not satisfactorily meet the above requirements. If admission is granted, that student will be subject to those conditions specified by the Department of Physics and Astronomy, the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies as being necessary to remedy the conditional admission.
Program Requirements
Specific requirements for the MS degree in Physics are as follows:
Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 605 | Theoretical Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 611 | Electromagnetic Theory I | 3 |
| PHYS 621 | Quantum Mechanics I | 3 |
| PHYS 622 | Quantum Mechanics II | 3 |
| Physics Electives 1 | 6-9 | |
| Courses in one minor field 2 | 3-9 | |
| PHYS 699 | Research | 1-12 |
| At least 21 credit hours must be at the 600 level or above | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | Courses numbered 500 or above. Courses at 500 level or above which are required for the BA/BS degree will not normally satisfy this requirement. |
| 2 | Mathematics is the usual minor, but another field may be chosen with the approval of the department. |
Non-Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 605 | Theoretical Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 611 | Electromagnetic Theory I | 3 |
| PHYS 621 | Quantum Mechanics I | 3 |
| PHYS 622 | Quantum Mechanics II | 3 |
| Physics Electives 1 | 12 | |
| Courses in one minor field 2 | 3-9 | |
| PHYS 699 | Research | 3 |
| At least 17 credit hours must be at the 600 level or above | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
| 1 | Courses numbered 500 or above. Courses at 500 level or above which are required for the BA/BS degree will not normally satisfy this requirement. |
| 2 | Mathematics is the usual minor, but another field may be chosen with the approval of the department. |
BS/MS Accelerated Program
The non-physics undergraduate requirements of this degree are identical to the standard BS in physics.
Undergraduate physics requirements are as follows:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 298 | Introductory Mechanics, Heat and Sound - S | 4 |
| PHYS 299 | Introductory Electricity, Magnetism and Light | 4 |
| PHYS 295 | Introductory Laboratories I - SL | 1 |
| PHYS 296 | Introductory Laboratories II - SL | 1 |
| PHYS 300 | Introductory Modern Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 301 | Introductory Modern Physics Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYS 390 | Introductory Computational Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 450 | Introductory Mathematical Physics | 3 |
| PHYS 460 | Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 541 | Electromagnetic Fields | 3 |
| PHYS 555 | Elementary Quantum Mechanics | 3 |
| PHYS 498 | Undergraduate Research | 3 |
| Minimum Total Hours | 32 | |
Graduate requirements for the five-year BS/MS program are identical to the standard MS program (thesis and non-thesis option) except that the physics electives must include PHYS 542 and PHYS 556.
