Physics - MS

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College of Science

Department of Physics

Degree Verification

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U. S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.

Overall Graduate GPA at least 3.0 and no grades of C- or lower;

Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.

Course Number Acceptability

The Program of Study for a master’s degree or a doctoral degree, if the student has a master’s degree, must include at least 15 semester credits at the level of 6000 or above.

Credits in the following areas are not acceptable in a degree program: foreign languages (unless included in an approved Program of Study), continuing graduate advisement, individual home study, military science, and courses numbered below 3000.

Matriculation Start Semester

A master’s degree must be completed within six years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.

Coursework Validity

Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated.

At least 24-semester credits for a master’s degree must be from a committee-approved and a School of Graduate Studies-approved Program of Study from Utah State University.

Thesis Research Credits

Plan A students:

The Plan A option for a master’s degree requires the preparation and defense of a thesis. Students are required to complete a minimum of 6 semester credits of thesis research (6970) with a maximum of 15 thesis credits applied toward a Program of Study.

Plan B students:

A Plan B option requires the production and defense of a paper or project, depending on the department and program. A minimum of two credits of thesis research (6970) are required, but no more than three thesis research credits can be included in an approved Program of Study. Some degree programs require creative project credits in addition to or in place of research.

Master’s forms:

Approval of academic forms required for master’s students by the School of Graduate Studies:

Supervisory Committee
Program of Study
Thesis/Project Approval
Appointment for Examination
Record of Examination
SGS and library review and approval

All graduate students are required to complete the online CITI-Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) training.

Core Course Requirements

The course credit requirements for the Physics Master’s Degree programs are as follows:

Plan A: A total of 30 credits are required, with 6-15 as thesis research and the remaining credits coming from course work. A minimum of 4 (out of 10) core graduate courses must be taken. The balance of course work must be comprised of graduate-level courses.

Plan B: A total of 30 credits are required, with 2-3 (as thesis research) for writing the Plan B report and the remaining credits coming from course work. A minimum of 5 (out of 10) core graduate courses must be taken. The balance of course work must comprise graduate-level courses.

Each student is required to attend Physics Colloquium for four consecutive semesters, beginning with the first semester after matriculation. The student must also submit and orally defend either a thesis (Plan A) or a research report (Plan B) at the discretion of the student’s supervisory committee.

All Physics MS and PhD students are required to take the CITI-Research, Ethics and Compliance Training.

Core Graduate Courses
PHYS 5340 - Methods of Theoretical Physics I 3 credit(s)
PHYS 5350 - Methods of Theoretical Physics II 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6010 - Classical Mechanics I 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6110 - Electrodynamics I 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6120 - Electrodynamics II 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6210 - Quantum Mechanics I 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6330 - Plasma Physics I 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6410 - Statistical Mechanics I 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6530 - Solid State Physics I 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6910 - Relativity I 3 credit(s)
NOTE: With permission from the student’s Supervisory Committee, an optional course may be substituted.
Thesis Requirement- A successful defense and thesis approval by department and School of Graduate Studies required.

Note: This specialization was created for the Air Force and may not be available for all students.

Three to six additional credits may be chosen from courses in electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics, and biometeorology. The student may gain from 6 to 12 credits by research, to be written up as a thesis that must be defended orally.

Master of Science (Upper Atmospheric Physics Specialization)

The department offers a specialization in Upper Atmospheric Physics for MS students. This degree is a Plan A MS. In consultation with his or her advisor, the student selects a minimum of 18 credits of classwork from the following courses:

PHYS 4600 - Electromagnetism II 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6240 - Space Environment and Engineering 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6310 - Solar-terrestrial Physics I 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6320 - Solar-terrestrial Physics II 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6330 - Plasma Physics I 3 credit(s)
PHYS 6340 - Plasma Physics II 3 credit(s)
PHYS 7210 - Spacecraft Instrumentation 3 credit(s)
PHYS 7500 - Advanced Topics in Physics (Topic) 3 credit(s)