Graduate Program Information
Master's Degree Program
The Department of Physics grants the Master of Science Degree under two options: Plan-A (thesis required), and Plan-B (without thesis).
Plan-A Requirements:
1. Coursework:
A minimum of 20 credits of acceptable course work is required, which shall include
the following:
PHSX 594-01 Teaching Seminar - 1 credit
PHSX 594-15 Research Introduction Seminar - 1 credit
PHSX 501 Math Methods and Applications in Classical Mechanics - 3 credits
PHSX 506 Quantum Mechanics I - 3 credits
PHSX 519 Math Methods and Applications in Electromagnetic Theory - 3 credits
PHSX 535 Statistical Mechanics- 3 credits
Electives See electives - 6 credits
2. Thesis:
An acceptable thesis and at least 10 credits of PHSX 590 are required.
3. Examinations:
A qualifying and written comprehensive examination are required. A final oral examination is also required, covering the thesis and related areas.
Plan-B Requirements:
1. Coursework:
A minimum of 30 credits of acceptable course work is required, which shall be distributed
as follows:
PHSX 500 Teaching Seminar - 1 credit
PHSX 500 Research Introduction Seminar - 1 credit
PHSX 501 Math Methods and Applications in Classical Mechanics - 3 credits
PHSX 506 Quantum Mechanics I - 3 credits
PHSX 519 Math Methods and Applications in Electromagnetic Theory - 3 credits
PHSX 520 Electro Magnetic Theory II OR ASTR 550 Radiative Processes in Astrophysics - 3 credits
Electives - 13 credits
2. Thesis Requirements:
None.
3. Examinations:
A qualifying and written comprehensive examination are required.
Ph.D. Program
Requirements:
1. Course:
A minimum of 34 credits of acceptable course work is required, which shall include
the following:
PHSX 594 Teaching Seminar - 1 credit
PHSX 594 Introduction to Research Seminar - 1 credit
PHSX 501 Mathematical Methods and Their Applications in Classical Mechanics - 3 credits
PHSX 506 Quantum Mechanics I - 3 credits
PHSX 519 Mathematical Methods and Thier Applications in Electromagnetic Theory - 3
credits
PHSX 520 Electromagnetic Theory II OR ASTR 550 Radiative Processes in Astrophysics
PHSX 535 Statistical Mechanics - 3 credits
Electives - 17 credits
Example curriculum and electives
2. Thesis:
An acceptable thesis is required. A minimum of 26 credits of PHSX 690 is required in addition to the courses listed above
3. Examinations:
A written comprehensive examination is required. A final oral examination is also
required, covering the thesis and related areas.
Electives Requirements
All elective courses must be approved by the student’s Graduate Committee and the Physics Department Head. This approval will ensure that the electives represent a coherent block of study of substantial relevance to Physics. The following limitations normally apply to Elective Courses which may be listed on the Graduate Program for the M.S. or Ph.D. degree in Physics:
A. No more than half of the Elective credits in the above Course Requirements may be
at the 400 level in a student’s Graduate Program for any graduate degree in Physics.
The remaining Elective credits must be at the 500 level.
B. The Electives will include courses in Physics and minor or supporting fields. At
least half of the elective credits must be in Physics.
C. PHSX 461, 490R, 492, 494, 589, 590, 689, and 690 cannot be used as Electives in any
Physics Graduate Program.
D. PHSX 592 is allowed as an Elective to a maximum of 3 credits for an M.S. Program
and 6 credits for a Ph.D. Program.
E. No more than 2 credits of non-required, pass/fail seminar courses are applicable
as Electives in any Physics Graduate Program.
Graduate Examinations
General Requirements
Two written examinations are given every year in the last half of August and the first half of January. These serve both as the M.S. Qualifying Examination and the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination. All students must take the written examination the August they enter the program. The results of the written examination may be applied to both the M.S. and Ph.D. programs. The written examination may be repeated three times, the next three times it is offered. Postponement of the written examination is granted only in exceptional cases. Students must select an M.S. or Ph.D. committee and file the appropriate program form during the Spring Semester of their entry year. The Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination includes a written and oral examination that requires the student to present and defend a thesis research plan to thier Ph.D. committee. A Final Examination on the thesis and related topics is required for the Plan A M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. For both the Ph.D. and Plan A M.S. degrees, a final oral examination is conducted by the student’s Graduate Committee. This examination takes place after the thesis has been submitted and covers the thesis and related topics.
