The Physics Department offers the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Two different plans for earning the M.S. degree are available. Plan A requires at least 15 credits of course work, the writing of a thesis, and a final oral examination. Plan B requires at least 24 credits of course work and a final oral examination; there is no thesis requirement in the Plan B M.S. degree program. For students intending to continue beyond the Master's to the Ph.D. degree, the Physics Department almost always recommends the Plan B Master's program. For students intending to work in an industrial setting after completing an M.S. degree, Plan A is often the preferable program. It is important for M.S. degree candidates to consult their advisors before deciding which option to choose.
The Plan A option for the M.S. degree provides a special opportunity for students wanting to prepare for professional employment in non-academic settings without foreclosing any opportunities for further education leading to the doctorate. Research projects suitable for the Plan A master's program are available in most research specialties within the Department. The Physics Department's association with the Institute of Materials Science and with the Photonics Research Center provides special opportunities for students interested in careers in industrial technology. Candidates for admission to the M.S. program to whom such career opportunities are of interest should contact Professors Edward Pollack (Tel. (860) 486-3670, e-mail pollack@uconnvm.uconn.edu) or Winthrop W. Smith (Tel. (860) 486-3573, e-mail winthrop@uconnvm.uconn.edu).
The M.S. degree normally requires at least 24 credits of course work beyond the baccalaureate degree and satisfactory completion of an oral examination. The Ph.D. degree normally requires at least 20+ credits of course work beyond the Master's degree, as well as a reading competence in a foreign language or mastery of a research skill pertinent to the student's professional objectives. Satisfactory completion of a General Examination in Physics as well as a number (currently two) of prescribed advanced graduate courses, and two semesters of full time residency at the University of Connecticut are also required for the Ph.D. The most important requirement for the Ph.D. degree is the satisfactory completion of a scientific investigation, and the writing of a thesis on that investigation that represents a significant contribution to the research literature.
The educational program of each graduate student is supervised by an Advisory Committee composed of at least three faculty members with expertise in the student's chosen specialty area. One of these faculty members will serve as the student's Major Advisor, the other two as Associate Advisors. During the course of each doctoral student's graduate career, the membership of the Advisory Committee can change, as the student's long-term scientific interests are clarified. Finally, each Ph.D. candidate will identify a faculty member in whose research program he or she wants to participate, and ask that faculty member to supervise his or her Ph.D. thesis research. If the faculty member agrees, he or she will, from then on, serve on that student's Advisory Committee as Major Advisor. The student's choice of courses and research program will be determined in close consultation with the Advisory Committee.
The General Examination in Physics consists of a written and an oral part. The written part will be given twice each academic year and will consist of two four-hour long examinations, one covering Theoretical Mechanics, Electromagnetism and Optics, and the other covering Quantum Mechanics, and Thermal and Statistical Physics. The written part of the examination will be followed by an oral examination. Successful completion of the General Examination is required for formal matriculation for the Ph.D.
A complete, authoritative description of all requirements for the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees can be found in the Graduate Catalog. All newly enrolled graduate students are urged to read this catalog carefully and to become familiar with the requirements for the graduate degrees for which they intend to be candidates.