Qualifying Examination
The Qualifying Exam for all degree-seeking students is a written test on the general principles of physics at the upper-undergraduate level. The Qualifying Exam tests knowledge and comprehension of the general principles of physics through their appication in solving a carefully chosen set of problems. Passing the Qualifying Exam in the allotted timeframe is part of making satisfactory progress toward a degree.
M.S. Comprehensive Examination
- A student attempting to obtain the M.S. degree is allowed four attempts to pass the Qualifying Exam at the Masters level before before being considered for the Ph.D. written Comprehensive Exam.
- A student who has achieved a B average or higher in the standard first-year graduate courses, and no lower than a B- in any individual course, will be deemed to have passed the M.S. Comprehensive Examination.
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination
Students must pass the Qualifying Exam before taking the Comprehensive Exam.
The Comprehensive Exam for Ph.D. degree-seeking graduate students is a written and
oral exam that
requires the student to present and defend a thesis research plan to their Ph.D. committee.
The passing of
this Comprehensive Exam fulfills the Comprehensive Examination requirement of the
Graduate School for a
doctoral degree and is subject to all conditions and requirements set forth by the
official policies of the
Graduate School.
The Comprehensive Exam consists of a written research proposal and an oral defense.
The
research proposal describes, in five pages or less, the student’s research progress
and proposes future work
towards the completion of the written thesis requirement. It is appropriate and expected
that the research
proposal will be developed collaboratively by the student and the student’s advisor.
The research proposal
must be submitted at least one week prior to the oral defense. In the oral part of
the exam, the graduate
student must present a defense of the research proposal before the student’s Ph.D.
committee. The
committee will probe the student’s understanding of the fundamental physics and intellectual
context of
the research topic.
The Comprehensive Exam can be scheduled any time after passing the Qualifying Exam,
with
the first attempt occurring no later than the Spring semester of the second academic
year. Postponement
of the Comprehensive Examination beyond this time is granted only in exceptional cases.
Requests for
postponement must be submitted to the student’s Ph.D. committee by the student's advisor
at least two
months before the deadline. The Comprehensive Examination may be repeated once, six
to nine months
after the first attempt
*The Physics Department has an exception to this policy which allows validation for six (6) years from the term of successful completion (per Dr. Karlene Hoo, Graduate School, 2/13/15).
Final Oral Examination
For both the Ph.D. and Plan A M.S. degrees, a Final Oral Examination is conducted
by the student’s Graduate Committee. This examination takes place after the thesis
has been submitted and covers the thesis and related topics.
Financial Aid Guidelines
Most students admitted to advanced degree programs in the Physics Department are awarded financial aid, in the form of research and teaching assistantships, fellowships, and fee waivers. To receive financial aid, a student must satisfy the requirements of the Graduate School as listed on their webpage, as well as requirements of the Physics Department given below. Satisfaction of these requirements does not guarantee financial aid, although it is the policy of the Physics Department to support as many qualified graduate students as permitted by the available resources. Limited financial assistance is offered in the summer. For foreign students, continuation of financial aid beyond the first year is contingent upon satisfactory performance in spoken English as well.
- Credit Requirements:
- Students receiving financial aid must be registered for a minimum of 9 credits during the academic year, unless instructed otherwise by the Department Head. Exception: during the year in which a student plans to establish residency, domestic students may register for 6 credits in order to earn state residency. This will typically occur during a student’s 3rd or 4th academic year.
- Grade Requirement:
-
Financial aid may be revoked if a student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below 3.0; graduate standing may also be removed in this case (see webpage that follows). http://www.montana.edu/gradschool/policy/grades_academicstanding.html. The Department of Physics defines a passing grade for required graduate level classes to be a B- or better. A student receiving a C+ or lower is considered to have failed the required class and must retake the class when it is next offered. Questions regarding this policy should be brought to the Department Head. (Revised 11/15)
- M.S. Candidates:
Candidates for the degree of M.S. in Physics will generally be granted a maximum of two years of financial aid including summers. Note that all specific course requirements for this degree can be satisfied in one year. Exception: students selecting the Plan A (thesis) option may apply for research assistantships for up to one academic year beyond the second year of study; generally, teaching assistantships will not be awarded after the second year.
- Ph.D. Candidates:
Financial aid will be continued beyond two years only if the written Ph.D. Comprehensive Exam is passed at the Ph.D. level by the second attempt.
Housing Information
A variety of housing is available. The University has residence hall rooms for single students, and apartments and houses are available for married students. Ample off-campus housing of all types is available. However, housing should be arranged as soon as you receive an offer of admission and/or accept the offer. Family and graduate housing information is available at their web site, http://www.montana.edu/fgh